Q. How do I install Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1)?

A. Before your install Exchange 2003 SP1, read the release notes. They contain a number of notices that could apply to your site and might affect the order in which you upgrade servers. You also need to apply hotfix 831464 before you install the service pack. After you have the SP1 installation files, perform the following steps:

During the installation, the Information Store service, WWW service, and other Exchange processes are stopped, which interrupts service to users. Therefore, you should plan to perform the upgrade at a time when users don't need to access Exchange.

A new version of the Exchange Server Deployment Tools is available from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=271e51fd-fe7d-42ad-b621-45f974ed34c0&displaylang=en. You can use the deployment tools to assist you in the upgrade process. The tools offer new features, including enhanced support for consolidating sites in a mixed-mode environment (i.e., an environment containing a mix of servers running any combination of Exchange 2003, Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 5.5).