Westlake is advising businesses to review their existing server infrastructure in advance of Microsoft’s End of Support deadlines and, if they are impacted, to put plans in place to either migrate their on-premise servers to Azure or, if they are eligible, to purchase Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates.
Chris Apperley explains, “Doing nothing is not an option as once Microsoft withdraws support for these servers, they will no longer be protected by patches and security updates which may expose businesses to compliance and security risks.”
Microsoft are offering a number of options to businesses so they can continue to operate securely:
One option is to migrate 2008 and 2008 R2 to Azure Virtual Machine and benefit from free Extended Security Updates for both SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and R2 2008 for three years after the deadline.
Another option is to move to Azure SQL Database Managed Instance which will provide access to continuous security updates, as this is a fully managed solution. Eligible customers can use the Azure Hybrid Benefit (available to customers with active Software Assurance or Server Subscriptions) to obtain discounts on the license of Azure Virtual Machines or Azure SQL Database Managed Instance.
The final option is for businesses to purchase Extended Security Updates for on-premise servers. Businesses are eligible if they have active Software Assurance or Subscription licenses for their servers. Extended Security Updates can be purchased annually for three years after the End of Support date.
Chris Apperley concludes, “We urge businesses to contact their IT partner or work with their internal IT department to put the right plans in place for you. The trend is now very much towards cloud computing as the costs associated with purchasing, licensing and maintaining a physical on-premise server are very high compared to moving to a monthly subscription model for your IT services. That being said every business is different and it’s important that your business needs drive your IT strategy.”
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