SQL Server 2014 SP

Question

SQL Server 2014 SP

Chaitanya Kiran Buduguru 176

I have SQL Server 2014 RTM installed on my machine. Can i download SP3 directly? Or should i download SP1, SP2 and then SP3?

Seeya Xi-MSFT 16,571 Reputation points

2023-03-21T07:06:56.7866667+00:00

Hi @Chaitanya Kiran Buduguru,

We have not received a response from you. Did the reply could help you? If the response helped, do "Accept Answer". If it doesn't work, please let us know the progress. By doing so, it will benefit all community members who are having this similar issue. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

Best regards,

Seeya

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Seeya Xi-MSFT 16,571 Reputation points

2023-03-21T07:06:56.7866667+00:00

Hi @Chaitanya Kiran Buduguru,

We have not received a response from you. Did the reply could help you? If the response helped, do "Accept Answer". If it doesn't work, please let us know the progress. By doing so, it will benefit all community members who are having this similar issue. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

Best regards,

Seeya

Answer 1

Seeya Xi-MSFT 16,571

Hi @Chaitanya Kiran Buduguru,

Please refer to this similar thread about SP:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1189164/upgrade-sql-2012-to-sp4

Here is a picture for you:

User's image

Best regards,

Seeya

If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Chaitanya Kiran Buduguru 176 Reputation points

2023-03-21T07:35:59.5733333+00:00

What does the figure mean? Can you please explain in simple english
Seeya Xi-MSFT 16,571 Reputation points

2023-03-21T09:40:17.9433333+00:00

SQL Patch Description:

RTM: stands for Release to Manufacturing, which is the original release version of the product and the default version when downloaded from the CD or MSDN. However, nowadays, when you download the SQL Server version, there is also a version with SP integrated.

Hotfix: An issue that needs to be fixed. Every year, there are many bugs or vulnerabilities in SQL Server, and the fixes for these issues are defined as Hotfix.

Cumulative Update (CU): Cumulative update package, which consists of Hotfixes. CU is released every 8 weeks, so there will be CU1, CU2 ......, etc. Each latest CU version contains Hotfixes from the previous CU. CU is installed based on the original version (RTM) or SP.

Service Package (SP): SP is the package with the most integrated Hotfixes, which are officially and fully tested. SP is the largest patch file for a SQL Server product release, and is released every 12 to 18 months.

GDR (General Distribution Release) is different from CU in that each latest CU contains cumulative updates based on RTM/SP, while GDR contains only serious updates. They have the same baseline.

Each latest CU contains fixes for issues integrated with the previous CU, and each SP contains fixes for issues included in the previous SP. Now look at the picture again.

The flow is like as follows:

After the original RTM release, a CU update package is released every 2 months, during which a GDR critical update is released, an SP1 release is released after the 12th-18th months to integrate the previously released updates, and then the cycle continues with a CU update package for the SP1 release every 2 months, during which a GDR critical update is released, and an SP2 release is released after the 24th-36th months to integrate all the previously released updates including GDR and CU updates. Then proceed to release a new GDR and CU to see if there is a 3rd SP.

So you only need to install the latest SP(SP3) of SQL Server 2014. Then you can install the latest GDR then install latest CU OR you just install the latest CU after SP3.

My suggestion is that you install the patch I posted at this link right after you install SP3.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5021045-description-of-the-security-update-for-sql-server-2014-sp3-cu4-february-14-2023-6c769b6c-beb7-4b65-ae22-29f3bbc2dd31
Erland Sommarskog 119.9K Reputation points MVP

2023-03-21T21:16:53.35+00:00

Service Package (SP): SP is the package with the most integrated Hotfixes, which are officially and fully tested. SP is the largest patch file for a SQL Server product release, and is released every 12 to 18 months.

Starting with SQL 2017, Microsoft does not release Service Packs, only Cumulative Updates (and GDRs).

Answer 2

Erland Sommarskog 119.9K MVP

Download and install SP3. You don't need the intermediate SPs. Don't forget to slap on Cumulative Update 4 for SQL 2014 SP3 when you are done. And finally, get the most recent GDR.

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