Updated options for Windows Server 2012 R2 end of support from Microsoft Azure

This past July marks a remarkable milestone as Microsoft commemorates the 30-year journey of Windows Server operating system. In the realm of technological progress, organizations display a keen enthusiasm for embracing cutting-edge strides in AI and cloud-native services.

Amidst this dynamic landscape, Microsoft’s steadfast reliance on Windows Server remains unwavering as the bedrock for safeguarding and driving their vital operational tasks within the server operating system world. Microsoft continues to innovate with new features that will meet the needs of our customers today and in the years to come.

Options to stay protected for Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support

As the latest iterations of Windows Server 2022 and SQL Server 2022 were released, Microsoft unveiled a spectrum of fresh features and enhanced capabilities, it is crucial not to underestimate the end of support for Windows Server 2012/R2. Come October 10, 2023, the curtain will fall on the support lifecycle for Windows Server 2012/R2, and workloads will be vulnerable as they will no longer receive regular security updates.

Some options to consider to further remain protected:

1. Modernizing to a PaaS platform such as Azure SQL Managed Instance or Azure App Service to always stay up-to-date or upgrading to the latest version in Azure. With a PaaS platform, customers can fully offload management tasks in the cloud, so teams can focus on delivering innovative apps and experiences for their businesses.  

2. Migrating to Azure for free Extended Security Updates. This includes options such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure VMware Solution, and Azure Stack HCI. Combining this with Azure Hybrid Benefit and consumption models such as reserved instances or savings plan for compute allows even more savings in Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server.

3. Purchasing Extended Security Updates to remain protected on premises and in multi cloud environments.

As most organizations always choose the best path to modernization, as they have some factors to consider. Today, we will explore some two new options that include Azure Migrate and Azure Arc to further protect end of support workloads.

Using Azure Migrate to upgrade Windows Server 2012 / R2

The first step an organisation should consider when modernizing and migrating to Azure, should be to assess their environment and build a migration business case with Azure Migrate. This free tool provides technical insights into workloads and cost estimates for moving to Azure.

Azure Migrate now supports in-place upgrades of Windows Server 2012 and later versions, during the move to Azure. Organizations can now elect to move their legacy applications and databases to a fully supported, compatible, and compliant operating system such as Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022. Organizations can also avoid downtime by first upgrading to a test environment in Azure and running production workloads in parallel to confirm functionality and compatibility, before fully moving to Azure.

With this new feature, organizations can avoid Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support and accomplish their modernization and migration goals in one motion.

Azure Arc enables on-premise and multicloud environments to be protected with Extended Security Updates

For those organizations who choose not to or aren’t able to modernize and migrate their workloads prior to the Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support date this October, Microsoft is announcing Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc. With Azure Arc, organizations will be able to purchase and seamlessly deploy Extended Security Updates in on-premises or multicloud environments, right from the Azure portal. Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc also gives more flexibility with a pay-as-you-go subscription model.

Some benefits to consider:

1. Flexible billing and savings: Activate and enroll from Azure to pay for security updates monthly, giving organizations more flexibility to migrate and modernize to Azure on their terms.

2. Centralized cost management: Analyze costs using Azure Cost Management and see all Azure consumption in one place.

3. Greater visibility: Surface enrollment status of Extended Security Updates to highlight gaps and status changes.

4. Organize and inventory your assets: Gain visibility and reporting across servers spanning your hybrid, multicloud, and edge infrastructure.

5. Keyless delivery: The enrollment of Extended Security Updates on Azure Arc-enabled machines does not require the acquisition or activation of keys.

6. Security and compliance: Seamlessly extend Azure security and governance from cloud to edge and stay compliant with supported software.

If this option seems more feasible for your customer, start by connect their servers to Azure Arc for free by installing Azure Arc using familiar deployment tools like Configuration Manager, Group Policy, Windows Admin Center, or MSI. In September 2023, Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc will be available natively in Azure to point and click to activate your Extended Security Updates. This capability will also be available for SQL Server 2012.

Start modernizing for end of support by contacting our Surestep Ambassador team to book a session to plan your customer’s migration and modernization strategy.