1) The document discusses preparing for a SQL Server upgrade by outlining the speaker's goals which include making upgrades simpler, thinking about upgrades well before they happen, and introducing a checklist to use. 2) It highlights reasons for upgrading such as older versions reaching end of support and changes in licensing and high availability/disaster recovery options. 3) The speaker provides an overview of SQL Server versions and editions and recommends deciding it is time for an upgrade, picking a version and edition, inventorying databases and applications, testing the upgrade, and monitoring afterwards.

1. Upgrading SQL Server
PREPARE FOR SUCCESS!
SQL Saturday 877

2. About Mike
Father, Husband, Founder, Friend
Straight Path Solutions – straightpathsql.com
SQL Server MVP
User Group Leader
Upgrade Scars? I have a few! (One bad decision by a client to do something you should
NEVER do also covered payroll for Straight Path one month when we were a bit smaller
. . .)
If you get stuck with an upgrade question – mike@straightpathsql.com and mention
you were here.
Latest Blog Post on www.StraightPathSQL.com has these slides and some links – and
will have more notes based on our conversation if needed.
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3. About This Talk
We have an hour, we aren’t going to do a demo of an upgrade, we’re going to
talk.
My Goals for us today -
◦ Make upgrades simpler
◦ Get us thinking about upgrades way before the upgrade
◦ Introduce our checklist for you to use
◦ Make sure you never.ever.ever.ever entertain an in-place upgrade (SKU Upgrades
excepted)
◦ Leave excited about the benefits of upgrades instead of fearing the stories you’ve
heard.
◦ Think about Before/During/After steps
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4. Why Upgrade?
SQL Server 2008 Ended Life in July (with some caveats – check out
www.sqlserver2008.com )
What Windows Version are you On?
When was your last HW/VM Upgrade?
Got Compliance?
SQL Server 2012/2014 not a lot better for you!
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5. Why You Haven’t…
“Where do I start?!”
“What version/edition should I pick?”
“What about the cloud?”
“We’re too busy!!”
“What about the downtime?!”
“Will it break?”
“What questions are we forgetting to ask?”
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6. The World has Changed!
Did You Know:
◦ SQL Server 2016 SP1 gave you enterprise features in Standard!
◦ SQL Server 2014 gave you 128GB of RAM in Standard!
◦ SQL Server 2019 is right around the corner!
◦ HA/DR Options are legion!
◦ The Cloud is viable – and comfortable even!
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7. Let’s Dive into Versions
What are our options?
We support clients on six versions of SQL Server right now, I bet seven – I’m sure there is a SQL
Server 2000 at some hospital somewhere running some old system!
SQL Server 2016 SP1 marked a big change and gave us Basic Ags, gave us enterprise features in
Standard. It’s well baked. It’s supported until 2021 in mainstream, 2026 until end of extended.
SQL Server 2017 doubled down on some changes – but is still getting a lot of patches ;-), brought
us linux, brought us R, made some Columnstore improvements. Mainstream support ends in
October of 2022, extended support ends in 2027.
SQL Server 2019 has promising features – but it’s not out, and I’m gun shy lately again!
SQL Server 2008 - End of Extended THIS JULY. SQL Server 2012 end of mainstream July 2017,
end of extended July 2022.. SQL Server 2014 Mainstream ends THIS JULY – extended ends 2024.
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8. Save Licensing?
So… Core based licensing is old news – but when was your last upgrade?
Are you on Enterprise? Why? Let’s talk about that – Standard edition may be
okay – it depends!
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9. HA/DR Options
A bit out of scope – but we have so.many.options.
Failover Cluster Instances
Availability Groups
Log Shipping
VM Based HA
Failover Cluster Instances without a SAN?
Cloud based options?
Bottomline – we have more options than SQL Server 2008 and before!
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10. What about…. Those… Vendors!
I get it!
You have to…. Talk….. To them!
Let’s discuss.
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11. What about the cloud?
What about it?
It’s viable!
Maybe now is a time to consider/look since you are making changes.
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12. Before/During/After
We just described the before a bit.
Let’s walk through the Checklist and Q&A to cover the during/after
Don’t forget:
◦ Test
◦ Plan
◦ Monitor after
◦ Please, don’t do in place…
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13. Recap/Homework
Decide “It’s time!”
Pick a likely SQL Server Version
Pick a likely SQL Server Edition
Begin thinking about and inventorying the DBs, apps and users on it!
Test
Upgrade
Start monitoring well after
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14. THANK YOU!!!!
Thanks for attending!
E-Mail questions – mike@straightpathsql.com
Check out today’s blog post – www.straightpathsql.com and links