No, don’t worry this did not happen. Depending on who you have been listening to over the past few months your SQL 2008 and 2008 R2 servers did not magically stop working when the clock struck midnight on 07/09/2019. Have you ever had software just die on a specific date and not work? Sure, if your license expires, your software will stop working and I cannot help with that. However, if you have a fully paid for version of SQL Server 2008 or 2008 R2 nothing is going to stop working. Lucky you right…
With the approaching end of support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 there has been a heavy push in marketing, blog posts, twitter posts, LinkedIn posts and other forms of advertising and fear mongering around the end of support for these products. Microsoft it self is offering to get your SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 workloads transitioned to Azure and provide database backups. Then your support can continue. That is an interesting model to make people feel forced in to moving or upgrading.
Have you applied all the Service Packs and Cumulative Updates that have been released by Microsoft? Did you pay for SQL Server 2008 or 2008 R2? Has your server been working and functioning perfectly for years? Then why suddenly should you feel forced to upgrade?
While I am the type of person that likes to play with the latest and greatest software, I understand that feeling pressured or forced to do something based on others makes me feel uncomfortable. Sure, not every organization is bleeding edge and chomping at the bit to get their hands-on SQL 2019 when it is released. From my experience most small to mid-size estates that have systems purring like a kitten day after day should not have to experience this pressure. No one goes out to buy anything and says, “I only want to use this for 11 years.” People buy things in most accounts based on not having to replace them, EVER…
With any upgrade you are going to get better performance, better security and better everything. If you aren’t expecting or demanding, then why do it. All the marketing material and other data you see around the end of support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 and you are comfortable with a working system that is awesome. If you want to upgrade to take advantage of new features that is great also.
I empower you and your SQL team to know what you need and to make it happen.
Official Microsoft information.
