SharePoint 2010 Service Packs and Cumulative Updates

Question

If I would install a new SharePoint Server 2010 farm now, in order to get my Farm fully up to date, which of the following patches would I have to apply? Does any of these automatically install any of the others? Does the latest CU contain all the previous CUs, or are they contained in the Service Pack? Or does the latest CU contain all the previous CUs released after the latest Service Pack, i.e. December CU includes June 2011, August 2011 CU, October 2011 CU, but nothing before that?

• Latest CU (Foundation)
• Latest CU (Server)
• SP1 (Foundation)
• SP1 (Server)
• SP1 Language Pack (Foundation)
• SP1 Language Pack (Server)

I am finding contradicting information when I try to find an answer using Google, so am hoping to find an answer here.

Answer 1

If you want to have your SharePoint Farm up to Dec 2011 CU, following is the path:

1) Install SharePoint Server SP1 - Following the installation Guide

2) http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2597014 - Dec 2011 CU

Note that while installing Dec CU for Server version, you do NOT install Foundation Version of CU. After Aug 31 2011, all Server CU will include Foundation CU so you do not have to install it separately as Updates for SharePoint 2010 Products

As a separate note, Microsoft Recommended installing June 2011 CU soon after SP1 Upgrade which I think you do not need to do because Dec CU includes all post-SP1 updates/patches and other CUs and as per dec CU, the only requirement is SP1.