SQL Server 2017 Celebrates 20 Years with New Cumulative Update 20

Microsoft has announced the release of Cumulative Update 20 for SQL Server 2017, which marks the 20th anniversary of the software’s initial release. As part of the celebration, the download for the update is shipped in porcelain, following the tradition of fine china for a 20th-anniversary gift. However, it should be noted that Express Edition users will only receive Rachael Ray china, not the good stuff.

The update includes several fixes for various issues reported by users, including out-of-memory errors caused by incorrect memory accounting, unexpected SQL Server process crashes on VMware with hot-add CPU and memory, access violation when querying computed columns, and a crash that occurs during a resumable rebuild of a filtered index on IS NULL.

Always On Availability Groups have also received some fixes, such as a non-yielding scheduler on the primary and a missing log block. However, there is a breaking change in this update, which affects copy-only differential backups that are no longer allowed on AG secondaries. More information about this change can be found in the KB article on Microsoft’s official website (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb4495256-cumulative-update-20-for-sql-server-2017-4cc4604e-9a27-194d-b2f2-1c2d92edf63e).

It’s important to note that while there are many other bug fixes included in this update, users should exercise caution when extracting and installing the update to avoid any potential issues. With the latest update, users can expect improved performance and stability, making it an essential upgrade for those who rely on SQL Server 2017.

Overall, Cumulative Update 20 for SQL Server 2017 is a significant milestone for the software, marking 20 years of providing reliable and efficient database management tools for businesses and organizations worldwide. With the latest updates and enhancements, SQL Server 2017 continues to be a valuable tool for data management and analysis.