In the modern SharePoint environment, administrators and developers are all too aware of the perpetual cycle up updates and service packs. SharePoint has a bi-monthly upgrade cycle known as the Cumulative Updates or CUs for short. Unfortunately, as every battle scarred admin can attest, there is NO undo functionality with these patches. Unlike Exchange, SharePoint patches and updates cannot be uninstalled which means if the patch didn’t work, or worse yet, broke something in your environment, you’re in for a world of hurt. Having lived through such experiences multiple times, we’ve developed a method that takes the pain out of the SharePoint upgrade process. Come and let us share our battle-tested approach to upgrading your farm without the pain, hassle and most importantly, without the risk that is usually associated with SharePoint upgrades.

1. Painless SharePoint
Upgrades and Patching
Cornelius J. van Dyk Jason Himmelstein
Crayveon Corporation Sentri Inc.
c@crayveon.com jhimmelstein@sentri.com
@cjvandyk @sharepointlhorn

2. • Chief Architect, Crayveon Corporation
• 7 time MVP, MCITP, MCTS
• Blog: www.cjvandyk.com/blog
• Twitter: @cjvandyk
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cjvandyk

3. • SharePoint Practice Director, Sentri Inc.
• MCITP, MCTS SharePoint 2010
• Microsoft vTSP
● virtual Technology Solutions Professional
• SharePoint Foundation Logger
(http://spflogger.codeplex.com)
• Web: www.sentri.com
• Blog: www.sharepointlonghorn.com
• Twitter: @sharepointlhorn
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhimmelstein

4. WHY UPGRADE
• Why do we upgrade?
• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
• Consistency
• Security
• Microsoft Support Services

5. UPGRADE vs PATCH
• Definition of an upgrade
• Definition of a patch
• Service Packs
• Cumulative Updates

6. SERVICE PACKS
• No set release schedule
• Bundle all fixes since release
• Removable?
• Risks when applying Service Packs

7. CUMULATIVE UPDATES
• Bi-monthly
• Bundle all fixes since Service Pack
• Removable?
• Risks when applying CUs
• Track record of re-releases and hot fixes

8. MINIMIZING RISK
• Best Practices
• Real World Experience (RWE)
• RWE vs Best Practices

9. MINIMIZING RISK – Best Practices
• Keep current
• Implement updates as soon as feasible
• Rigorous testing of updates
• Validation of non-effect

10. MINIMIZING RISK – RWE
• Keep current – retracted/rereleased patches
• Rigorous testing of updates – man hour requirements
• Validation of non-effect – Find everything?
• Work load of existing staff
• Dedicated testing group

11. RWE BASED RECOMMENDATIONS
• Where to get CUs
● http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/ff800847
● http://aurl.to/v
• When to apply CUs
● 4 weeks trailing DEV
● 2 weeks later QA
● 2 weeks later PROD

12. RWE BASED RECOMMENDATIONS
• Farm Architecture considerations
● WFE Server DLLs
● APP Server DLLs
● Database schemas
● Stored Procedures
● Custom Apps
● 3rd Party Controls

13. PATCH PROCESS
• Before you upgrade
● Know you farm state
● Check KB for backward compatibility with current state
● Filter Packs
● Office Web Apps
● Language Packs

14. PATCH PROCESS
• SPADM account
• Central Admin App server
• Other App servers
• WFE servers
• Configuration Wizard

15. PATCH PROCESS
• Configuration Wizard
• Powershell
● PSConfig
● Upgrade-SPContentDatabase

16. FALLOUT
• Issues introduced by CUs
• Not avoidable… are they?
• SPDAALSE

17. Stuff to check out later
• http://blogs.technet.com/b/stefan_gossner/
• http://harbar.net/

18. Handy Reference Information
• Useful Stuff
• Jason’s info
http://www.sharepointlonghorn.com
jase@sharepointlonghorn.com
@sharepointlhorn
• Corne’s info
http://www.cjvandyk.com/blog
c@crayveon.com
@cjvandyk
• Todd Carter’s info
@toddca
http://www.todd-carter.com/
• Russ Maxwell’s Blog
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/russmax
• Microsoft References
● SPMonitoredScope Class
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.utilities.spmonitoredscope(office.14).aspx
● Using SPMonitoredScope Class
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff512758.aspx
• Download links
http://spflogger.codeplex.com
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Administration Toolkit v2.0

19. Your Feedback is Important
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drop it off at the conference registration
desk.
Thank you!