Incremental Servicing Model for SQL Server 2005

The Release Services team for SQL Server introduced a new servicing policy for SQL Server 2005 where in Cumulative Updates for the product are released every 2 months or 8 weeks cycle. Even though there is a KB Article and multiple blog posts surrounding the same, I have found the common question:

This fix is available in the list of available fixes in CU3 but I don’t see the bug/KB# in the Service Pack 3 KB Article.

Read on to find out why!! 🙂

So, if you are experiencing an issue mentioned in a KB Article, then you will find that the Bug# or the KB# for that issue mentioned in the list of available fixes in the next available Cumulative Update for SQL Server or Service Pack which ever is earlier. So, if you were looking for a bug# that you found mentioned in the KB Article for a Cumulative Update, then that KB Article/Bug# will not be repeated in the next available Cumulative Update or Service Pack. The reason for this is that all fixes that are released for Cumulative Update include all the fixes released in the prior Cumulative Updates.

For example, Service Pack 3 contains all the fixes that were released between time period of Service Pack 3 and Service Pack 1.

So, this is the reason why the Service Pack/Cumulative Update Pack sizes are getting progressively larger. So, another GOTCHA for all those folks who have been cribbing about the update package sizes. 🙂