Microsoft is offering users on Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 a way to keep getting security updates for free after the official support period ends.
There's a catch: They have to bring their workloads to the Azure cloud. But for some users, this could be a feasible option.
Extended support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is set to end in July 2019[1], and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 in January 2020[2]. After that point, Microsoft will no longer provide security fixes for these products to users, unless they pay for custom support contracts -- or if they agree to move workloads on these products to Azure.
Microsoft announced the new move-to-Azure option today, July 12, ahead of next week's Microsoft Inspire partner conference, as the company expects the move to be a potential opportunity for its Cloud Solution Providers.
Here's how the new extended support option will work. Customers who agree to migrate their Windows Server 2008/R2 and/or SQL Server 2008/R2 workloads to Azure will get extended security updates for free for three additional years (so, until January 2023 for Windows Server and until July 2021 for SQL Server). Customers do not have to show any kind of migration plan to Microsoft to get this deal, which is not the case if they buy custom extended support agreements, which require them to show a timeline for migrating off the expiring product
Those customers who can't or won't be ready by the time Extended support ends for Windows Server 2008/R2 and SQL Server 2008/R2 still will have the option of buying custom extended security updates, which will go for 75 percent of the license cost of those products, which