Search results matching tags 'SQL Server 2008' and 'SQL 2008 SP1'

SQL Server 2008 SP1 Cumulative Update 1 is available!

AaronBertrand — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:52:00 GMT

If you were among those who installed CU4 for SQL Server 2008, then installed SP1, you may not know that you lost some of the fixes that came with CU4 (see Bob Ward's post which is slightly more informative than the release notes).

Microsoft today released a post-SP1 cumulative update that adds back all of these fixes. There is nothing else included, so there is no reason to install this CU if you are at SP1 and got there from RTM or one of the CUs. There is always some confusion about the servicing model and what to do when the cumulative update and service pack schedules collide. Here is a summary in this case (the most important one being the first item):

If you are currently on SP1 (2531), and upgraded from any build <= 1787, do nothing.
If you are currently on SP1 (2531), and upgraded from any build > 1787 and < 2520, apply SP1 CU1 (2710).
If you are currently on the SP1 CTP (2520), apply SP1 (2531).
If you are currently on CU4 (1798), or any interim build > 1787 and < 2520, you should install SP1 (2531) and then SP1 CU1 (2710).
If you are currently on RTM (1600), CU1 (1763), CU2 (1779), CU3 (1787), or any other build < 1787, you should install SP1 (2531).
If you are not sure which bullet applies to you, please ask!

How do you tell what build you upgraded from? Well, hopefully you remember; if not, you should be able to tell from the most recent set of setup log files in "%Program Files%\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\" ... the file summary.txt has a section called "Product features discovered" and you should be able to find the instance(s) you patched last time, and the version will be listed under the section "Database Engine Services."

You can download the new CU here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/969099

And from there you will find links and descriptions of the list of fixes.

If you're still confused about the SQL Server servicing model, don't worry, you're not alone. Browse Bob Ward's blog starting with the link provided above, and also see KB #935897.

I talked about Resource Governor (again)

AaronBertrand — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:10:00 GMT

Last night I gave my Resource Governor spiel at the New England SQL Server User Group meeting in Waltham, MA. About 60 people were in attendance. Unlike the last few times I've presented this technology to an audience (because friends and co-workers don't count), there seemed to be much more genuine interest... I think this has largely to do with the fact that Service Pack 1 is now available, and the light at the end of the tunnel is a lot more visible to some fellow DBAs. There were lots of good questions; for most I had the answers, for a few I did not. I always fear that I will do horribly in front of a crowd, and it usually turns out better than I had feared. This was one of those occasions. :-)

For those looking for the slides from the presentation, they are below, in PDF format. If you want the PowerPoint slides to re-use for your own presentations, they are a moving target - so please get in touch with me directly (aaron [dot] bertrand @ gmail).

After the talk, I was asked to give it again at the CT DOT NET Developers Group in Farmington, CT. It's a bit of a hike for me but I will probably opt in.

SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 is now available!

AaronBertrand — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:11:00 GMT

No, this is not a late April Fool's joke; SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 is finally gold. The final release of SP1 is build 10.00.2531.00, and is available from the Microsoft Download Center:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=66ab3dbb-bf3e-4f46-9559-ccc6a4f9dc19

Cumulative Updates 1, 2 and 3 are included in this service pack, as well as important fixes found during the CTP process. As with the CTP, the most exciting feature here (IMHO, anyway) is the new slipstream functionality.

SQL Server 2008 SP1 setup is a little confused

AaronBertrand — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:23:00 GMT

Of course, it is always annoying when we have to restart a machine or stop a service to service software. I get annoyed when little updates to non-integral pieces of Windows prompt me to reboot; leave me alone and force me to reboot when you actually need those files. Or be smarter about "in-place replace" (if that concept makes sense). I understand the "in use" problem, but have we not made any strides in overcoming this in the past 20+ years of Windows? This is not exclusive to this platform; my Macs need to reboot after updating iTunes or Word, which I can't fathom either.

Anyway, I am straying. The other day I announced here that the CTP for SQL Server SP1 was available. Well, I have installed it on a half dozen machines, and have come across a few minor issues in the tools (mostly around state / registered server names in Object Explorer). But there was a change in setup that I think is going to create confusion all over the place. Basically on a single dialog it says two things:

1) you will need to stop service x to avoid a restart; and,

2) you will not need to stop service x to avoid a restart.

Don't believe me? Here it is in black and white (and blue, and red, and a few other colors, as RDP and a crappy video card on the other end will allow):

Being a "glass is half full" guy for the most part, I believed 2) and, after waiting 47 minutes (yes, 47 MINUTES, I timed it!) for setup to finish, was elated to find that I did not, in fact, have to reboot. Yay! But the text on the dialog needs to be updated. I complained about this on Connect, but I doubt this will meet the bar for a fix:

http://connect.microsoft.com/SQL/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=418470

SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 : CTP is available!

AaronBertrand — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:20:00 GMT

Yes, you read that right; for those of you waiting to try SQL Server 2008 until SP1 is available, we are one step closer. You can download the CTP from the following URL:

http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6f26fc45-f0ca-49cf-a6ee-840c7e8bb8af

The CTP will bring your instance to build # 10.00.2520.

Thumbs up on finally adding slipstream capability and the ability to uninstall the service pack without uninstalling the instance.

Thumbs down on creating a CHM help file that is mostly legalese and requires a self-extracting exe wrapper to extract one file.

There is also an Express version available:

http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0f8df01e-b05b-401b-87e7-bc516683cfe0

You can read more about the release at the Release Services blog:

http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlreleaseservices/archive/2009/02/23/sql-server-2008-service-pack-1-sp1-ctp.aspx