Today SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) has been released to the web. This service pack will improve the performance, serviceability, and enhance the security of your SQL Server 2000 installations.
- SP4 is the first service pack to service the 64-bit edition of SQL Server 2000.
- SP4 adds platform support for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition allowing 32-bit SQL Server applications to run on 64-bit hardware when using Windows on Windows emulation (WOW64).
- SP4 provides customers with the latest updates and fixes to SQL Server 2000 released since SP3a.
- SP4 provides enhanced performance, serviceability, and security to SQL Server 2000.
SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 Highlights:
- Includes a new version of MSXML version 3.0 SP6. With SP4, the OPENXML statement is updated to use a custom-built XML parsing technology designed to be backward compatible with MSXML 2.6.
- Includes MDAC 2.8 SP1 except for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 platforms, where it is included with the operating system service packs for those platforms.
- Adds the following platform support:
- With Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition, SP4 provides support for 32-bit SQL Server applications on 64-bit architectures using the Windows on Windows emulator (WOW64). For more information on specific 64-bit platforms supported, see the Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions Product Overview.
- With SP4, you can leverage 64-bit processor architectures using 32-bit SQL Server applications when running in WOW64.
Note: SQL Server 32-bit applications, including SQL server client tools, are still not supported on WOW64 for IA64. Also, currently 32-bit Reporting Services is not supported to run on WOW64 on IA64 and x64 platforms running Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition.
- Improves documentation; the Readme documents are reorganized into four distinct readme files for the different SP4 components:
- ReadmeSql2k32sp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (32-bit)
- ReadmeSql2k32asp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services
- ReadmeSql2k32desksp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000)
- ReadmeSql2k64sp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit)
More information on SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 can be found on http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/2000/sp4.asp