November 10, 2023 at 11:53AM
Microsoft is extending support for Windows Server 2012 and providing three additional years of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) until October 2026. This gives administrators more time to upgrade or migrate to Azure. Microsoft recommends upgrading to supported versions for better performance and security updates. Azure offers free extended security updates for Windows Server 2012 workloads.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:
1. Microsoft has extended the support for Windows Server 2012 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) until October 2026. This gives administrators more time to upgrade or migrate to Azure.
2. The end date for Windows Server 2012 extended support has also been prolonged by five years, allowing customers additional time to transition to supported versions of Windows Server.
3. As of October 2023, Microsoft stopped providing technical assistance and bug fixes for systems running Windows Server 2012 that reached its end of support.
4. Customers can obtain three additional years of ESUs if they need more time to upgrade and modernize their Windows Server 2012, Windows Server R2, or Windows Embedded Server 2012 R2 on Azure.
5. Free Extended Security Updates are available for those who have already moved their Windows Server 2012 and R2 workloads to Azure.
6. Organizations unable to migrate can purchase and deploy Windows Server 2012 Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc on premises and in hosted environments without keys, directly from the Azure portal.
7. Detailed information on extending limited protection for consecutive 12-month increments and ESU activation scenarios are provided by Microsoft.
8. Admins who want to continue receiving security updates and bug fixes for on-premises Windows Server 2012 servers can upgrade to Windows Server 2022.
9. Migrating databases and applications to Azure Virtual Machines is another option, which provides free extended security updates for three years after the end of support.
10. Azure Arc can be used to automatically deploy purchased ESUs on-premises and extend Azure security and governance to the environment.
11. It is highly recommended to upgrade to the most current versions of Windows Server to mitigate security and compliance risks posed by running applications and data on unsupported versions.