There will be a third service pack for SQL Server 2005 released by Microsoft, just before the next software version of the server is due for release.

The release of SQL Server 2008 is scheduled to happen in the third quarter of this year - service pack 3 for SQL server 2005 is expected to come out after that.

What the service pack would include is uncertain as Microsoft did not disclose this information, but they did say in a Tuesday blog post that it will have cumulative updates to the software included in it plus some additional fixes to bugs.

The Incremental Servicing Model that Microsoft introduced last year, in July, will not be changed by the release of service pack 3. The model introduced a regular update process for SQL Server 2005. It works by Microsoft issuing a cumulative update for SQL Server 2005 every two months that includes all critical fixes that had been discovered during that time.

Microsoft will continue using the model since customers enjoy its predictability, said Francois Ajenstat, the director of marketing for SQL Server at Microsoft. Many users say there’s a need for a third service pack, he said.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 4:21 pm and is filed under Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.