Patching and SharePoint Server 2016 Cumulative Updates

Keeping up with the cumulative updates (CU) and service packs for SharePoint has always been fun. There is always the question of what build are you on and what build should you be on.

To help keep track of the build numbers Todd has always had a great resource available at his blog. If you look up in navigation you will see he has SharePoint 2010, SharePoint 2013, and SharePoint 2016 builds all covered. He has the build numbers, the links to the various Microsoft Knowledge Base articles for what is in that build, links to download the updates, and finally any notes or bugs he knows about for a given resource. The site is top notch.

Since Todd has all of those bases covered I thought I would try to help out by creating videos on how to install each of the CUs and any added information I could share. To make it easy to find I have put all of the 2016 update videos in a playlist. That will always give you easy access to the latest and greatest. As of right now I have covered June, July, and August 2016. The nice thing is there is some variety in there.

• The June 2016 cumulative update for SharePoint server update video shows how to install a CU as part of doing a fresh install.
• The July 2016 cumulative update for SharePoint Server actually shows up in Windows Update so if you aren’t paying attention you can actually install it on accident. This video shows you that process and how to tell if that is what happened to you.
• The August 2016 cumulative update for SharePoint Server is actually a simple, straightforward applying it to an existing farm. A breath of fresh air really.

As additional updates roll out I will continue to create videos. In theory they should all be the same steps with just different bits but we all know SharePoint better than that. There will be curve balls.

In each video I also try to discuss that you shouldn’t just apply and update because it is available. You need to have a rhyme and a reason and even then it can be dicey. You have been warned.

Also, with my updates I concentrate on how to install it and just work through the process. This method while effective does lead to downtime. If you are looking for Zero Downtime Patching (ZDP) then you should watch this fine video by Microsoft. They have a multi-server farm in Azure and walk you through how to patch with no downtime. Pretty cool stuff if you have a farm of that size.

I think between watching that video and one of mine you should have a great understanding of how patching really works in SharePoint. They show you the uber complex process but without all of the context and I show you the simple process but try to break down each step a little better. A winning combination. J

Shane