My Server Admin and I share some DBA roles in our company, they focus on
Security and Backups, while I focus on BI, Database Development, etc.

We are on SQL Server 2008 (No Service Packs) and recently encountered a bug
that Microsoft fixes in one of their cumulative updates for SQL Server 2008.
We decided we wanted that cumulative update (which goes before SP1) but when
we realized there was a service pack after the cumulative update, we couldn't
decide on whether to apply the SP or the cumulative update.

We decided we would ask what the general amount of time DBA's like to let go
by after a release of a SP before they feel comfortable applying the service
pack. (We would still test it internally with our own "stuff" before going
to production.) We know Microsoft tests things, and has their own controls
before releasing SP's, but how long is it before DBA's start to trust that
the SP is ready for us? My Server Admin felt that 3 months was their comfort
level on Operating Systems. How about on the Database side?

Besides the fact that SQL Server 2008's SP1 seems to have come out in August
2009
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...9-ccc6a4f9dc19)
we are trying to build a mindset in terms of how long to wait. (An
assumption is that you don't "need" one of the fixes as that would obviously
change your perspective on how long you can wait.)

Your insights are appreciated; multiple answers are welcome as this is an
opinion question.

Thanks,
Keith

Sorry, I couldn't see my post so I posted it again, but now I can see my
original post. Probably a bad user cable!

"greenmtnsun" wrote: