June 22, 2011 at 11:02 am
In 10 plus years of working with SQL server in enterprise environments I have never seen Windows Automatic Update used to patch critical servers. I am being pressured by a server support team member to endorse this method of patching. I am wondering if anyone else relies on the automatic update system or do you patch in a more controlled and tested pattern.
June 27, 2011 at 5:14 am
I don't see any reason to use automatic update.
It has been invented for people who don't know anything about computer to be able to keep up to date.
Even if you schedule the install/reboot in the automatic update you would still be installing untested stuff on your server and you would not know if your server is going to reboot or not this week-end...
If your server support team is not up to the task, ask for them to be replaced by someone else.
June 27, 2011 at 6:26 am
I usually let windows download patches and SPs from a trusted and filtered internal WSUS server, but I install manually during scheduled maintenance windows. Usually I do this every 1 month.
-- Gianluca Sartori
June 27, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Don't think it is a good idea, especially when it comes to clusters. Used to have a lot of issues in the past with only one node being updated. Additionally that process was controlled by Engineering group without telling DBAs about recent updates. That leads DBA to rebuild a number of servers a while back.
June 28, 2011 at 2:04 am
andersg98 (6/22/2011)
In 10 plus years of working with SQL server in enterprise environments I have never seen Windows Automatic Update used to patch critical servers. I am being pressured by a server support team member to endorse this method of patching. I am wondering if anyone else relies on the automatic update system or do you patch in a more controlled and tested pattern.
it's not recommended to automatic update, use WSUS. It was not recommended that I do so from day one. No matter 1+ or 10+ or 50+, lot of problem to update ur way.
June 28, 2011 at 8:18 am
As a policy, no. I would never let WSUS automatically apply a SQL service pack. Typically, I apply service packs on test servers first, then lower priority servers, working my way up to the more high priority servers.
However, having said that, somehow a SQL update (SQL 2005 SP4 RTM) slipped through our policies and applied itself on one server, fortunately successfully.
June 28, 2011 at 8:51 am
You say Automatic Update, I hear unexpected reboot. Not something I'd want on one of my db servers.
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- Nate
June 29, 2011 at 6:00 am
Quite honestly I did not even know Windows Updates could check on SQL Server for patches. I have always patched manually with the patch I want to apply and go up the line.. dev, test, pqa then prod.
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