SQL Server 2022 Gets Cumulative Update 15 (KB5041321): What's New?

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Hey SQL Server fans! Get ready for a dose of awesome updates because SQL Server 2022 Cumulative Update 15 (CU15) has landed! This bad boy, KB5041321, is packed with improvements and fixes to make your SQL Server experience even smoother. Let’s dive in and see what’s cooking!

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Release Date and Version

Mark your calendars! CU15 was released on September 25, 2024, and it bumps your SQL Server version to 16.0.4145.4. Analysis Services gets a boost too, clocking in at version 16.0.43.233.

What’s New in CU15?

This update isn’t just about minor tweaks; it brings 14 fixes for issues that popped up after CU14. Here’s a quick rundown of the component updates:

• SQL Server: Product version 16.0.4145.4, file version 2022.160.4145.4
• Analysis Services: Product version 16.0.43.233, file version 2022.160.43.233

Heads Up: Patching Hiccup for Secondary Replicas

CU13 brought a fix (2998350) to improve the reliability of secondary database startup in Availability Groups (AGs). However, this fix caused a little snag. If SQL Server runs in single-user mode (like during setup), AG databases might not recover properly. This becomes a problem if you have replication, CDC, or SSISDB enabled on a database in the AG. Since setup requires single-user mode, the catalog upgrade scripts can’t access the database, causing setup to stumble.

Don’t panic! After the initial setup fail, the SQL Server service restarts without single-user mode, and the patch upgrade scripts usually finish without a hitch. No action needed from you, just a heads-up!

The Error Message

The initial setup failure throws an error like this:

Error installing SQL Server Database Engine Services Instance Features

Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed. Check the SQL Server error log for potential causes.

Error code: 0x851A001A

The SQL Server error log will show a message with an invalid Group ID. You can double-check this by comparing it to previous startup records in the log for the affected database. A typical startup record looks like this:

Skipping the default startup of database because the database belongs to an availability group (Group ID: ). The database will be started by the availability group. This is an informational message only. No user action is required.

Workarounds

Want to avoid the initial setup failure altogether? Here are a few things you can try before running the patch:

• Trace Flag 12347: Enabling this flag temporarily reverts the changes from fix 2998350. Remember to remove the trace flag after patching.
• Remove the Database from the AG: Temporarily drop the SSISDB, CDC, or replication-enabled database from the AG.
• Disable Features: Remove CDC or replication from the database within the AG.

Microsoft is working on a permanent fix for this, so stay tuned for a future CU.

Improvements and Fixes in Detail

Want to dig deeper into all the goodies CU15 brings? Check out the following list of bug fixes and enhancements. Each ID is a handy link (bookmark) so you can jump right to the details:

Bug Reference	Description	Fix Area	Component	Platform
3285880	Fixes a domain account authentication issue.	Master Data Services	Master Data Services	Windows
3354272	Updates machine type determination and domain controller judgment.	Master Data Services	Master Data Services	Windows
3459086	Fixes SQL Server VSS Writer freeze issue during backups.	SQL Server Engine	Backup Restore	Windows
3287656	Fixes an assertion failure when creating a distributed availability group.	SQL Server Engine	High Availability and Disaster Recovery	All
3301982	Fixes an assertion failure when changing the database owner on a readable secondary.	SQL Server Engine	Metadata	All
3338395	Fixes PolyBase error at startup with multiple TCP ports.	SQL Server Engine	PolyBase	All
3101865	Adds validation for the MODEL parameter in PREDICT.	SQL Server Engine	Query Execution	All
3181615	Implements CDC metadata DDL lockdown.	SQL Server Engine	Replication	All
3338274	Fixes error 21890 with case-sensitive collation and sp_validate_redirected_publisher.	SQL Server Engine	Replication	All
3362871	Fixes checkpoint error 2601 with change tracking.	SQL Server Engine	Replication	All
3394373	Fixes error 18752 causing transactional replication to stop after failover.	SQL Server Engine	Replication	Windows
3325413	Reduces XEvents session logging.	SQL Server Engine	Storage Management	All
3409327	Improves quoting of table and column names in temporal table management.	SQL Server Engine	Temporal	All
2862558	Improves performance of RESTORE WITH STANDBY when ADR is disabled.	SQL Server Engine	Transaction Services	All

Download CU15 Now!

For Windows:

• Microsoft Download Center: Grab the latest CU here.
• Microsoft Update Catalog: You can also get it from the Microsoft Update Catalog. This is the place to be for this CU and all previous SQL Server 2022 CU releases. It’s also available via WSUS.

For Linux:

Head over to the SQL Server 2022 Release Notes for platform-specific update commands and direct download links. Make sure you have the Cumulative Update repository configured.

File Information (Windows)

For the meticulous among you, here’s the SHA256 hash for the Windows installer:

SQLServer2022-KB5041321-x64.exe
758EE805FAA130028085114FB2BCE215765EE10C9648DDB80DAB40FD8D6AE51A

A detailed file list with versions, sizes, dates, and times is available in the original article. You might want to check it out.

Prerequisites, Restart, and Registry

• Prerequisites: You need to be running SQL Server 2022 to install this update (obviously!).
• Restart: You might need to restart your machine after installing CU15.
• Registry: No registry changes are required for the hotfixes in this package.

Support and Uninstallation

For support or troubleshooting, visit the Microsoft support website or create a service request.

Uninstalling CU15:

• Windows: Use the “Programs and Features” item in Control Panel and select “View installed updates.” Find the entry for this CU, and select “Uninstall.”
• Linux: Roll back the package to the previous version. Refer to the SQL Server Linux setup documentation for rollback instructions.

So there you have it! CU15 is a must-have for any SQL Server 2022 user. Grab the update, boost your server’s performance, and enjoy smoother sailing. What are your thoughts on this latest update? Share your experiences, questions, and feedback in the comments below! Stay tuned for more SQL Server news and updates!