I think Steve Jones makes a great point here with respect to cumulative updates:

“This is one reason I’ve been hesitant to remain current with Cumulative Updates (CUs). Microsoft doesn’t stand behind them, with the text on each CU page that users should only apply the patch if they are experiencing specific problems. Otherwise users are told to wait for the next Service Pack, which seem to be coming less and less often.”

When you look at the fact that service packs for SQL Server (and most Microsoft products) have been few and far between, this presents a problem. There aren’t a lot of bug fixes for SQL Server specifically, but there are important ones likes ones to fix data corruption, inaccurate result sets, and an infinite loop condition against certain dynamic management views. However, if you consider applying a cumulative update, here’s the text Steve was referring to:

“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. “

When was the last time a service pack released for SQL Server 2008 R2 (just taking one supported version)? It was July 26, 2012. In other words, we’re approaching the two year point. Therefore, is it wise to wait for that service pack? According to Microsoft, you should unless you are “severely affected.” However, what is meant by “severely?” If I don’t get accurate result sets back because I implement a FULL JOIN with CROSS APPLY, that’s a problem. If I have data corruption because LOB data, that’s a problem. If I try to query what’s executing and lock up my SQL Server, that’s a problem. In my view, all three of those qualify as severely. Great, but will I get the kind of support I should? If I take that text at face value, it basically says, “Installer beware.” That’s a terrible position to be in as a customer.

Which leads me to the conclusion that either (a) Microsoft should step up support on the cumulative updates and reflect this in their language or (b) Microsoft should release service packs more regularly. I don’t foresee either happening in the near future, but as a customer, I believe it’s a reasonable request.