SQLBits 2014

Patch Management Strategies for SQL Server Deployments

Patching is often the cause of most of our downtime be it hardware, Windows, or SQL Server. This session will guide you around pitfalls to increase your uptime and reliability while managing your downtime related to patching and updating
We all have to deal with applying some sort of update to Windows, SQL Server, and/or hardware. Keeping things up to date is crucial for supportability, not to mention other things like security, performance, and stability. Since patching often involves downtime, you need to be careful not only what you apply to avoid problems, but also find ways to minimize the impact to the business and end users. This session will cover topics such as how to approach patching including what changes you should and should not consume, features that may help you automate or script patching, and developing your own long term patch management strategy for SQL Server deployments.