Much like Windows Vista back in April, 2014, the end is near for Windows Server 2003. Microsoft has announced that it will end extended support for WinServer 2003 on July 14 of 2015. On that date, support for all versions of the server will cease, which means no more security patches or hotfixes, and any organization that stores sensitive data will fall out of compliance with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) and PCI (Payment Card Industry) Security Standards.
Are you affected?
If you are running any version of the 11 year old server you will be losing support in July. This includes Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, and Small Business Server 2003 R2.
What options are available for those losing extended support?
Ultimately, all applications and workloads on your server will need to be migrated to another destination. These destinations could include Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 (Private Cloud), Microsoft Azure (Public Cloud), SQL Server 2014, or Office 365. Hopefully, since this End Of Life (EOL) announcement was first made back in early 2013, you've already begun implementing your migration. If not, however, great urgency should be placed on determining which solution will be best for your IT department and organization overall. If you're just starting the process, Microsoft recommends these four steps: discovering the existing environment, assessing workloads, determining where those workloads can be moved to, and the actual migration of the workloads.
A migration of this magnitude will require great thought and coordination.To utilized their Migration Planning Assistant, WinServer 2003 users can visit Microsoft's website.
For additional information on Windows Server 2003 End of Life or for help making sense of it all, please feel free to CONTACT US using the online form or by calling 616.776.0400.
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