All editions of SQL Server 2014 will reach end-of-life (i.e. end of Microsoft support) from 9th July 2024.
To help you through the decision-making process for your SQL Server 2014 instance, our SQL Server Support team has responded to the main questions you might ask yourself.
Does It Matter?
Yes. After 9th July 2024, Microsoft will no longer release hotfixes, cumulative updates or service packs and will not be able to provide support for any security vulnerabilities or bugs that are identified in your SQL Server 2014 instance. This presents a risk to your organisation’s data should you encounter any issues.
Running end-of-life platforms can also affect your organisation’s compliance eligibility (e.g. CyberEssentials, PCI, SOC 2, ISO 27001:2013).
What Can I Do?
WellData recommends that you upgrade or migrate your SQL Server 2014 instances to a supported version; this could be either on-prem, cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).
The latest general availability release is SQL Server 2022.
- Upgrade: The ease of upgrading SQL Server is dependent on your organisation’s current architecture – it may be a relatively simple upgrade that could be done in a single day, or may require more detailed planning, testing and implementation. WellData can assist you with the initial discovery phase to help you plan your upgrade, and subsequently carry out the upgrades.
- Migrate: Similarly, WellData can assist if you are considering the migration to PaaS – this often requires more planning and testing as there may be some limitations of the PaaS platform that affect your applications.
Can I Stay On SQL Server 2014?
Yes. In some cases, often due to legacy application compatibility, it is not possible to upgrade or migrate. SQL Server 2014 will continue operating as normal, but your organisation would need to accept and document the risks associated.
If you have to stay on SQL Server 2014 then Microsoft does offer Extended Security Updates for this platform. You’ll be entitled to 3 years of critical security updates. This service is available for free if your SQL Server 2014 instance is migrated into an Azure virtual machine. Otherwise, your organisation would need a Software Assurance or subscription licence in order to purchase the Extended Security Updates.
While SQL Server 2014 may be coming out of support from Microsoft, WellData continues to provide full comprehensive support for this version, plus earlier versions. For example; SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2012.
This ensures your legacy instances are kept as secure, performant and reliable as possible but does not mitigate against the risks associated due to the ending of Microsoft support.
What Next?
There are a number of proactive steps you can take to prepare for the upgrade:
- Run the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit to identify versions of SQL Server in your organisation’s estate (Download Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit from Official Microsoft Download Center)
- Run the Microsoft Data Migration Assistant (Overview of Data Migration Assistant (SQL Server) – SQL Server | Microsoft Docs) to identify compatibility issues when upgrading to a newer version.
- Alternatively, if you are considering migrating an Azure migration, use Microsoft’s Azure Migrate tool (Azure Migrate—Cloud Migration Services | Microsoft Azure), AWS Database Migration Service (Migrate an on-premises Microsoft SQL Server database to Amazon RDS for SQL Server – AWS Prescriptive Guidance) or Google Compute Platform’s Database Migration Service (Database Migration Service | Google Cloud)
- Establish what versions of SQL Server your application vendors support.
If you are unsure about carrying out any of these actions then please contact WellData today and we will be happy to help guide you through the entire process.
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