Your SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 support is coming to an end. This means the end of regular security updates. Your infrastructure and applications will no longer be protected. Many businesses in Calgary have already started to upgrade – have you?
Why Would You Want To Switch Now?
If you’re like others, you loved SQL Server 2008 when it came out in the mid-2000s. We were proud to lead installations of it for our clients in and around Calgary. They valued the security and efficiency Server 2008 provided.
Plus, it was easy to navigate with its clean design. Connections were fast, and everything was easy to put in its right place.
But good things must come to an end. After ten great years, all of this is changing.
SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 are now in extended end-of-life support. Security updates are still available, but not for long. As you know, a year can fly by, and when January 2020, rolls around, all support will end.
Your IT Security & Compliance Could Be In Jeopardy
At the end of support, critical security updates will also end. There won’t be any protection for zero-day exploits that could rob you of your confidential information. This could not only put your data at risk but affect your compliance with industry or government regulations.
IT Maintenance Costs Could Increase
If you continue using SQL 2008 or 2008 R2, you’ll inevitably experience increased IT management and maintenance expenses. Things will start going awry.
Downtime Will Rob You Of Your Productivity
If you stay with SQL 2008 or 2008 R2, you run the risk of unresolvable outages. Along with no support for security updates, there won’t be fixes for bugs and errors. This means potential server downtime that could rob you of your productivity.
How Will Your Business Benefit After Upgrading?
When we upgrade you to SQL Server 2017, you’ll not only have the security you need, but your business will benefit from many new functions and features that will make your computing experience much better.
SQL Server 2017 is also available on the Linux platform. Microsoft releasing one of its major software platforms on Linux is big and represents Microsoft’s shift towards being a more open source-oriented company.
It’s been ten years since SQL 2008 came out, so it’s not possible to list all the changes that have taken place. But here are some highlights of the benefits your organization will gain when you upgrade:
- Enhanced Security
- Data Warehousing Capabilities
- Business Intelligence Capabilities
- Advanced and Real-Time Data Analytics
- Increased Reliability
- Increased Performance
- Increased Availability
What Happens During The Upgrade Process?
We’ll assess your current environment and work with you to migrate your system to a newer version of SQL Server. We can also help you prepare for any new hardware you’ll need. The Microsoft support and SQL Server upgrade specialists at Rafiki Technologies will be there every step of the way to ensure your data is protected and the upgrade goes smoothly.
- Assessment: We’ll meet with your leadership and explain the entire process. This is important to reduce any downtime, so your staff can continue to work during the upgrade process. We’ll evaluate your current database environment and server operating system. Our experts will assess the landscape of your existing IT network, so they’re well-informed about your computing environment.
- The Plan: We’ll develop a plan to migrate your data over to the new system. There are many moving parts to this, but our team is experienced and skilled, so your staff won’t need to be bothered with any of the “heavy lifting.”
- Reporting: Once we’ve reviewed your current IT environment and determined your situation, we’ll provide you with an upgrade plan that includes a time estimate and what the upgrade will cost.
- The Upgrade: The upgrade will go smoothly because we’ve taken the steps above. And after the upgrade, we’ll still be there to offer any assistance your staff needs using the new features.
What Can You Expect After The Upgrade?
You’ll experience improvements in performance, new features that make your life easier, increased availability of your data, improved reliability, and enhanced recoverability if you need to access your data after a disaster. You’ll benefit from all of these improvements and more, and your data will be protected for years to come.
Want To Move To The Cloud?
Ask us about Microsoft Azure SQL and SQL Database Instance for worry-free cloud computing. You’ll never need to patch and upgrade SQL Server again.
Are You Ready To Upgrade Your SQL Server 2008?
Contact our upgrade and migration specialists. We’ll be happy to visit your workplace and explain the process in more detail.
In the meantime, visit our Blog to stay up-to-date on everything happening in the world of IT. Here are some examples of what you’ll find:
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