Downloading that cumulative update or hotfix…

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Amit Banerjee

I recently answered a question on Twitter regarding the availability of Cumulative Update downloads for specific platforms.

Starting from SQL Server 2005, our Release Services team moved to an Incremental Servicing Model to deliver fixes for issues identified on current releases of SQL Server[s]. We now release a Cumulative Update package for a Service Pack periodically which contains all the fixes released since the RTM version of the Service Pack and hence the name “Cumulative Update”.

Technorati Tags: Cumulative Update,Hotfix,SQL Server 2005,SQL Server 2008,SQL Server

Now you click on the link mentioned in the picture below, you will get an option to download the packages associated for all the platforms.

I know this is quite trivial information but I have answered this question a few times and hence the post.

Technorati Tags: Cumulative Update,Hotfix,SQL Server 2005,SQL Server 2008,SQL Server

CU10 is a must for all instances where mirroring is being used

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Amit Banerjee

If you happen to use Database Mirroring on SQL Server 2005, then Cumulative Update 10 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3 is a must for your instances. There are 2 database mirroring related fixes in this cumulative package. I would suggest that all SQL Server 2005 instances that have database mirroring enabled need to have this update installed ASAP.

982933 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982933/ )
Error message when you shrink data files on principal in a Database Mirroring for two SQL Server 2005 servers

983480 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/983480/ )
FIX: Various issues occur when a database is involved in a database mirroring session and in a transactional replication if trace flag 1448 is enabled

983500 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/983500/ )
FIX: The role switch is delayed when a mirroring automatic failover occurs in SQL Server 2005

Incremental Servicing Model for SQL Server 2005

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Amit Banerjee

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. 🙂