In
computing, a
service pack or SP (in short
SP) or a
feature pack (
FP) comprises a collection of updates, fixes, or enhancements to a
software program delivered in the form of a single installable package. Companies often release a service pack when the number of individual
patches to a given program reaches a certain (arbitrary) limit, or the software release has shown to be stabilized with a limited number of remaining issues based on users' feedback and bug tracking such as
bugzilla. In large software applications such as office suites, operating systems, database software, or network management, it is not uncommon to have a service pack issued within the first year or two of a product's release. Installing a service pack is easier and less error-prone than installing many individual patches, even more so when updating multiple computers over a network, where service packs are common.