SQL Server patching - Should I update our builds to latest SP? or latest SP + latest CU?
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Friday, November 16, 2012 4:47 PM
Micosoft Cumulative Updates come with the following recommendation:
“A supported cumulative update package is now available from Microsoft. However, it is intended to correct only the problems that are described in this article. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing these specific problems. This cumulative update package may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by any of these problems, we recommend that you wait for the next SQL Server 2008 R2 service pack that contains the hotfixes in this cumulative update package.”
However, I've talked with a number of SQL Server DBAs from a variety of organizations and many seem to patch their servers right to the lastest CU available regardless of whether their servers have experienced any of the problems that the hotfixes in the CUs are suppose to fix.
What should we be doing? Only applying CUs if we specifically need them (like Microsoft recommends)? Or applying the latest CU available? What do most SQL Server DBAs do?
All Replies
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Friday, November 16, 2012 6:39 PMModerator
Hello,
I only install service packs and CU1 of each service pack. I have had some bad experiences with cumulative updates and I installed them only when needed. If a CU has a fix for a specific performance issue an instance has, then I install the CU.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com- Proposed As Answer by Shahfaisal Muhammed Friday, November 16, 2012 10:02 PM
- Marked As Answer by Shulei ChenModerator Monday, November 26, 2012 8:04 AM
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Thursday, November 22, 2012 2:58 PM
Thanks for your reply Alberto. But why CU1? and not just service packs??
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Thursday, November 22, 2012 3:09 PMModerator
Hello,
Always services packs fail to contain fixes of the last two cumulative updates belonging to the previous service pack, and the first CU1 of the newly released service pack has those fixes. For example, while SP2 is been tested a few cumulative updates belonging to SP1 are released, they won’t be included on SP2 but those cumulative updates will be part of the first cumulative update of SP2.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com -
Thursday, November 22, 2012 4:00 PM
That is some good information from Alberto ..
In my case we go on applying all important security patches re-comended by mircrosoft . There will be quiet a few issues faced while applying patches but it is re-comended to apply . It also depends on your organization audit standards ..
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Thanks,Suhas Vallala
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