In-Depth
Download Hotfix for Latest SQL Service Pack
Less than a month after shipping SP2 for SQL Server 2005, Microsoft issues a hotfix to prevent maintenance plan cleanup tasks from removing data before the specified cleanup interval.
Less than a month after shipping a major new service pack for SQL Server 2005, Microsoft is issuing a hotfix to correct a problem some users experienced with the update.
Microsoft first shipped Service Pack 2 (SP2) on February 19, 2007. The main purpose of SP2 is to provide support for Windows Vista and Office 2007 (see Resources).
However, the company sent out a notice recently regarding a hotfix for an issue some users have encountered in the weeks since SP2 shipped.
"Microsoft recently uncovered an issue in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2, which may impact customers using cleanup tasks in Maintenance Plans and SQL Server Integration Services packages," said a Microsoft spokesperson.
The service pack includes an enhancement that lets users specify the cleanup interval in hours. When SQL Server 2005 was originally released, cleanup intervals were measured in days, in weeks, in months, or in years. Microsoft said the addition of being able to specify cleanup intervals in hours was based on customer feedback.
The service pack went through Microsoft's community technology preview (CTP) process—part of the company's changes about two years ago to improve code delivery. But the glitch got through the testing process.
"SP2 contained an issue that caused maintenance plan cleanup tasks to remove data before the specified cleanup interval," according to company statements online.
The problem does not affect customers who have not yet installed SP2, or customers who downloaded SP2 after March 5, 2007, according to the spokesperson. The hotfix is available for customers who downloaded SP2 prior to this date.
Besides support for Vista and Office 2007, according to Microsoft statements, SP2 provides support for data compression, additional business intelligence capabilities, and security updates relating to Common Criteria. It also includes manageability enhancements and the ability to access information in other databases, including Hyperion's Essbase and Oracle.
The SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 hotfix is available for download here.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.