Install SharePoint 2010 Service Pack 2 the right way
Unless you were on vacation for the past three weeks, by now you know that SharePoint 2010 Service Pack 2 is out and ready to be installed! If you’re looking for the announcement, or download links, check out this post: SharePoint 2010 Service Pack 2 Released . This article will be focused on some questions I got from SharePointers from SharePoint-Community.Net and also from friends… How do I patch my SharePoint 2010 farm the right way? Let’s start with some SharePoint Myth Buster action!
Myth 1: I need to apply both SharePoint Foundation SP2 and SharePoint Server SP2
That is not true! In SharePoint 2007 and until August 2011, you had to do this, but it is not true anymore! Here is the Best Practice quotation from the official technet article:
The packaging of cumulative updates changed as of August 31, 2011. […]As a result of the new packaging, it is no longer necessary to install the SharePoint Foundation cumulative update and then install the SharePoint Server cumulative update.
You can read the full paragraph here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/sharepoint/ff800847.aspx#LatestUpdates
Conclusion : If you have SharePoint Server 2010, you only need to install the SharePoint Server Service Pack!
Myth 2: If I have SharePoint Server 2010 in English and X Language Pack, I need to install the Service Pack 2 in English and Service pack 2 in X language.
This Myth is also BUSTED. You only need to install the SharePoint Service Pack in the language of the original installation, then install each Language Pack Service Pack in the languages deployed to the farm. For example, if the farm is installed with en-US, and you have installed the French Language Pack, simply install the SharePoint Service Pack 2 from the English download, and the French Service Pack 2 from the Language Pack download (Service Pack 2 for Microsoft 2010 Server Language Pack).
Myth 3: I need to test Service Pack 2 in my test farm before installing it in production
You NEVER install any update (Windows, CU, PU, SP, etc..) in any SharePoint Environment without testing it in a Test Farm. You have been warned!
Myth 4: Since the Service Pack 2 came out in July, and June 2013 CU came out.. in June, Service Pack 2 is the latest available build.
False! June 2013 is a post-Service Pack 2 release (though it does not require SP2). Furthermore, you can’t install June 2013 CU over Service Pack 2 due to patch detection logic errors in the June 2013 CU. Official Microsoft Recommendation? Wait for the August 2013 CU!
How to Install SharePoint 2010 Service Pack 2
Now that our Myth Busting is done, let’s get to business and see what steps we need to take to properly install Service Pack 2 on your SharePoint 2010 Farm. For the sake of the article, let’s suppose you have a super SharePoint 2010 farm with 1 APP server, and 2 Front Ends (WFE). Furthermore, you also have Office Web Apps and the French Language Pack. Here is a small diagram stolen from blog.sharepointedutech.com
1. Install SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 on all of the SharePoint servers in the farm. The installation of the binaries can be done in parallel, or sequentially.
2. Install the Office Web Apps 2010 Service Pack 2 on all of the SharePoint servers in the farm.
3. Install the French Language Pack Service Pack 2 for SharePoint 2010 on all of the SharePoint servers in the farm. When downloading Language Packs, make sure to select the appropriate language from the drop down and wait until the page appears in the desired language before clicking the Download button
PS: If you have Project Server 2010, make sure you read this post from the Microsoft Project Support Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/projectsupport/archive/2013/07/23/project-2010-and-project-server-2010-service-pack-2-sp2-released.aspx
4. Now that the binaries are installed on all the servers, it’s time to go to the more stressful part which is running the SharePoint 2010 Configuration Wizard. On any one of the SharePoint servers, start and run the “SharePoint 2010 Configuration Wizard” as an administrator. In the Configuration Wizard, it may ask you if you want to change anything. At this time, do not change anything, simply click next, next, and next. If you cheated in any of the previous steps, you will have an error in this step!.
5. After the Configuration Wizard is done running on the first server, run it on the next SharePoint server in the farm! Repeat Step #5 until all SharePoint servers are upgraded.
6. Time to test everything!
You are done and successfully installed SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 2 using the best practices from Microsoft!
I also want to give a huge thanks to Trevor Seward, SharePoint MVP, for reviewing this post to make sure every step is done according to Microsoft’s Best Practices.
Share this post with your followers on twitter: