2. Windows Server 2003 End of Support
The
Support ends July 14, 2015 for
Windows Server 2003 and
Windows Small Business Server 2003
3. Windows Server 2003 End of Support
What does End of Support mean?
Start planning your migration and transforming your datacenter todayDiscontinued
support for many
applications
Nowis the time to act
Increased
operations costs
Impact on
Microsoft Small
Business Server
2003
Impact on both
physical and
virtualized
servers
Nosafe haven
Nosafe haven
Windows 2003/R2 servers will not
pass a compliance audit
Nocompliance
Nocompliance
37 critical updates released
in 2013 for Windows Server
2003/R2
Noupdates
Noupdates
6. Windows Server 2003 End of Support
Simplified Management
• User management
• Client and server backup
• Easy file sharing
• Remote Access
• Optional Cloud connection
Available in Windows Server 2012 R2
• Essentials
• Standard
• Datacenter
9. Windows Server 2003 End of Support
Microsoft End of Support Portal
Windows Server Migration Tools
Microsoft Assessment Planning Toolkit (MAP)
Migration Planning Assistant
Microsoft Virtual Academy Migrating 2003 Apps
TechEd Sessions – WS 2003 Migrations
Forrester Total Economic Impact Study (TEI)
10. Next steps
Explore resources
Utilize existing resources as well as
the free tools from Microsoft to get
started
Experience innovations
Take advantage of innovations in
Windows Server, new hardware,
cloud operating system, and
application platform
Get started today
A smooth, successful server
migration takes time to plan and
execute, so start today to make
sure you meet the deadline
Hi, my name is <your name> and I am a <your title> with <your company>. As you may know, Microsoft will end support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015. My goal is to advise you of the impact of this milestone on your current server environment and to help you take the necessary steps now to minimize disruption and keep your business moving forward.
So, what does this mean for Windows Server 2003 end of support? Simply put, there has never been a better time to modernize your infrastructure on new servers running Windows Server 2012 R2. In doing so, you can realize the increased revenue and job growth already enjoyed by tech-savvy small and mid-size companies around the world. And you’ll be in a perfect position to take your first steps toward the cloud.
But the clock is ticking. Support for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Small Business Server 2003 will end on July 14th, 2015. This rapidly approaching milestone opens a window of opportunity to upgrade to Windows Server 2012 R2 now. Delaying these migrations will present significant risks and complications that will only increase as the date approaches.
End of support means:
No updates
37 critical updates were released in 2013 for Windows Server 2003/R2 under Extended Support. No updates will be developed or released after end of support.
No compliance
Lack of compliance with various standards and regulations can be devastating. This may include various regulatory and industry standards for which compliance can no longer be achieved. For example, lack of compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards might mean companies such as Visa and MasterCard will no longer do business with you. Or, the new cost of doing business will include paying catastrophic penalties and astronomically high transaction fees.
No safe haven
Both virtualized and physical instances of Windows Server 2003 are vulnerable and would not pass a compliance audit. Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 servers are also affected.
Staying put will cost more in the end. Maintenance costs for aging hardware will also increase. Added costs will be incurred for intrusion detection systems, more advanced firewalls, network segmentation, and so on—simply to isolate Windows Server 2003 servers.
Many applications will also cease to be supported, once the operating system they are running on is unsupported. This includes all Microsoft applications.
Now is the time to act
You must start planning migration now.
Servers may still be running Windows Server 2003/R2 for a number of reasons. You can use these reasons as a discussion point:
Perceived challenges of upgrading applications
Presence of custom and legacy applications
Budget and resource constraints
Additional information: “Making the case for upgrading from Server 2003” (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/23/windows_server_2003_reasons_to_upgrade_analysis/)
The technology in Windows Server 2003 is over ten years old, a lifetime by server standards. Conversely, the feature set and benefits of a modern server solution running Windows Server 2012 R2 combines the best of today’s hardware and software capabilities.
A modern server running Windows Server 2012 R2 features:
Latest technology for new business scenarios
Comprehensive virtualization capabilities to consolidate servers and reduce consumed resources.
Cost-effective storage using Storage Spaces on commodity hardware.
Disaster Recovery, with replication intervals as little as 30 seconds
Access applications remotely while data is kept on the server.
Built in cloud backup with Microsoft Azure
Full support for business continuity
Manage costs with active Warranties and availability of parts and services
Improved protection from security threats with latest updates
More powerful servers for faster and more reliable access to information
Improved processing and throughput of the server hardware
2x the performance enhancements that help to make the process of live migration (virtual machines) faster, more streamlined, and more efficient
Reduced server footprint for increased efficiency and cost savings
Virtualize on modern hardware for 5x improvements in virtualization host support and 4x improvements in physical memory to optimize available server capacity
Simplified management.
Standards-based management across compute, storage and networking resources.
Automation to eliminate manual tasks.
6. Preinstalled for simplicity
Ease of deployment, installation, and set up
Convenient and cost effective
OEM Support
If you have small-business customers running Windows Small Business Server, here’s one way to approach the idea of upgrading to Window Server Essentials or Standard edition.
This is the Essentials Dashboard, which is highly regarded by Small Business Server customers for its simplified management and backup capabilities.
Identify issues with red/green statuses across servers and groups.
Manage both physical and virtual servers from the same user interface.
Perform tasks on multiple servers at the same time.
Provision storage.
Now is the time to migrate.
These resources can help you get started:
Migration website
Windows Server 2012 R2
Microsoft Azure
Office 365
