Avoid End of Support for SQL Server 2008

Learn important details about the end of support for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and what it means for your organization.

Data is likely the most important component of just about any organization. Whether it’s customer data, or proprietary intellectual data, where it’s stored and how it’s accessed is incredibly important. As data has become more complex, organizations have started to use complex Structured Query Language (SQL) databases that are easily searchable and scalable. Microsoft SQL is one of the most popular databases of all time and many organizations are still running Microsoft SQL Server 2008, which is soon to become obsolete.

When will Microsoft SQL Server 2008 become obsolete?

Microsoft has recently announced plans to end support for SQL Server 2008 in July 2019. This means that you only have a few months to migrate your data to another database offering. While you may not think this is a big deal because your SQL database has been running perfectly fine for quite some time, there are a whole host of risks that occur if you continue to run SQL Server 2008 after support has ended.

Risks of not upgrading from SQL Server 2008

Below are just a few of the risks of losing support for SQL Server 2008.

Lack of security updates

In today’s technologically driven marketplace, virtually every device is connected to the internet. This requires organizations of all sizes to ensure their infrastructure is properly protected from the latest cyber threats. Unfortunately, these threats change by the minute and software must be kept up to date to ensure organizations do not fall victim to malware, viruses and other cyberattacks. With the end of support for SQL Server 2008, Microsoft will no longer be releasing security updates, which will leave organizations vulnerable unless they upgrade to either a virtual or cloud-based solution, or an on-premises version of Microsoft SQL Server 2017.

Compliance concerns

Depending on the industry in which you operate, you may have certain regulatory and compliance requirements that include ensuring your IT infrastructure is up to date as far as security updates. Continuing to use Microsoft SQL Server 2008 could create serious compliance concerns that could result in costly fines and penalties that would likely overshadow the fixed costs related to upgrading your existing infrastructure to an upgrade version of SQL Server.

Increased maintenance costs

Attempting to keep legacy servers and software running can be costly. You’ll likely need to invest in additional software and hardware to ensure your infrastructure doesn’t fall victim to any sort of cyberattack, and you could run into a scenario where you’re not able to replace your failing hardware with up to date technology because your outdated software isn’t supported.

What are my options when it comes to upgrading from SQL Server 2008?

You have three primary options when it comes to upgrading your SQL database, which includes:

On-premises version of SQL Server 2017

If you’re looking to maintain an on-premises database, feel free to upgrade to the latest version of SQL Server 2017. It’s important to keep in mind that this may require you to upgrade your hardware to support this new version of SQL Server.

Move your data to the cloud

Another option is to leverage the power of the cloud and move your data to Azure. Microsoft has a full cloud infrastructure where all of your workloads can be run completely in the cloud to boost efficiency and to eliminate the need for costly on-premises hardware.

Take a hybrid approach

If you’re not ready to completely move to the cloud, you can continue to have on-premises hardware that runs SQL Server Private Cloud on virtualized machines.

Unsure of which approach to take to upgrade from SQL Server 2008?

While you may not know which option to choose when it comes to upgrading from SQL Server 2008, it’s important to realize that you need to focus the time and energy necessary to ensure your data remains secure. If you have any questions about which option may work best for your organization, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today.