End of Service
With the speed of advancement in technology, keeping up with the latest and greatest machines isn't always feasible or practical for many companies - especially if what you're using now is working for you. But if what you're using now reaches end of service, there can be major headaches for you and your business.
SQL Server 2005 will reach End of Service on April 12, 2016. Microsoft Windows Server 2003/R2s reached end of service in July 2015.
To be clear, End of Service means Microsoft will end all support for the servers. This has several implications for your business:
- No updates: No updates will be released after End of Service - including critical security patches.
- No compliance: These servers will no longer meet the requirements of regulations like HIPAA.
- No safe haven: Both virtualized and physical instances of server will be vulnerable to security breaches.
Migration
If your business is still running on an older server, you'll need to migrate your to newer servers or to the cloud . If you are unfamiliar with what to do, this can sound like a scary process. But with a plan in place (and the right IT support), migrating your data is a painless process. The basic structure of your server migration plan will look like this:
Discover
Make an inventory list of all of your software and workloads running on ANY servers (and continue to keep this up to date). This step is essential to ensure no servers slip through the cracks. It's easy to forget about an old print server that only gets used by a couple of people - but it can still leave you vulnerable. Make note of what will need to be moved.
Assess
Categorize and analyze the applications and workloads you cataloged based on factors that will help you make informed choices about priorities and urgency. There are several different ways you can categorize your applications and workloads: by type, how critical they are, complexity and risk.
Target
Identify the right migration destination (Microsoft Server 2012 R2, Microsoft Azure or Office 365) for each application and workload. Different workloads and applications logically lead to certain targets. Your choice will likely be driven by factors such as speed, ease of migration, cost, and desired functionality.
Migrate
Make the move to your new server(s).
If you are still running any machines that have reached end of service (or will reach it soon), even if it's working for you right now, we urge you to start making a plan to migrate as soon as possible - before your company's security or compliance is at risk. Contact us now to help migrate your machines and keep your company safe.
