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Any of these mistakes can lead to a SQL Server upgrade that comes in too late, over budget or with more problems to fix. Avoid the top four mistakes we see: doing nothing, leaving it too late, approaching the transition purely as an upgrade and working with the wrong team. The first and one of the most important steps when facing SQL Server End of Life is planning. What is the process for upgrading to a supported version of SQL Server? 1. If you are not sure whether you are still eligible for extended support, check your version of SQL Server below. We encourage you to upgrade your system to avoid these risks. Without these updates you are putting both your reputation and your business at risk. In addition, this can cause security and compliance issues with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) along with the potential for business interruptions. You may find it nearly impossible to protect your data against cyberattacks. By continuing to use an out of support version, this makes your system vulnerable to threats. If you no longer receive security updates, your system defenses are down.
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Moreover, you won’t receive updates or feature enhancements once that particular version reaches its EOS date.
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In the Microsoft world, SQL Server End of Support (EOS) means you will no longer be able to contact Microsoft for product or troubleshooting help, and there will be no more patches or security updates to that particular SQL Server version. While the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy offers 10 years of support (5 years for Mainstream Support and 5 years for Extended Support) for SQL Server, once the Extended Support ends, there will be no support or security updates available to you. SQL Server End of Life (EOL) indicates that a particular version is at the end of its useful life, and Microsoft stops selling and developing it.