Do you patch your server with Cumulative Updates even if they are fine?

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Do you patch your server with Cumulative Updates even if they are fine?

SQLBalls

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January 25, 2010 at 10:05 am

#216075

Hey I've got a debate going on with some management Types.
When Service Packs are released I download them and test them on Dev Servers before deploying them in production.
In between we get Cumulative Updates. CU6 for SQL 2008 came out on the 19th of January. While reading the KB article on it, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/977443/[/url] , I do not have any of those errors on my systems.
Doesn't mean they are not there, but I have not experienced them. And to the best of my knowledge my users have not experienced them.
Should I download and install CU 6, and become a religious tester of all CU's?
I don't have any problems with it, but was curious for your thoughts is this a good idea, bad idea, or one of those ehhh do what you like kind of things?
Twitter: @SQLBalls
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Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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Roy Ernest SSC-Dedicated Points: 38780 More actions · Answer 1

The way we do it is to wait for a Service pack or Release Candidate and test them out in our QA before applying to production. I am talking about the SQL Server updates. Not the OS. If we do not face a problem that is solved by the CU, then we do not apply it until a service pack is released. That too after atleast after a month of the original release.. 🙂

-Roy

george sibbald SSC Guru Points: 104210 More actions · Answer 2

Agree with Roy, don't apply CUs unless you are experiencing the problem it fixes.

As Microsoft themselves say on all CU readme's:

'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 service pack that contains the hotfixes in this cumulative update package. '

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SQLBalls SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4621 More actions · Answer 3

George,

WOW that is exactally what I was looking for, I have a SQL 2005 Server I had to stand up I applied Service Packs 1, 2, and 3, and then CU 7 because the managers had asked that we apply all of the latest patches to SQL.

We have some Oracle boxes as well and once a quarter they push patches. They wanted some SLA's for SQL patching levels that matched Oracle, I tried to tell them that things work a little differently on the Microsoft side of the pond. But my mind was on other projects and my silver tounged skills were not up to par at the moment.

Do you have the link to where that text is on the web? I looked over the KB article for the hotfix and could not find it?

Thanks!

Twitter: @SQLBalls
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SQLBalls SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4621 More actions · Answer 4

Sorry Never Mind, found the text right at the top of the page under how to obtain Cumulative update 7 for SQL 2005 SP3.....:-D

Twitter: @SQLBalls
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george sibbald SSC Guru Points: 104210 More actions · Answer 5

they put that disclaimer in all CU releases.

It is in that link you gave me, do a search on some part of that phrase I posted

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george sibbald SSC Guru Points: 104210 More actions · Answer 6

..oops, posts crossed 🙂

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004378 More actions · Answer 7

As many have already suggested, I don't install CU's unless there's a specific problem that needs to be fixed... there just isn't enough time to regression test for every CU prior to release to production. Even with SPs, I'll wait a month or two.... I learned that lesson from 2k SP3.

--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)

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 8

It depends for us. If there is a vulnerability covered by it then yes. Otherwise, we tend to wait. There are the normal patches and then service packs that still get installed - but again if it fixes something specific that we need.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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