Sequence to install service packs or hotfixes on an instance of SQL Server that is

part of Log Shipping/Database Mirroring/Replication/Failover Clustering

environment.

Source: http://udayarumilli.com/upgrading-sql-server/
Author: Uday Arumilli

1) Log Shipping:
============

There is no required sequence to apply a service pack or hotfix for Primary,

Secondary and Monitor servers in a Log Shipping environment.
The following is best preferable to apply service pack or hotfix:

a) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the Monitor server.

b) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the all Secondary servers.
c) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the Primary server.

2) Database Mirroring:
==================

If you install service packs or hotfixes on servers in a database mirroring

environment, you need to determine the role of the servers.
If there are many mirroring sessions configured on the server, you need to
determine all possible roles that could be.
For example, if the server is acting as a mirror server for any database mirroring
session, update the server as the mirror role for all mirroring sessions.

To do this, follow these steps:

==============================

If a witness server is configured in the database mirroring session, disable the

automatic failover during the update process.
To do this, remove the witness server from the mirroring session.
If the safety level of the database mirroring session is OFF (asynchronous mode),
change the safety level to FULL (this is required in step 3).
Make sure all database mirroring sessions to be in Synchronous mode and
synchronized.
Pause the database mirroring sessions that are present on the server.
Install the service pack or hotfix on the mirror server.
Resume the database mirroring sessions.
Perform manual failover (all the mirroring sessions on this principal server) to
the mirror server so that mirroring server assumes the principal role.
Pause the database mirroring sessions as step 4.
Install the service pack or hotfix on the new mirror server (previous principal
server).
Resume the database mirroring sessions.
If you changed the safety level in step 2, change the safety level back to OFF.
If the database mirroring session has a witness server, undo the changes made in
step 1.

3) Replication:
============

In a replication environment, there is no preferable sequence to apply service pack

or hotfix for non-bidirectional replication typology.
However, for bi-directional replication typology such as merge typology or
transactional replication with updateable subscriptions, we must
upgrade Distributor, Publisher, and Subscribers in the following order:

a) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the Distributor server.

b) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the Publisher server.
c) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the Subscriber server.

4) Failover Clustering:
===================

A) In SQL Server 2005, if you want to install a service pack or hotfix, you must
install the setup on the Active node (node that currently runs SQL Server
services).
When running the setup which will launch simultaneously �remote silence� on all
passive nodes.

B) In SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2, the service pack or hotfix deployment
is changed to reduce the downtime.
Now you must install the service pack or hotfix on the passive node first. To do
this, following these steps:

a) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the passive node (or all passive nodes if
you have more than one).
b) Reboot the passive node.
c) Failover the SQL Server failover cluster to the passive node (and the passive
node becomes active now).
d) Apply the service pack or hotfix on the new passive node (previous active node).
e) Reboot the passive node.