How Long is Too Long? – Window Server 2003R2 End of Life is Coming

 Author: Chris Sutherland, CSutherland@jackhenry.com

Time flies by these days, it seems.  I still remember those summers when I was growing up and it seemed like days, weeks and months would last forever.  But as we advance in years, time gets away from us, and before you know it … things are just not the same.

In the information technology (IT) realm, this can be a scary thing to realize too late.  How long is too long to have those old servers still sitting around?  We are quickly approaching the end of life of what most IT Administrators and Technicians consider one of, if not the most, stable and well running Windows Server operating system yet.  Windows Server 2003 R2 has been “solid like a rock.”  Being an installation and support technician, I am surprised how many of these “rocks” still exist.  What are you going to do when July 14, 2015 rolls around?  And why July 14, 2015, you may ask?  This is the end of life for Windows Server 2003 R2 and I know that a year and a half from now seems like a long time off; but is it really in the scheme of things? When Windows Server 2003R2 was released way back in 2006, do you think the technology and architecture may have changed?  Now with the latest release of the Windows Server 2012 server operating system, and the soon-to-be-released Windows Server 2012 R2, customers still holding onto these earlier releases of Windows Server are at least three –  and about to be four –  versions behind in technology updates.  So maybe it is time to explore something new.  Let’s take a look at a couple of the new features that might make it worth stepping into the current and out of the past:

1. Server Management Improvements – Adding to the redesign of Windows Server 2008, the Server Manager is really a place that you can manage all features and functionality of the server.  All your tools are in one location.
2. File Services – De-Duplication – While I am sure there were no times in any server that has multiple copies of the same document in different directories, just in case, there is a full de-duplication that will help save you storage space.
3. Simplified Licensing – Now you have two options, Standard or Data Center Licenses.  All is based on the processors used in the servers and simplifies what is needed for virtualization, as well.

So is your FI / IT Department still holding onto the past?  Maybe you have that one server to which you keep applying “duct tape” or you are keeping a stash of parts, hoping that the server holds on just one more year.  While there are many things to consider in updating to the latest operating systems, like application compatibility and migration of data, now is a good time to look toward the future of IT and come into the present decade of technology.

Do keep in mind that with each technological advance in server architecture, we have enjoyed a material improvement in what we receive in return for our dollar.