SQL - Is running RECONFIGURE dangerous in production

Question

I need to run the following on my production server:

EXEC sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell', 1;  
GO  

RECONFIGURE;  
GO 

My question is, Is there any danger running this command in a production environment. Would it drop any connection and would end users notice any down time?

Answer 1

There will be no downtime,

RECONFIGURE specifies that if the configuration setting does not require a server stop and restart, the currently running value should be updated

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/language-elements/reconfigure-transact-sql

If you use 'with override' it can cause problems. i.e. it will allow you to change settings that you shouldn't change without a restart.

The usual proviso applies, you should test this in a test environment before using it in production.