End-of-support migration options
Refreshing software and hardware
For the apps and data you want to keep running on premises, I recommend upgrading to the latest version of SQL Server and/or Windows Server. To move to SQL Server 2017 and Windows Server 2016, however, you’ll first need to upgrade to SQL Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012/2012 R2.
A popular choice is to operate a hybrid cloud infrastructure, meaning a mix of storing some data in on-premise servers, running updated server software and extending a portion of your workloads to the public cloud. Organizations selecting this option can run modern hardware servers that deliver important security updates, as well as powerful increases in performance and cost efficiency.
Azure Stack, an extension of Microsoft Azure, is an example of a hybrid cloud solution. To help you digitally transform your data center, Microsoft is incentivizing migrations from SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 to Azure.
Learn more: In this infographic, learn more about the benefits of addressing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 end of support by moving to Azure.
Migrating to a cloud infrastructure
End of support for SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 is an ideal time to move your infrastructure to the cloud. The benefits of doing so include scalability, productivity, agility and reduction in hardware costs.
It can be difficult to quickly upgrade your data center to meet the end-of-support timeline. To address this, Microsoft has announced Extended Security Updates will be available for free in Azure for 2008 and 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server and Windows Server. Taking advantage of this will give you an additional three years of workload security.
If you’re running 2008 or 2008 R2 versions of SQL Server or Windows Server in Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), you’ll get Extended Security Updates at no additional cost.
Hosting workloads in Azure
In a hosted environment, Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) combine to incorporate software, network capacity and the equipment used to support operations — such as storage, hardware, servers and networking components.
Opting for this route provides some time to plan your organization’s future data center path, including upgrading to newer software versions such as SQL Server 2017 or Windows Server 2016 — and leveraging the cloud platform and data services available in Azure.
You can purchase Extended Security Updates annually for 75% of the full license cost of the latest version of SQL Server or Windows Server. However, purchasing Extended Security Updates is only available to customers with active Software Assurance.
If you choose this hosted option, it’s crucial to build usage and data governance metrics into your cloud initiative — and to understand how they’re measured. An IT partner can help you ensure proper metrics are in place. Insight, for example, offers cloud migration preplanning to help you avoid costly issues down the road.
Modernizing your data center
Additionally, Insight’s hybrid, cloud and on-premise services and solutions cover migration planning through troubleshooting, cloud onboarding and implementation. Our strategic cloud envisioning sessions demonstrate how organizations can leverage the capabilities of the cloud — and will help you get up to speed on your cloud or hardware server solutions.
We can help with:
- Azure Quickstart and migration services
- Azure governance and enterprise scaffold
- Azure infrastructure as a service
- Identity and access management
- Application migration
- Deployment and desired state
Preparing for the future
Planning your migration with focus is possible with the right tools and support. By integrating best-in-class cloud and server solutions, you can take a holistic approach to your infrastructure — and reap the benefits. Let Insight help guide you through your journey toward a modern data center solution.
More insight: In this newsletter featuring research from Gartner, you’ll learn how to modernize your data center, and how Microsoft Azure provides a scalable and agile option.