Installing Updates from the Command Prompt
Test and modify installation scripts to meet the needs of your organization. For more information about installing updates to a SQL Server failover cluster, see How to apply a SQL Server 2008 update to a failover cluster instance in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Sample Syntax for Installation
The name of the update package can vary and may include a language, edition, and processor component. Apply an update at a command prompt, replacing <package_name> with the name of your update package:
Update a single instance of SQL Server and all shared components, like Integration Services and Management Tools: You can specify the instance either by using the InstanceName parameter or the InstanceID parameter. To update a prepared instance of SQL Server, you must specify the InstanceID parameter<package_name>.exe /qs /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms /Action=Patch /InstanceName=MyInstance or <package_name>.exe /qs /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms /Action=Patch /InstanceID=<Instance ID>
You can slipstream an update and prepare an database engine instance of SQL Server: setup.exe /q /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms /ACTION=PrepareImage /PCUSOURCE=<path of the PCU package> /CUSOURCE=<path of the CU package> /INSTANCEID=<Instance ID> /FEATURES=SQLEngine
Update SQL Server shared components only, like Integration Services and Management Tools: <package_name>.exe /qs /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms /Action=Patch
Update all instances of SQL Server on the computer and all shared components, like Integration Services and Management Tools: <package_name>.exe /qs /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms /Action=Patch /AllInstances
Remove an update from the command prompt replacing <package_name> with the name of your update package:
Remove an update from a single instance of SQL Server and all shared components, like Integration Services and Management Tools: <package_name>.exe /qs /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms /Action=RemovePatch /InstanceName=MyInstance
Remove an update from SQL Server shared components only, like Integration Services and Management Tools: <package_name>.exe /qs /Action=RemovePatch
Note
The update installer ensures that the shared components are always at or above the version of the instance at the highest level.
Supported Command Prompt Parameters
Important
When possible, supply security credentials at run time. If you must store credentials in a script file, secure the file to prevent unauthorized access.
Switch |
Description |
|---|---|
/? |
Displays unattended installation command prompt help |
/action=Patch or /action=RemovePatch |
Specifies the installation action: Patch or RemovePatch. |
/allinstances |
Applies the SQL Server update to all instances of SQL Server and to all SQL Server shared, instance-unaware components. |
/instancename=InstanceName1 |
Applies the SQL Server update to an instance of SQL Server named InstanceName, and to all SQL Server shared, instance-unaware components. |
/InstanceID=Inst1 |
Applies the SQL Server update to an instance of SQL Server Inst1, and to all SQL Server shared, instance-unaware components. |
/quiet |
Runs the SQL Server update Setup in unattended mode. |
/qs |
Displays only the progress UI dialog. |
/CUSource |
Specifies the path for the extracted cumulative update files. |
/PCUSOURCE |
Specifies the path for the extracted service pack files. |
/IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms |
Required only when the /Q or /QS parameter is specified for unattended installations. |
1 You cannot specify this parameter to apply an update to a prepared instance of SQL Server. You must specify the /instanceID parameter instead.
Note
The Slipstream functionality will be enhanced in the future releases of SQL Server. Therefore the command-line parameters, /PCUSource and /CUSource, associated with the Slipstream functionality may change in a future release of SQL Server Setup.