Difference between Cumulative Update and Rollup

Question

I am integrating CRM 2011 with AX 2012 and I noticed that the updated for AX are called Cumulative Updates instead of Rollups as in CRM.

Is there a difference between the two?

Answer 1

Also see Apply updates and hotfixes and where to find them.

Quoting from the text (the term "Service pack" seems to have been replaced with "rollup"):

Hotfixes

A hotfix is created to address a specific issue, problem, or customer scenario. A hotfix can address either a single issue or a cumulative set of issues. Hotfixes are distributed only to those customers, partners, and organizations that Microsoft technical support personnel determine can benefit from the changes that are made to the code. Each hotfix includes documentation that indicates what files, tables, code, or functions are changed by the hotfix.

Microsoft publishes a corresponding Knowledge Base (KB) article for every hotfix that is released for every Microsoft product. These products include Microsoft Dynamics AX. These KB articles describe the changes that the hotfix makes to objects, database tables, or files, or other code. Each hotfix is released to address a specific issue or scenario to restore the regular operation of the software. You must review the corresponding KB article to evaluate whether you have to apply the hotfix in your Microsoft Dynamics AX implementation.

Cumulative updates

A cumulative update (CU) is an update that contains all previous hotfixes to date. Additionally, a CU contains fixes for issues that meet the criteria for hotfix acceptance. These criteria may include the availability of a workaround, the effect on the customer, the reproducibility of the problem, and the complexity of the code that must be changed. When you plan a deployment that will use any of the industry solutions, we recommend that you install the industry solution before you install cumulative updates.

Important: Any hotfixes that you previously applied are not included in a cumulative update are lost after you install the cumulative update. You must reapply those hotfixes after your installation.

Service packs

A service pack is a tested, cumulative set of all hotfixes and updates. Service packs may also contain additional fixes for problems that have been found internally since the release of the product, and a limited number of design changes or features that were requested by customers.

Feature packs

A feature pack is a group of updates that relate to a feature area or group of functionality. Feature packs contain design changes or features that were requested by customers, and may also contain additional fixes for problems that have been found internally since the release of the product.

Answer 2

Seems like a terminology difference, no real difference. There is a technical definition here

Update: A widely released fix for a specific problem. An update addresses a noncritical, non-security-related bug.

Update rollup: A tested, cumulative set of hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates that are packaged together for easy deployment. A rollup generally targets a specific area, such as security, or a component of a product, such as Internet Information Services (IIS).

And for some interesting commentary here:

Did you read through this a few times and go, “Where’s the difference?” Yeah…so did I. While some may be able to swim the subtle nuances of this to find a clear sort of “smoking gun” defining difference, in my mind and from what you will find on the Microsoft Download center, the phrase “service pack” has not been used in regards to Microsoft CRM for a while now. - See more at: http://dynamicsuniversity.com/blog/what-update-rollup-it-merely-service-pack-or-it-more#sthash.QorOi3vb.dpuf