FIX: Error message when you try to install SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 or SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 from the existing active node: "The product instance <InstanceName> has been patched with more recent updates"

Consider the following scenario:

• You apply a hotfix on a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 failover cluster that has one of the following service packs installed:
  • SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
  • SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• You add a new node to the SQL Server 2005 failover cluster.
• You try to install SQL Server 2005 SP1 or SQL Server 2005 SP2 on the new node from the existing active node.

In this scenario, you receive the following error message:Note This problem does not occur in scenarios in which the failover cluster is running SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 3 (SP3).

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

If you want to install a new node without installing the latest service pack for SQL Server 2005, you can use the following workaround if the failover cluster is running SQL Server 2005 at a service pack level that is earlier than SQL Server 2005 SP3.

Note When you use this workaround, you will experience downtime in the SQL Server 2005 cluster when you install a service pack that is earlier than SQL Server 2005 SP3 and other hotfixes. If you want to avoid downtime of the SQL Server 2005 cluster, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services to obtain a private hotfix and instructions to install the SQL Server 2005 service pack and appropriate hotfixes.

For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Note Follow these steps on the new node of the failover cluster instance.

1. If the SQL Server 2005 failover cluster is at a service pack level that is earlier than SP2, install SQL Server 2005 SP2 on the existing failover cluster.
   
   If the SQL Server 2005 failover cluster is at a service pack level that is earlier than SP2 Cumulative Update 6, install Cumulative Update 6 for SQL Server 2005 SP2.
   
   For more information about how to obtain and install Cumulative Update 6, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   946608  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946608/ ) Cumulative update package 6 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2
2. Use one of the following methods if the SQL Server 2005 failover cluster is at a service pack level that is SP2 Cumulative Update 6 or later:
   
   Method 1:
   
   Before you install the service pack and hotfixes on the new node, pause the other nodes, and then install the SQL Server 2005 service pack and hotfixes on the new node. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Fail over to the new node.
   2. Pause other nodes by using Cluster Administrator.
   3. Install SQL Server 2005 SP2 on the new node.
   4. Apply SQL Server 2005 SP2 Cumulative Update 6 and the appropriate hotfixes as applicable to the scenario on the new node.
   5. Start the nodes that you paused.
   Method 2:
   1. Remove nodes from the possible owners list before you install the service pack and hotfixes on the new node.
   2. Fail over to the new node.
   3. In Cluster Administrator, remove other nodes that are possible owners from SQL cluster resources.
   4. Install SQL Server 2005 SP2 on the new node.
   5. Apply SQL Server 2005 SP2 Cumulative Update 6 and the appropriate hotfixes as applicable to the scenario on the new node.
   6. Add the nodes that you removed from the possible owners list.

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

If the service pack level of the failover cluster is SQL Server 2005 SP2 Cumulative Update 6 or later, you can add a new node and then install SQL Server 2005 SP2 Cumulative Update 6 or a later update on the new node. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Run SQL Server 2005 RTM setup on the active node, and then add the new node to your existing SQL Server 2005 failover cluster.
2. On the new node that you added, run the SQL Server 2005 SP2 Cumulative Update 6 or later installer package by using the /passive command-line option. The service pack level of the new node will be updated to SQL Server 2005 SP2 Cumulative Update 6 or later. For example, you can use the following command to install SQL Server 2005 SP3:
   SQLServer2005SP3-KB955706-x86-ENU.exe /passive
3. On the node that you created in step 1, apply any hotfixes that are already applied to the failover cluster before you created the new node.
   
   Note When you apply a hotfix on the newly added passive node, you must use the /passive command-line option. After you apply the update, make sure that all the SQL Server failover cluster nodes for that instance are running the same service pack level.

For more information about how to add a new node to a SQL Server 2005 failover cluster, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site: