As a DBA, one of our responsibilities is to ensure that our organization’s SQL Server environment is up-to-date with the latest security and stability patches. But when we are dealing with a large server farm that includes multiple instances and versions of SQL Server, patching can quickly become a complex and time-consuming process. To make things easier, it’s important to have a clear and comprehensive plan in place before initiating any patching activities. In this guide, let’s outline a high-level approach to patching our entire SQL Server farm, covering everything from preparation to implementation and testing. By following these best practices, we can ensure that our SQL Server environment remains up-to-date and secure while minimizing downtime and disruption to business operations.
Here are some steps to follow when patching our SQL Server environment:
Catalog all the SQL Server instances, including their versions, edition, and patch levels. Assess the current state of each instance, noting any custom configurations, dependencies, or critical workloads.
Based on the inventory, start by focusing on your lower environments, such as development and testing, before moving on to production. Within each environment, prioritize instances based on the level of risk to your business, such as those that pose security vulnerabilities or have critical workloads. Create a patching schedule that minimizes downtime and disruption to business operations, considering maintenance windows and resource availability. By starting with lower environments, you can identify and address any potential issues before deploying patches to your production environment.
Investigate the latest patches and updates available for each SQL Server version in your environment. Review release notes, known issues, and compatibility concerns. Download the appropriate patches from the official Microsoft website.
Click here for the latest updates and version history of SQL Server from Microsoft
Inform stakeholders, including application owners and IT teams, of the patching schedule and expected downtime. Coordinate with them to minimize disruptions to business operations and address any concerns or requirements they may have.
Before applying any updates, we need to ensure that our SQL Server instances and databases are backed up properly. We can either perform a traditional backup of the SQL Server databases or we can ask infrastructure team to take a snapshot backup. After the backup is complete, validate that it was successful and that the data can be restored if needed. This step is crucial to enable you to recover your SQL Server environment quickly and efficiently in case of any unforeseen issues during the patching process.
In case of patching issues or unexpected complications, create a rollback plan to restore your SQL Server environment to its pre-patching state. This plan should include instructions for restoring backups and reverting any configuration changes made during the patching process.
Apply the patches to your SQL Server instances according to your prioritized schedule plan. Use your preferred patching management tool to automate the process where possible, and manually apply patches when necessary. As you apply patches, monitor the patching process for any errors or issues. Once all patches have been applied, conduct thorough testing to ensure that your SQL Server environment is stable and functioning correctly.
After patching, closely monitor the SQL Server instances for any performance, stability, or compatibility issues. Validate that the updates have been applied successfully and that all systems are functioning as expected.
Also, notify the application or business owners to perform sanity or smoke testing to ensure that the applications and databases are functioning correctly.
Document the patching process, including the updates applied, any issues encountered, and the steps taken to resolve them. Review the patching process to identify areas for improvement and to refine your patching strategy for future updates.