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Product Updates in SQL Server 2012 Installation

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Product Update is a new feature in SQL Server 2012 Setup. It integrates the latest product updates with the main product installation so that the main product and its applicable updates are installed at the same time. Product Update can search Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), a local folder, or a network share for applicable updates. After Setup finds the latest versions of the applicable updates, it downloads and integrates them with the current SQL Server setup process. Product Update can pull in a cumulative update, service pack, or service pack plus cumulative update. Product Update functionality is an extension of the Slipstream Functionality that was available in SQL Server 2008 PCU1

By default, Product Update searches the Windows Update service on the client computer for applicable updates. The Windows Update service can obtain updates through the live Microsoft Update service or through a managed WSUS service. To discover updates from a file share or folder, you can launch SQL Server Setup from the command prompt or by using a configuration file, and specify the UpdateSource parameter to override the default values. You can also control which updates SQL Server Setup obtains through WSUS by approving updates.

We recommend that you obtain updates from the live Microsoft Update service or from a WSUS service rather than from a folder or network share. The rest of this topic provides more information.

Using Product Update with SQL Server Setup

The Product Update feature is integrated with SQL Server Setup, and the installation flow changes in the following ways:

  • The Product Updates page displays the latest available SQL Server product updates. If you don't want to include the updates, clear the Include SQL Server product updates check box. If no product updates are discovered when Setup searches for product updates through the Windows Update service, SQL Server Setup advances automatically to the Install Setup files page.

  • The Install Setup files page displays the progress of downloading, extracting, and installing the Setup files. If an update for SQL Server Setup is found, and is specified to be included, that update will also be installed.

  • The Ready to Install page indicates whether the Product Update feature is enabled or disabled and the final version of SQL Server that will be installed.

Default Behavior

By default, SQL Server searches for product updates through the Windows Update service. This option works well when the client computer has Internet access and corporate policy does not state which updates can be used by SQL Server Setup. In this mode, a user does not have much flexibility on which updates to include. The user can only choose to exclude the discovered updates on the Product Updates page during SQL Server setup. In this default mode, the Windows Update service can obtain updates through WSUS in addition to the live Microsoft Update service. The WSUS administrator controls which updates SQL Server Setup can include, download, and install.

Controlling the Default Behavior

To override the default behavior, such as disabling the Product Update feature or modifying the update search location, you can set the following command-line parameters:

Command-line parameter

Description

UpdateEnabled

The value of the UpdateEnabled parameter specifies whether SQL Server Setup should search for and include product updates. Valid values are TRUE and FALSE or 1 and 0. For example:

  • /UpdateEnabled=True includes the product updates in the installation. This is the default setting.

  • /UpdateEnabled=False skips the product updates in the installation.

UpdateSource

The value of the UpdateSource parameter specifies the location where SQL Server Setup searches for product updates. Valid values are:

  • "MU"

  • Valid folder path or UNC path

“MU” is the default value, and specifies to search for the Windows Update service updates.

When you download the SQL Server updates manually to a UNC path or a local share, specify UpdateSource as a UNC path such as \\servername\sharename or a locally valid path such as C:\somefolder. Run the Setup.exe file from the source media by specifying the UpdateSource parameter.

By using the UpdateSource parameter, you can place all the approved updates into a single folder and rely upon Setup to determine what updates are applicable, based on the version and architecture of Setup that is being run.

If a service pack and a cumulative update for the service pack are available (for example, SP1 and SP1 CU1),

  • Place the SP1 package (SQLServer2012SP1-KB2674319-x64-ENU.exe) and SP1 CU1 package (SQLServer2012-KB2765331-x64.exe) in a single folder.

  • Specify setup.exe /UpdateSource=c:\folder.

  • Let Setup.exe determine which updates are applicable, based on the version and architecture.

For a cumulative update package, the initial download is a _zip.exe. You should unzip the package and extract SQLServer2012-KB2765331-x64.exe in the folder.

If more than one service pack and cumulative update are available, setup.exe will install the highest version of the service pack and cumulative update that corresponds to the service pack.

Examples:

  • /UpdateSource = C:\somefolder

  • /UpdateSource = \\servername\sharename

The specified path can also be relative to where you run Setup.exe. For example:

  • /UpdateSource = ".\MyUpdates"

How to Use the Parameters

These parameters can be specified in the following ways:

Installation option

Examples

Command line

The following is an example of using the parameters from the command line:

  • Setup.exe /Action=Install /UpdateEnabled=TRUE /UpdateSource="C:\MyUpdates"

For more information about installing SQL Server from the command line, see Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt.

ConfigurationFile.ini

Example of how to specify the configuration file when running Setup:

Setup.exe /ConfigurationFile= ConfigurationFile.ini

At the end of this table is an example of a ConfigurationFile.ini file.

For more information about installing SQL Server by using a configuration file, see Install SQL Server 2012 Using a Configuration File.

DefaultSetup.ini

If you have the DefaultSetup.ini file in the \x86 and \x64 folders at the root level of the SQL Server source media, open the DefaultSetup.ini file, and then add the UpdateEnabled parameter to the file.

If the DefaultSetup.ini file does not exist, you can create it and copy it to the \x86 and \x64 folders at the root level of the SQL Server source media.

The following is an example of a DefaultSetup.ini file:

;Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Configuration file
[OPTIONS]
UpdateEnabled=FALSE
; The Product Update functionality is disabled.

Note

Changing the Product Update settings or the /UpdateSource parameter settings does not change any of the Windows Update settings.

This is an example of a ConfigurationFile.ini file:

; Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Configuration file 
[OPTIONS]
; Specifies a Setup work flow, like INSTALL, UNINSTALL, or UPGRADE. This is a required parameter. 
ACTION="Install"

; Specifies whether SQL Server Setup should discover and include product updates. 
; The valid values are True and False or 1 and 0. 
; By default SQL Server Setup will include updates that are found. 
UpdateEnabled=TRUE

; Specifies the location where SQL Server Setup will obtain product updates. 
; The valid values are "MU" to search Microsoft Update, a valid folder path, a relative path such as 
; .\MyUpdates or a UNC share. By default SQL Server Setup will search Microsoft Update or a Windows 
; Update service through the Window Server Update Services. 
UpdateSource=.\Updates

Using Windows Server Update Services

A WSUS administrator can synchronize updates from Microsoft Update. To configure products for synchronization, do the following:

  1. In the WSUS Administration Console, click the Options node.

  2. Click Products and Classifications, and then click the Products tab.

  3. Select SQL Server 2012 Product Updates for Setup under SQL Server and then click OK.

  4. On the Classifications tab, select the check boxes of the update classifications you want your WSUS server to synchronize, and then click OK.

For more information about how to configure a set of updates that you want to download by using WSUS, see Configure Updates and Synchronization (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=219944).

SQL Server 2012 Product Updates for Setup is a hidden product that is not available for interactive scan but can be seen by WSUS, which can then be seen by SQL Server Setup when querying the Windows Update service. After the updates are synchronized to WSUS, the administrator can approve updates to be seen by SQL Server Setup if the Windows Update client is pointing to the WSUS server.

Note

The updates under the hidden products are only for new installations or upgrades. These updates aren't used to patch existing installations.

Microsoft will continue to ship SQL Server service packs and critical updates through Microsoft Update for current installations of SQL Server. For more information about Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), see Windows Server Update Services (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=214208).

Slipstream Functionality

The Product Update feature replaces the Slipstream functionality that was available in SQL Server 2008 PCU1. Therefore the command-line parameters, /PCUSource and /CUSource, associated with Slipstream functionality should no longer be used. The parameters will continue to work, but may be removed in a future release of SQL Server Setup. The /UpdateSource parameter combines the functionality of the Slipstream parameters.

For more information about Slipstream functionality that was available in SQL Server 2008 PCU1, see Slipstream a SQL Server Update (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=219945).

See Also

Tasks

Install SQL Server 2012 from the Installation Wizard (Setup)

Concepts

Install SQL Server 2012 from the Command Prompt

Install SQL Server 2012 Using a Configuration File