Know your options for SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 End of Support

This blog has been updated to reflect the latest pricing for Extended Security Updates. Offer pricing is the same for all three years.

Customers trust Windows Server and SQL Server for their business-critical workloads. With SQL Server, customers like Itaú Unibanco are taking advantage of the built-in intelligence, industry-leading performance, and security across both structured and unstructured data. Similarly, customers like CadDo are combining SQL Server 2019 with Windows Server 2019 to take advantage of advanced multi-layer security, hybrid capabilities, and enhancements to modernize applications with containers. In March of 2021, we announced Windows Server 2022 in preview, which thousands of customers are already previewing for their workloads.

While new innovations keep lighting up in the latest releases of SQL Server and Windows Server, support for older versions along with security updates will eventually end. This can lead to the potential for compliance gaps for workloads that still rely on these versions and create missed opportunities to apply innovation to business-critical workloads. SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012, and 2012 R2 End of Extended support is approaching:

• SQL Server 2012 Extended Support will end on July 12, 2022.
• Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Extended Support will end on October 10, 2023.

In addition to the great features included in SQL Server and Windows Server, today we are announcing new benefits giving customers more flexibility and choice for modernization, so they stay secure while modernizing their entire IT estate. These benefits include SQL Server 2012 Extended Security Updates, Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Extended Security Updates, and one additional year of extended support for Windows Server and SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 only on Azure.

Migrate to Azure, run securely with free Extended Security Updates

Customers can migrate applications and SQL Server databases to Azure Virtual Machines, and get free Extended Security Updates for three years after end of support, only in Azure. Customers can combine this with Azure Hybrid Benefit to save big on Azure by using existing on-premises SQL Server and Windows Server licenses on the cloud with no additional cost. These offers make Azure the most cost-effective place to run SQL Server and Windows Server. In fact, AWS is five times more expensive than Azure for SQL Server and Windows Server.

End of support is an opportunity to plan for modernizing applications. Conveniently, with Extended Security Updates, customers can continue to protect these applications while they modernize. Azure offers several modernization options such as:

• Azure Automanage for Azure Virtual Machines to simplify IT operations.
• Azure VMware Solutions to seamlessly move VMware-based workloads from your datacenter to Azure and integrate your VMware environment with Azure.
• Azure Virtual Desktop to modernize Windows Server RDS-based VDI environments.
• Azure App Service and Azure Kubernetes Service for application modernization.
• Azure SQL Managed Instance, a PaaS service for SQL Server databases that makes patching and upgrades a thing of the past.
• Azure Purview to map, catalog, understand, classify, and manage your operational and analytical data—whether on-premises, across your multi-cloud environment, or within SaaS applications; while in preview, Azure Purview has free scanning and classification for on-premises SQL Server
• The Azure Migration and Modernization Program (AMMP) offers customers proactive best practice guidance, direct access to Azure engineers, tools, and subsidized partner services so customers can accelerate progress and migrate with confidence whether they are early in the migration journey or scaling IT in the cloud.

Upgrade on-premises, stay protected with the latest release

With so many new enhancements in Azure for SQL Server and Windows Server, customers are already using the latest releases to modernize their IT estate. With that said, we understand that SQL Server and Windows Server run many business-critical applications that may take more time to modernize. We are glad to share that we have great options to plan SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 end of support.

Customers that need to remain on-premises for compliance can protect their workloads by upgrading to SQL Server 2022 and Windows Server 2019. Azure now offers application and data modernization options on-premises with Azure Arc. With Azure Arc, customers can take advantage of Azure innovation such as policy, governance, and security to manage their on-premises applications and data.

Customers that cannot meet the end of support deadline and have Software Assurance or subscription licenses under an enterprise agreement enrollment will have the option to buy Extended Security Updates to get three more years of security updates for SQL Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2.

Take advantage of Extended Security Updates only on Azure to protect your Windows Server and SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 for one additional year

SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 Extended Security Updates are coming to an end on July 12, 2022, and January 10, 2023, respectively. Many customers are taking advantage of Azure’s commitment to security and compliance and have moved to Azure to protect their 2008 and R2 workloads with free Extended Security Updates.

For those customers who need additional time to upgrade and modernize their SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 on Azure, we will now provide one additional year of Extended Security Updates only on Azure. This also applies to Azure Stack HCI, Azure Stack Hub, and other Azure products.

Get started planning Windows Server 2012 and SQL 2012 end of support

Starting today, we encourage all our customers running SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 to start planning for the end of support. We have migration resources, best practices, and more as well as a rich ecosystem of partners ready to help. To get started, please visit the following pages to learn more:

• Azure migration and modernization center with resources for every stage of your cloud migration.
• SQL Server and Windows Server Extended Security Updates resource page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the price for Windows Server and SQL Server 2012 Extended Security Updates?

• In Azure: Customers running SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 in Azure will get Extended Security Updates for free.
• On-premises: Customers with active Software Assurance or subscription licenses can purchase Extended Security Updates annually for 100 percent of the license cost of the latest version of SQL Server or Windows Server each year. Customers pay for only the servers they need to cover, so they can reduce costs each year as they upgrade parts of their environment.

What Azure resources can take advantage of free Extended Security Updates?

Free Extended Security Updates are available for Azure Virtual Machines including Azure Dedicated Host, Azure VMWare Solution, Azure Nutanix Solution, and Azure Stack (Hub, Edge, and HCI).

When can customers purchase Windows Server and SQL Server 2012 Extended Security Updates?

Extended Security Updates will be available for purchase at a later date, as we get closer to the end of extended support for SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012/R2. For the latest details, please refer to additional frequently asked questions.

How will I obtain Windows Server and SQL Server 2012 Extended Security Updates? 

In Azure, you can obtain Windows Server Extended Security Updates automatically to your Azure virtual machine through Windows Server Update Service. 

Get your SQL Server Extended Security Updates in Azure by registering your subscription with the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension. Learn more about registering your SQL Server virtual machine with the IaaS Agent extension.

On-premises, your Windows Server Extended Security Updates will be delivered as any regular Windows Server Update.  

On-premises SQL Server Extended Security Updates can be obtained by connecting your SQL Server to Azure Arc.