Microsoft has started selling extended support for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008, in both their original and R2 versions.
Both products reach the end of their supported lives on 14 February 2020. After that date Microsoft won’t update either product or issue any new security patches.
Unless you pay.
And pay quite a lot, as Microsoft's End of Service FAQ [PDF] explains:
- Extended Security Updates pricing will be 75 percent (annually) of the Enterprise Agreement or Server & Cloud Enrollment license prices of the latest version of SQL Server or Windows Server;
- Coverage will be available in three consecutive 12-month increments following End of Support, but must pay up front for the first year;
- If you sign up for the service in the middle of a year, you have to pay for the full year;
- If you decide not to sign up for a year, then sign up the next year, you’ll have to pay for both years.
As is so often the case these days, Microsoft has made it plain the company wants you in Azure, because if you send your Windows Server 2008 and SQL server 2008 workloads into the Microsoft cloud you’ll get ongoing security updates for free.
The FAQ also explains arrangements for accessing the updates in hosted scenarios, as follows:
|
|
On-premises |
Azure |
Hosted Windows Server |
Hosted SQL Server |
|
Extended Security Updates Pricing |
75% of full license price annually |
Free. Included in standard VM rate |
Same as on-premises Minimum 16 cores/instance |
Same as on-premises 4 core minimum purchase requirement |
|
Software Assurance (SA) or subscription requirement |
Required for covered licenses |
Not required, although SA provides Azure Hybrid Benefit |
Not required when licenses purchased from hoster. License Mobility not available |
Not required when licenses purchased from hoster. Required for License Mobility |
The new services went on sale last Friday, 1 March 2019, but of course won’t be needed until support for the products expires.
Thanks to Licensing School for their tip about this new offering.
