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Microsoft announced last week there are no service packs for SQL Server 2017: blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlreleaseserv…
By removing service packs in favor of frequent CUs, MSFT has changed the nature of how administrators will consider applying patches.
Historically, admins would wait for SP1 before migrating to the latest version. There were two main reasons for doing this.
First, a service pack was a signal for many that the software was more stable than the RTM version.
Second, the time between RTM and SP1 was roughly a year, allowing administrators time to plan for a migration.
For those of us used to PaaS applications such as Azure SQL Database, the idea of frequent patches and updates is not new. Or scary.
We’ve grown accustomed to having someone else take care of the administration of our databases.
But you could already have updates applied automatically to your Earthed database server if you wanted.
It’s not as if that technology doesn’t exist, it’s just that we don’t choose that option.
Because we are used to how things used to be. In the past. We aren't used to the future, yet.
We are being nudged forward towards a world of frequent updates.
By moving to monthly CUs after RTM, MSFT is introducing us to continuous delivery for the Earthed version of SQL Server.
They have taken our database server and treated it as if it were a phone.
I’ve seen mentions that this new model will cause confusion for DBAs as they try to figure out patching versus wait for next major version.
Such comments reflect a narrow vision for the future of enterprise software delivery.
It’s no longer about versions and editions. It’s about service. It's about being a utility. Like electricity. Or water. Or natural gas.
We aren’t going to be confused about making a choice between SQL Server 2037 CU12 versus SQL Server 2038 CU1.
In the future there will just be a service, with one name.
Knowing Microsoft marketing I am guessing it will be called Microsoft Windows Azure PowerSQL Database.
And when updates come out, they will be applied automatically.
And Microsoft Windows Azure PowerSQL Database will have all features, but you pay for the performance you need.
Ask your end users right now if they are concerned about service packs and cumulative updates. They aren’t.
Your end users don't care what version of SQL Server they are running. And neither should you.
End users only care if their query returns the right data, in a short amount of time.
They often don’t even know (or care) if the data is correct, just that it is there.
This is the new world of enterprise software.
Less time for administrators to spend on operational tasks such as patching.
This is yet another example of operational DBA tasks being automated away, right before our eyes.
End of line.
