Slipstream Install
Are you tired of installing SQL Server software and then immediately having to go back and apply service pack updates? There is some great news for you. Microsoft has made it possible to update your original install package with the changes in a service pack from the same release version.
In certain scenarios, this is the only way to install a specific version of software. For example, I recently installed SQL Server Standard on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server. Running the install program shipped with SQL Server 2008 Standard raised a dialog stating that the install was not designed to run with the selected operating system.
In order to bypass this message it was necessary to create a slipstream install of SQL Server 2008 that included service pack 3, allowing it to be installed on Windows Server 2008 R2.
This isn’t a scenario I can picture many of you running into. Most of us who would be upgrading a server would most likely upgrade SQL Server at the same time. My experience was due to the fact that Microsoft reduced the capabilities of the Standard edition dramatically in the SQL Server 2008 R2 release when it comes to Memory and CPU cores.
However, I anticipate the need to install SQL Server on new machines again in the future. Having a SlipStream install of SQL Server allows me to install the software again at a later time, regardless of supported OS system, and not have to apply service packs as an additional step. This is a great value for those of you with multiple instances of SQL Server you maintain.
I found this link to provide all the instructions I needed to create my own slipstream, http://blogs.msdn.com/b/petersad/archive/2009/02/25/sql-server-2008-creating-a-merged-slisptream-drop.aspx. If you are building your own Slipstream install, you may need to find something more contemporary in case the process has been changed.
Cheers,
Ben
$$SWYNK$$
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