SQL end of support is coming, while you have options to make sure your business and IT environment stays protected, it can be confusing on where to start. With Microsoft offering 3 years of free extended security updates for workloads you rehost to Azure, many organizations are viewing this compelling event as an opportunity to evaluate the benefits of moving data and apps to Azure and innovating with cloud services.

Coming up with your plan to tackle EoS (end of support) for your instances of SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 can be the most difficult part. To simplify things and help you evaluate your options, consider two distinct paths of action, both resulting in a plan you can put into action and get ahead of the July 9, 2019 deadline.

Quisitive’s End of Support Protection Plan

Best for CFOs, Procurement and Compliance Departs
Time to value: 3 days – 1 week

Quisitive’s EoS Protection plan is a quick engagement designed for CFOs, Procurement, Compliance Leads, or other roles where business operations are a key focus. Knowing there is no one size fits all model when it comes to EoS. The Quisitive EoS Protection Plan helps you lay out all potential options and then determines which option is best, taking into consideration organizational liability, security, exposure to data and cost. The output is a plan unique to your organization that clearly outlines the suggested EoS approach to take, the anticipated impact and the rough magnitude of cost to expect.

Quisitive’s End of Support Assessment

Best for CIOs, CTOs, IT VPs & Directors
Time to value: 3 – 4 weeks

Quisitive’s EoS assessment is designed for the IT team and is a more detailed assessment of your complete SQL environment. This assessment plan comprehensively evaluates how a move to Azure would benefit your business and outlines how best to rehost workloads in Azure to take advantage of Microsoft’s 3-year extended security updates. This evaluation identifies opportunities for consolidation and migration of your data environment by determining which database servers can be lifted to the cloud with and without remediation. Quisitive will analyze your migration plan to optimize costs, manage resources, and strengthen security and compliance across your complete IT environment.

Start a Plan

Deciding which option is best for your business can be complicated. You must consider the complexity of your environment, your security risk tolerance, your compliance exposure, and your budget constraints. Make sure you have a plan in place before July 2019. If you are not sure where to begin or want to ensure you are making a decision that is in the best interest of your organization, work with Microsoft or a skilled solutions provider to resolve any end of support uncertainties.

As a trusted Microsoft solutions provider, Quisitive has a skilled end of support team that can quickly assess and create the right protection plan to respond to these end of support deadlines. Learn more here.