On what basis do we decide whether to use GDR or CU?

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On what basis do we decide whether to use GDR or CU?

sqlguru

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April 6, 2023 at 4:39 pm

#4170113

I am planning to install SQL Server 2019/2022. I agree that GDR contains only security fixes and CUs include security and functional fixes. How do we decide which one to use. Please advise? Thanks in Advance.

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sqlguru SSC-Addicted Points: 471 More actions · Answer 1

sqlguru

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Points: 471

April 7, 2023 at 2:27 pm

#4170567

Any thoughts?

CreateIndexNonclustered SSChasing Mays Points: 648 More actions · Answer 2

SQL is supported back only for two previous cumulative updates. If you need security updates or bug fixes, or support from Microsoft beyond that, install the CU.

sqlguru SSC-Addicted Points: 471 More actions · Answer 3

Can you clarify. There is a confusion around CU, CU-GDR and GDR on what branch of SQL Server you're on. So my understanding is if it's CU-GDR then it will not have both CU(functional and security fixes) plus the GDR in other words it will have previous versions of GDR as cumulative GDR?

frederico_fonseca SSCoach Points: 16147 More actions · Answer 4

recommendation from microsoft is CU - so go that route

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/sqlreleaseservices/announcing-updates-to-the-sql-server-incremental-servicing-model-ism

CreateIndexNonclustered SSChasing Mays Points: 648 More actions · Answer 5

CreateIndexNonclustered wrote:

SQL is supported back only for two previous cumulative updates. If you need security updates or bug fixes, or support from Microsoft beyond that, install the CU.

My statement was incorrect. From the way I've always read sqlserverbuilds' patch list I thought the GDRs were only happening early in the product lifecycle, but see now that they are ordering them by baseline, which is RTM, final major patch before end of support, or historically the latest service pack.

as frederico mentions, MS recommends CU.

If you have an extremely high uptime requirement environment, you may want to go with the GDR servicing route but you would only want to use that if every machine and application in the environment (including clients) was serviced that way.

CreateIndexNonclustered SSChasing Mays Points: 648 More actions · Answer 6

CreateIndexNonclustered wrote:

SQL is supported back only for two previous cumulative updates. If you need security updates or bug fixes, or support from Microsoft beyond that, install the CU.

My statement was incorrect. From the way I've always read sqlserverbuilds' patch list I thought the GDRs were only happening early in the product lifecycle, but see now that they are ordering them by baseline, which is RTM, final major patch before end of support, or historically the latest service pack.

as frederico mentions, MS recommends CU.

If you have an extremely high uptime requirement environment, you may want to go with the GDR servicing route but you would only want to use that if every machine and application in the environment (including clients) was serviced that way.