Microsoft distributes Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 fixes as one downloadable file. Because the fixes are cumulative, each new release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 fix release.

Symptoms

Assume that you run a query that uses parallelism in the query execution plan in SQL Server 2008, in SQL Server 2008 R2 or in SQL Server 2012. The query plan meets the following conditions:

  • he query execution plan contains a Bitmap operator and either a hash join or a merge join.

  • The hash join or merge join predicate contains an IS comparison on columns that can be NULL.

In this scenario, the query returns incorrect results.

Cause

This issue occurs because the NULL value is discarded when SQL Server uses bitmap filtering in a table scan or an index scan.

Resolution

Cumulative update information

Cumulative update package 1 for SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 1. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2765331 Cumulative update package 1 for SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2012 fix release. We recommend that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2772858 The SQL Server 2012 builds that were released after SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1 was released

SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 2 for SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2740411 Cumulative Update package 2 for SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 R2 fix release. We recommend that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2730301 The SQL Server 2008 R2 builds that were released after SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 2 was released

SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 8. For more information about how to obtain this cumulative update package for SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2723743 Cumulative update package 8 for SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 fix release. We recommend that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2567616 The SQL Server 2008 R2 builds that were released after SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 was released

SQL Server 2012

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 3 for SQL Server 2012. For more information about this cumulative update package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2723749 Cumulative update package 3 for SQL Server 2012Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2012 fix release. Microsoft recommends that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2692828 The SQL Server 2012 builds that were released after SQL Server 2012 was released You must apply a SQL Server 2012 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2012.

SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3

The fix for this issue was first released in Cumulative Update 6 for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3. For more information about this cumulative update package, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2715953 Cumulative update package 6 for SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3Note Because the builds are cumulative, each new fix release contains all the hotfixes and all the security fixes that were included with the previous SQL Server 2008 fix release. We recommend that you consider applying the most recent fix release that contains this hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

2629969 The SQL Server 2008 builds that were released after SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 was released Microsoft SQL Server 2008 hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. You must apply a SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 3. By default, any hotfix that is provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack.

Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

Workaround

To work around this issue, avoid using parallelism in the query by applying one of the methods:

  • Add the MAXDOP 1 query hint option.

  • Set the Max Degree of Parallelism option to 1.

More Information

For more information about parallel hash joins, go to the following MSDN Blogs website:

General information about parallel hash joinsFor more information about Query Execution Bitmap filters, go to the following MSDN Blogs website:

General information about Query Execution Bitmap filters

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