Q: When does End of Support for 2008 and 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server come into effect?
A: End of support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is July 9, 2019 End of support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is January 14, 2020

Q: What does End of Support mean?
A: Microsoft Lifecycle Policy offers 10 years of support (5 years for Mainstream Support and 5 years for Extended Support) for Business and Developer products (such as SQL Server and Windows Server). As per the policy, after the end of the Extended Support period there will be no patches or security updates, which may cause security and compliance issues, and expose customers’ applications and business to serious security risks. Learn more at Microsoft Lifecycle Policy page.

Q: What is the price for Extended Security Updates?
A: In Azure: Customers running 2008 or 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server and Windows Server in Azure virtual machines will get Extended Security Updates for free.
On-premises: Customers with active Software Assurance or subscription licenses can purchase Extended Security Updates annually for 75 percent of the full license cost of the latest version of SQL Server or Windows Server. Customers pay for only the servers they need to cover, so they can reduce costs each year as they upgrade parts of their environment.

Q: When can customers purchase Extended Security Updates?
A: Extended Security Updates will be available for purchase as we approach the end of support timeline for SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2. However, we recommend customers evaluate their options now to develop a plan to modernize before the end of support deadline.

Q: What do Extended Security Updates include?

A: For SQL Server 2008 and 2008 RS: Extended Security Updates include provision of Security Updates and Bulletins rated ‘critical’ for a maximum of three years after July 9, 2019.

A: For Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2: Extended Security Updates include provision of Security Updates and Bulletins rates ‘critical’ and ‘important’ for a maximum of three years after January 14, 2020

• This offer does not include technical support, but you may use other Microsoft support plans to get assistance on your 2008 and 2008 R2 questions on workloads covered by Extended Security Updates.
• This offer does not include new features, customer-requested non-security hotfixes, or design change requests. However, Microsoft may include non-security fixes as we deem necessary.
• There is no retroactive effect for any update that the engineering teams declined in the past.

Q: What are the best next steps?
A: We recommend that customers start by identifying applications that are being supported by 2008 and 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server and Windows Server, inventory the workloads, and choose the right migration and/or upgrade path for each one. At this point you will be ready to assign the right resources and get started.

So now you now have answers to many of the questions surrounding End of Support it’s time to get started! 

Choose RiverMeadow for your cloud migration to Azure
So now you now have answers to many of the questions surrounding End of Support it’s time to get started! The RiverMeadow Saas platform is the perfect and most secure tool for cloud migration. It integrates with Azure through its external facing API and requires only a few clicks of a button.

On the front end, RiverMeadow offers a seamless user experience through a point-and-click web portal interface. It also automates and simplifies all the processes, and moves workloads from one region to another.

Take a look at the top 5 features of RiverMeadow Saas’ platform:

• Migration between physical, virtual, and any other type of cloud platform
• No requirement for hypervisor access or manual configuration
• Automatic provisioning for new virtual machines on cloud targets
• No need for software or rebooting
• Post-migration automation to evolve the workload (modify, customize, update, enhance the workload)

Final Thoughts
Don’t leave it too late to address end support for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008. Microsoft’s upgrade offer is a great way to start your journey to the cloud and take advantage of the free security updates – and there’s no safer way to get going than with RiverMeadow. We are a co-sell ready Microsoft Partner who specialized in accelerated, automated, agentless cloud migrations at scale. We can support your entire Cloud Migration process from start to finish.

To get started, talk to one of our Cloud Migration Experts today.