IBM Slams Brakes on SP2 Update

[kkapoor]

http://www.microscope.co.uk/articles/ar ... h=&nPage=1

IBM has ordered its staff not to install Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP because of compatibility issues.

"IBM's large number of web applications will need to be tested and some modified to work correctly with SP2," IBM has warned its employees. "Currently, some high-profile, business-critical applications are also known to conflict with SP2. When the current issues and concerns have been addressed, IBM will deploy a customised version of SP2."

With close to 400,000 desktops, IBM is a very large Microsoft customer indeed.

The company warned its users off SP2 on the same day Microsoft released it for manufacturing. The XP update will be available soon through downloads, shops and free CDs, as well as on new PCs. A network installation package will be available for enterprise users.

SP2 for Windows XP is more than the usual roll-up of bug fixes and updates, with Microsoft trading off compatibility for security. As a result, it may not run existing applications and Microsoft has urged developers and IT professionals to test the update.

And IBM isn't the only company with SP2 compatibility issues. Microsoft's own software is also affected. The company has already released an update for its CRM customer relationship management software because it won't run correctly under SP2.

The broad changes to SP2 have led analysts to liken it to a Windows upgrade rather than a simple update. Business users typically take much longer to install a new version of Windows than a service pack because they do compatibility testing first.

Thomas Smith, manager of desktop engineering at a large US company, hopes to equip his 5,000 desktops with a custom version of SP2 before Microsoft pushes it out on Windows Update.

Smith manages desktops scattered throughout the US with common high-speed internet connections such as DSL or cable using Altiris's remote management tool and relying on Windows Update for patches. He said that If he applied the standard SP2 distribution to his machines, it would block access to several corporate web applications.

Microsoft Windows group manager Barry Goffe said Microsoft would help users in Smith's position. The software maker plans to offer simple ways to set a unique registry key on XP desktops that will instruct the systems to skip SP2 but download other critical updates through Windows Update and Automatic Update.

"We want to give customers some breathing room," Goffe said, but added that Microsoft was urging all users to install SP2 as soon possible.

"This is not about fun and games," he said. "SP2 is about improving the security of our customers' infrastructure. We have spent a lot of time making sure that this delivers a lot of value to all our customers."

Michael Cherry, lead analyst at Directions on Microsoft, said business users obviously needed to test but could not blame Microsoft for any unpleasant surprises in SP2.

"Microsoft has been more than forthcoming about the number of changes in this service pack and making it available for testing," Cherry said. "IT departments should get their testing done quickly because there are significant improvements in this service pack that I am not sure they would want to forgo."

[ian]

Bloody good job too - why on earth are there so many Lemmings with Thinkpads...

Every single critical patch has caused someone somewhere problems - calm down guys, you'll get it soon enough - just let someother lemming test it first - preferably IBM as they can repair their own machines cheaper...

[Leeper]

SP2 works just fine on our fleet of Thinkpads with the apps that ship out of the box. Some companies are having issues with the security changes working with their home grown apps but for the most part SP2 does not break much.


"The sky is not falling"

[ian]

but for the most part SP2 does not break much.

You see, even you admit it

I'll just modify your quote "The sky is not falling - much..." and I hasten to add that I'm certainly not in the business of panicking - just prudent after having been burned before

[spotter]

I've been running builds of XP SP2 and 2003 SP1 for the past 2 months. Haven't had any serious issues. The benefits far outweight whatever little costs I've suffered.

[RoadHazard]

I'll feel much confident when IBM approves the SP2. I think I'll wait for now. I don't have any problem what so ever with the computer as of right now anyway.

[jdhurst]

Bloody good job too - why on earth are there so many Lemmings with Thinkpads...

Every single critical patch has caused someone somewhere problems - calm down guys, you'll get it soon enough - just let someother lemming test it first - preferably IBM as they can repair their own machines cheaper...

Well Ian, I do have to disagree with you on this one.

1. I have done every single patch and Service Pack since SP3 for NT4 Workstation all the way through Windows 2000 and Windows XP Pro. There were 3 failures: SP6 for NT4 had to be quickly replaced with 6a to fix a Lotus Notes error; one Windows 2000 hotfix had to be repaired as it precluded copying very large files (like Virtual Machines) and Service Pack 5 for NT4 was (in my experience, usage and opinion) a total failure. but that is not "every" critical patch. And I use a *lot* of software - just not custom software.

2. Having experimented on a separate hard drive to my satisfaction, I have installed SP2 on my ThinkPad in production. So far (as I expected from my careful testing), everything works. Yet I am not a lemming just because I did it.

So on my XP Pro ThinkPad (T41 2373-1HU), I have *every* Microsoft Patch; *every* IBM application updated including BIOS and Embedded Controller; *every* patch for Office XP Pro; and to the best of my ability, every other application updated to its most recent version.

I regret nothing, and the machine is working flawlessly. Just my own view, please understand and no offence intended. ... JDHurst

[pete0r]

i installed it on my 3vu a few days ago. it works completely fine, i'm installing it on my custom built desktop's as i type this..

[gg3761]

Installed it on my T42 & home built desktop. No problems at all. Everything works great.

[w0qj]

For those of you who have successfully installed SP2 on T42 (congrads!),

did IBM's "Access IBM" button/software work with SP2?

[Daniel]

For those of you who have successfully installed SP2 on T42 (congrads!),

did IBM's "Access IBM" button/software work with SP2?

Yes, Access IBM works fine.

[mrbjr]

Everything working on my two Thinkpads and three home built desktops.

[boardmonger]

Maybe I read this wrong, but I was more thinking IBM might have problems with some of their business software. The first post talks about how Microsofts CRM software had to be patched. I more thought IBM would have problems with their CRM software and maybe some JAVA/Web based stuff. (I think that is what some of the IBM stuff is written in.)