4 Options Now That Your SQL Server 2008 Is Out of Support

As of July 9, 2019, SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 have officially passed from Extended Support to No Longer Supported.

What does that mean?

It means that Microsoft will no longer release any updates for any version of SQL Server 2008. That includes security patches and data integrity fixes. If a hacker finds a zero-day vulnerability and publishes it to the web for all ne’er-do-wells to use, it won’t be fixed. If a new issue is discovered that could lead to data corruption or loss, no fix will be forthcoming. Discover a performance problem? Forget about it. It’s yours alone.

It’s not that Microsoft is heartless or doesn’t care. They do. But they understandably can’t support a version indefinitely. And we’ve known for a long time that this train would leave the station.

Yet many companies are still using SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 for a lot of different reasons. Too many other projects, fear of a complicated upgrade path, wanting to bundle it with a larger initiative, and simply not knowing where to start are commonly cited reasons for not upgrading. Yet.

What are your options?

Now, the day has come and SQL Server 2008 has officially been mothballed. So, what can you do?

1. The “Do Nothing” Option

If SQL Server 2008 has been working well for you and you don’t see a need to upgrade, it may be that you don’t have to do anything. You could simply continue working as you currently are for a while longer and then sunset the aging applications in due course.

But before you get too excited about this, remember what you’ll forfeit, both now and in the future. Microsoft will not release any hot patches, service patches, cumulative updates, or anything else for the database platform. That’s bad, but that’s not all.

You will also be limited on your operating system upgrades. (Keep in mind that Windows Server 2008 will not be supported after January 14, 2020.)

And if you do decide to upgrade, there will be a substantial amount of technical debt to pay down. The longer you wait, the further entrenched the dated software will become and the more difficult it will be to upgrade or remove.

Although this option may be right for some organizations or instances of SQL Server, it should not be considered for any system that is connected to the internet in any way, even through a VPN. It is risky enough without the possibility of accidentally introducing malicious code.

2. The “One-for-One Upgrade” Option

Sometimes the most straightforward approach is the best approach. If you only have a handful of SQL Servers, you may be able to spin up a new virtual server for each existing database server and migrate to the new servers. This one-for-one approach makes planning and even execution relatively easy. Relatively.

To do it right, however, will take a bit of thought. Before doing anything, you’ll want to run the Data Migration Assistant to check for any potential issues with the upgrade. The DMA will help identify discontinued or deprecated features that your older systems may be using. It’ll also help you discover any potential breaking or behavioral changes that you should be aware before you upgrade.

You’ll also want to make sure you right-size the new environment and configure the new SQL Servers appropriately. Then you can migrate the databases, logins, users, jobs, linked servers, etc. to the new servers. You’ll also want to consider the service accounts used and how they access network resources such as shares used for backups.

Check out our free 5 Common Issues That May Be Putting Your SQL Server At Risk PDF for some common configuration issues we find during our SQL Assessments.

Of course, this option doesn’t consider potential gains that may be realized through server consolidation.

3. The “Consolidation Upgrade” Option

For environments with say ten to forty SQL Servers, it’s worth considering a new SQL Server landscape. The existing SQL Server environment probably grew organically over time without a lot of planning or forethought. New applications were purchased and the easiest thing to do was to spin up a new SQL Server instance for it. Over time, the number of database servers sprawled and now you may have more licenses than you actually need.

The upgrade project is a perfect time to (re)evaluate your landscape.

For this option, you’ll want to:

• Identify the scope and breadth of the project
• Run the Data Migration Assistant to look for possible upgrade issues
• Determine vendor and licensing requirements
• Collect and analyze performance data for each server to determine potential consolidation candidates
• Determine a preliminary consolidation design
• Plan and execute the project

Depending on the scope, you may also want to include a High Availability / Disaster Recovery component to the project.

4. The “Combination” Upgrade

For many environments, especially larger or more complex ones, a combination approach will likely be required, one that incorporates elements from each of the first three options.

Some applications and their associated SQL Servers will be identified as “on their way out” and the first “Do Nothing” approach will be adopted. Use them as-is until you can get rid of them.

Other servers will likely need to be upgraded using the “one-for-one” approach. This will likely apply for larger database servers where resources are a concern. It may also be the case for specific application servers whose vendors insist on sysadmin privileges to the SQL Server. You’ll likely want to separate those application databases to restrict what the vendor has access to.

The majority of the SQL Servers will hopefully be considered candidates for potential consolidation, thus saving some licensing costs and simplifying your environment.

Which option is right for you?

As with most technical questions, the answer is: it depends. There is no clear one-size-fits-all approach for an upgrade project. Consider your timeline and budget, the business requirements and the other projects you have on your plate. Then make the best decision you can.

Not sure where to start? Or don’t have the bandwidth to tackle the upgrade project? We can help. We’ve walked this path before and can help guide you as you take the journey. Give us a call and let’s talk.