Cumulative Updates & Hotfixes

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Cumulative Updates & Hotfixes

Paul Mu

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July 16, 2008 at 5:28 am

#154533

Just out of curiosity, how are you as a production dba deal with cumulative updates and hotfixes? Do you apply hotfixes if its critical to your situation? Do you apply Cumulative Updates only when it's necessary? Bear in mind the amount of testing you are requried to do before applying to production! I'm interested in your opinion on this.
Paul

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HanShi SSC-Dedicated Points: 33506 More actions · Answer 1

I am also very curious about how other think about this.

Recently a company asked my advice on this. After consulting some of my collegues, we decided to follow Microsoft's statement to only install a CU when you encounter problems that are addressed by the CU. In our case we stick to SP2 and are waiting for the release of SP3.

** Don't mistake the ‘stupidity of the crowd’ for the ‘wisdom of the group’! **

Paul Mu SSCertifiable Points: 5547 More actions · Answer 2

With SQL 2000 there were security hot fixes which are not optional. It would appear that most of the fixes in 2005 are not of this nature. However, if you don't apply the fixes, you'll soon encounter unusual situations which can take days to debug. I tend to think that CU are a pretty safe bet, much like a SP. It's a case of how much time do I have for testing and how often!

thasteve SSCrazy Points: 2707 More actions · Answer 3

running sp2 and cu pack 6 but just cause of an error otherwise wouldnt have installed it before sp3

Paul Mu SSCertifiable Points: 5547 More actions · Answer 4

That's how I use to do it. But now I'm not so sure. I think it depends alot on the environment that you are working in, whether retail, professional services, banking, etc.

Shabba SSCertifiable Points: 5007 More actions · Answer 5

I would be inclined to leave well alone unless as previous posters have said the update/service pack resolves specific problems that affect your server.

Paul Mu SSCertifiable Points: 5547 More actions · Answer 6

We recently had an issue that required PSS help. The reply from one of Microsoft's SQL Server Support Specialist was as follows:

So, in order to correct this problem I really recommend you to install above fix; Since SQL corrections are cumulative, and in order to keep the server up to date, recommend you the CU8 installation instead

Note the the required fix was part of CU1 and yet CU8 is recommended! I am inclined to think that keeping the server up to date is a Microsoft best practice.

Shabba SSCertifiable Points: 5007 More actions · Answer 7

Shabba

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Points: 5007

July 18, 2008 at 8:26 am

#845098

Couldn't agree more Paul!

cilla25 SSC Rookie Points: 33 More actions · Answer 8

I am just re-animating this thread, to see if the view on this has changed.

Also I am wondering how everyone here keeps up with what is current? Just by reading the MS websites? Or do you have something a bit more proactive? :unsure:

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003875 More actions · Answer 9

I don't install CU's or Hot Fixes unless they have something very specific that I need. Don't forget that CU's aren't tested to the same extent as SP's.

Also, I test to see if anything will break for each server and instance. Of course, I'll "chance" it for similar servers but I do full regression testing for critical servers prior to a CU getting anywhere near a production server. Same goes for SP's. Does anyone remember the joy of SQL Server 2000 SP3 and 3A?

I'll also lag a month behind on SP's just to see what other folks find out (saved my hiney on 2k SP3). I'd rather not be the Guinea Pig and it takes about a month of sporatic regression tesing to approve an SP, anyway.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Vidhya Sagar SSCrazy Eights Points: 8216 More actions · Answer 10

I agree with Jeff. We don't deploy CU or hotfix unless or until we are sure that it's gonna fix the problem in the server. CU are mainly focused on a particular problem resolution so apply it only when you face the issue.

Before we apply SP, CU or hotfix we will be applying it in DEV server and test it fully and then only we will be moving it to production boxes.

Regards..Vidhya Sagar
SQL-Articles

cilla25 SSC Rookie Points: 33 More actions · Answer 11

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I have lower environments to do testing on, and hanging back to see how others go does sound like a good idea.

I am more wondering, how you all go about knowing that there is even an update coming out? Or where to go to get a schedule of CU's that are coming, or aren't out yet? I am just thinking that I am sure everyone isn't hanging around the MS websites wondering what will happen next? There must be some kind of notification system........

:ermm:

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 734522 More actions · Answer 12

CUs are released every other month. You can also check on this blog

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlreleaseservices/

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003875 More actions · Answer 13

cilla25 (8/22/2010)
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I have lower environments to do testing on, and hanging back to see how others go does sound like a good idea.
I am more wondering, how you all go about knowing that there is even an update coming out? Or where to go to get a schedule of CU's that are coming, or aren't out yet? I am just thinking that I am sure everyone isn't hanging around the MS websites wondering what will happen next? There must be some kind of notification system........
:ermm:

Logically speaking, if we aren't having a problem, it doesn't matter. If I'm having a specific problem, I look for a hot fix on the Microsoft site first. I normally get word of an SP through SSC because I'd rather wait a month than jumping in to be one of the first to install it.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Rick.Cornell.SME SSCrazy Eights Points: 8597 More actions · Answer 14

Rick.Cornell.SME

SSCrazy Eights

Points: 8597

August 23, 2010 at 7:13 am

#1210426

I agree with Jeff and do the same in my environments.