Windows 2003 Server End Of Support: What IT Needs To Know
Many systems administrators will look at migrating from Windows Server 2003 as a daunting task. It should instead be seen as a chance to review your hardware, software, and deployment options. Here are seven things you need to know.
Microsoft support for Windows Server 2003 ends on July 14. According to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), there were an estimated 12 million servers running Windows 2003 as of one year ago. And while this number has likely decreased, there are still millions of impacted servers – some possibly in your enterprise environment.
There are all kinds of reasons why systems administrators haven't bothered to upgrade from Windows 2003 yet. While some have the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude, others run into budgeting constraints or compatibility issues with legacy applications. And while admins can technically continue to run Windows 2003 server beyond the end-of-support date, cybersecurity risks will dramatically increase. In enterprise-class environments, this is something that simply cannot be tolerated.
The good news for IT is that upgrading from Windows Server 2003 to either 2008 or 2012 isn't nearly as onerous from a software compatibility standpoint as what you may have experienced in a Windows XP migration. But, there are a few compatibility issues with legacy applications that may need to be addressed in your particular environment. Typically, this means the legacy application must be upgraded to run on a newer server OS prior to upgrading the OS itself.
On the following pages, we discuss what effect the end of Windows 2003 Server support has on your systems, and potential migration paths that can be taken to remove an unsupported OS from your network. We'll cover topics such as what you actually lose when a Microsoft OS goes end-of-support – such as security/bug fixes and new hardware and software compatibility. Additionally, we'll look at migration possibilities, including upgrade options to newer versions of Windows Server, virtualization, and the possibility of migrating to the cloud.
If you're still supporting Windows 2003 Servers, we'd love to hear your concerns and learn about your migration strategy in the comments section below.
July 14 will pass, and if you're still running Server 2003, it will continue to function as it did on July 14. The major difference is that there will be no more bug fixes, security patches, or improvements made to the software. The two biggest issues here are that newer hardware will not be supported, and that your server will be at an elevated risk to new viruses and malware. Expect hackers to hit Windows 2003 Server exploits hard and fast once support officially ends. It's going to be easy pickings.
For most enterprises, this won't be a huge issue. Yet it should be pointed out that Windows Server 2003 will run into compatibility issues for hardware and software that is developed beyond the end-of-support date. If you need to run a new app, or are purchasing new hardware, please try to run it on a modern OS.
If your organization is bound by government regulations, running an operating system that is no longer supported by the manufacturer is a big red flag. A non-compliant organization can face large fines, loss of business, and loss of business partner support. For this reason alone, a major effort should be put into ensuring that operating systems are compliant, and that all software, databases and middleware are compliant as well.
If your migration strategy is to upgrade your OS in-house, it's very likely that hardware should be upgraded too. Many physical servers running Server 2003 are as old as the OS itself. Running hardware a decade or longer is a pretty big gamble. It's best to dust off that credit card and replace server hardware, along with upgrading the OS and any non-compatible software.
If you're still running Server 2003, you're behind not one, but two major upgrades. Depending on your specific needs, you have the option to migrate to Windows Server 2008 or the latest version, Windows Server 2012. Keep in mind that end-of-support for Server 2008 is January 14, 2020. And while that may seem like a long time from now, that date is going to come faster than you think. Unless you have a very good reason to move to 2008, most industry analysts are recommending you skip 2008 and jump directly to 2012.
Because the big server virtualization movement was well after Windows Server 2003 was released, it is likely that many of the remaining Server 2003 deployments reside on bare metal hardware. Instead of upgrading the OS and hardware onto a dedicated system, most admins will migrate the server to a virtualized blade chassis. In fact, many enterprise data centers that I've come across in the last year or two were 95% virtualized. The only servers that remained on bare metal hardware were legacy Server 2003 instances. For many, upgrading and migrating these servers will bring them to a 100% virtualized environment.
While many systems administrators will look at migrating from Windows Server 2003 as a daunting task, it should instead be seen as a blessing. In all likelihood, you kept servers running an OS well over a decade old because of business, not technical, drivers. Now that we've reached an end of support date, business decision makers can no longer drag their feet and simply let legacy hardware and software remain. Now is the time to look at all options regarding hardware, software, and deployment strategies to find the one that suits your IT department, and your organization. Best of luck on your migration and let us know how it goes in the comments section below.
While many systems administrators will look at migrating from Windows Server 2003 as a daunting task, it should instead be seen as a blessing. In all likelihood, you kept servers running an OS well over a decade old because of business, not technical, drivers. Now that we've reached an end of support date, business decision makers can no longer drag their feet and simply let legacy hardware and software remain. Now is the time to look at all options regarding hardware, software, and deployment strategies to find the one that suits your IT department, and your organization. Best of luck on your migration and let us know how it goes in the comments section below.
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