Oct 20, 2021 · Only Cumulative Updates are cumulative, as implied by the name. Specific security patches may contain fixes from prior patches if they happen to patch the same files as the prior patch. However, even that is not definitely guaranteed to be true.

Jan 14, 2021 · The General Distribution Release (GDR) and Cumulative Update (CU) designations correspond to the two different servicing options in place for SQL Server baseline releases. A baseline can be either an RTM release or a Service Pack release.

Aug 24, 2021 · GDR stands for General Distribution Release, whilst CU stands for Cumulative Update. The difference is that GDR patches contain only security fixes, and CUs include security fixes and functional fixes.

Dec 7, 2023 · On an installed instance of SQL Server, we recommend that you apply the latest security updates and critical updates including general distribution releases (GDRs), service packs (SPs), and cumulative updates (CUs).

Update your SQL Server to the latest Cumulative Update (CU) as soon as reasonable after release. Cumulative Updates often contain fixes to vulnerabilities. When the world’s security defense system is working well, a “good guy” will identify a security vulnerability in a product, such as SQL Server, and let the product vendor (Microsoft) know.

Cumulative Update (CU): Includes all previous fixes and enhancements since the last GDR or CU. Released frequently (every 2-3 months). Focus: New features, performance improvements, and bug fixes. Example: If you're on SQL Server 2019 RTM and apply the latest CU, you get all the fixes up to that CU. General Distribution Release (GDR):

Jun 24, 2022 · A cumulative update contains all the functional and security fixes (and, occasionally, added features) for a major version. During the first year of a major version release, they are offered monthly; then, roughly , every other month until that version is no longer in mainstream support.

May 28, 2022 · From 2017 onwards all updates to SQL server is released as CU (Cumulative updates). In the update package, you will see CU as the filename, so it indicates it is cumulative. So for cumulative update packs, the updates include all previous updates.

Feb 18, 2025 · Microsoft released SQL Server 2019 Cumulative Update (CU) 31 on February 13, 2025. This update, Build 15.0.4420.2, includes ten public fixes and improvements, which is a relatively low count compared to previous CUs.

What’s the difference between a service pack, cumulative update, and a hotfix? A hotfix fixes a single issue, and hasn’t been extensively tested. A cumulative update is a rollup of several hotfixes, and has been tested as a group.