Patching SQL server in the field?

I've been working with the DBAs to come up with a plan to Service pack and
patch our SQL servers in the field. I've search high and low and cannot find
any solid docs on if this is possible? supported or recommended? or how to d
o
it at all. I built a new test Software update package and it had only a hand
full of security updates for SQL. So i guess my questions are
1) Is this possible and are there documents to support it?
2) SQL service packs a built very differently then normal patches and
updates. Because of this is it not advisable to repackage them for SMS?
Thanks in Advance!!
DobolinaIt's possible with SQL Server 2000, but it uses some old installshield
technology so that you need to capture an answer file and use that (and be
pretty sure that your choises will work on each server where it will be
applied). I had some minor issues with this when I upgraded some 70-80
servers a couple of years ago.
With SQL 2005 Microsoft moved to Windows Installer, and it seems to be much
easier to upgrade. Last week I created an upgrade from SQL 2000 to SQL 2005
with SP2 that I'm able to run silently from the SMS client.
/Rune
"Bob Dobolina" <Bob Dobolina@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:215C80C3-06DF-4B40-A82A-37CF2877504D@.microsoft.com...
> I've been working with the DBAs to come up with a plan to Service pack and
> patch our SQL servers in the field. I've search high and low and cannot
> find
> any solid docs on if this is possible? supported or recommended? or how to
> do
> it at all. I built a new test Software update package and it had only a
> hand
> full of security updates for SQL. So i guess my questions are
> 1) Is this possible and are there documents to support it?
> 2) SQL service packs a built very differently then normal patches and
> updates. Because of this is it not advisable to repackage them for SMS?
> Thanks in Advance!!
> Dobolina|||Thanks Rune,
I too noticed the SP4 exe extracts into an old school directory structure.
Lucky we have a packaging wizard. I'll sick him on the task.
again, thanks!
"Rune Norberg" wrote:

> It's possible with SQL Server 2000, but it uses some old installshield
> technology so that you need to capture an answer file and use that (and be
> pretty sure that your choises will work on each server where it will be
> applied). I had some minor issues with this when I upgraded some 70-80
> servers a couple of years ago.
> With SQL 2005 Microsoft moved to Windows Installer, and it seems to be muc
h
> easier to upgrade. Last week I created an upgrade from SQL 2000 to SQL 200
5
> with SP2 that I'm able to run silently from the SMS client.
> /Rune
> "Bob Dobolina" <Bob Dobolina@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:215C80C3-06DF-4B40-A82A-37CF2877504D@.microsoft.com...
>|||Hmmm, are you trying to do a repackage of this servicepack? I doubt that you
will get a good repacked solution as there are several *.sql scripts that is
run against to system databases to upgrade them.
/Rune
"Bob Dobolina" <BobDobolina@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:93931A57-7C13-4C22-88E2-9C7527D5EEC8@.microsoft.com...[vbcol=seagreen]
> Thanks Rune,
> I too noticed the SP4 exe extracts into an old school directory structure.
> Lucky we have a packaging wizard. I'll sick him on the task.
> again, thanks!
> "Rune Norberg" wrote:
>