Today Microsoft has released Service Pack 2 for SQL Server 2008 R2.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30437
The build number is 10.50.4000.0 and it includes fixes from 2008 R2 SP1 Cumulative Updates 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The fixes from Cumulative Updates 6 and 7 will be published in a subsequent cumulative update, so if you're relying on those fixes, do *not* install the service pack until SP2 CU#1 is available.
The SQL Server team talks about it a bit on their blog, but their download link currently points to the 2008 SP2 download. Which will only further the confusion that 2008 and 2008 R2 are the same!
The KB is here but it is currently broken (should be published soon): http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2630458
Just to provide more info, this issue is present even in SQL Server 2012 Express edition. It seems Microsoft SQL team is applying this DESIGN to all latest version of SQL Server. As indicated in the comments @ http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://web.archive.org/web/*/https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/741476/sql-server-2012-express-setup-issue this is NOT a InstallShield issue, because even if you are installing Windows Updates and Installing SQL Server (2008R2 Exp SP2 or 2012 Exp), SQL installation fails. Please check the comments section of the above mentioned URL (Esp from Jonathan Dyke and S Hipwell). Microsoft says installing SQL Server from another installer is NOT supported, which was supported till SP1.
Forget about installation, I could not even delete the database instance from my installer setup. Is this NOT strange?
Please let us know if any of you have any idea about how to handle this issue. Thank you.
Just to balance things out, that does read as if it is applicable to all SP2 installations. Digging a little deeper, other posts indicate that it only affects the Express Edition, and then only if it's being called from another executable, such as InstallShield. According to Microsoft, it's not a SQL Server installation issue at all, but InstallShield misbehaving:
"In this situation it appears that SQL Express setup is being run from an InstallShield package. This scenario is not currently supported since InstallShield holds some Windows Installer handles and SQL Setup cannot restart the WI service and proceed so it appears to be hanged."
source: http://web.archive.org/web/*/https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/761370/spawned-sql-server-2008-r2-express-sp2-installation-freezes-during-executestandardtimingsworkflow
Hi Aaron,
As indicated at http://web.archive.org/web/*/https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/761370/spawned-sql-server-2008-r2-express-sp2-installation-freezes-during-executestandardtimingsworkflow, this version has some serious installation and uninstallation issues (Can't install as part of another installation, Even can't delete database instance as part of my product's uninstallation). This issue is also there in SQL Server 2012(http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://web.archive.org/web/*/https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/741476/sql-server-2012-express-setup-issue). Do you have any idea whether Microsoft is planning to release another service pack with fix for this issue or Microsoft is planning to continue using this new approach. Please provide your inputs, so that we can take appropriate decision accordingly.
Bob, there is no "discount' version that only includes the delta between SP1 and SP2. This is so that if you go from RTM -> SP2 you don't have to install SP1 first. You'll need to download the entire SP2 package, sorry.
Aaron,
I have 2008 R2 SP1 and want to apply SP2. Every site I go to looks like you have to download the entire SQL2008 R2 SP2. Is it possible to just apply SP2? Do you need to download and install the entire thing over top of SP1?
TIA,
..bob
Hi Aaron,
We are on SQL SERVER 2008 R2 SP2 and CU1. just wondering do I need to apply any of the security patches from KB2494088 and KB2494086.
Thanks in advance.
Murali
I see another SCOPE_IDENTITY() fix – VSTS Bug 820859 (with little info) – not to be confused with KB2019779.
Chris