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End of life for Windows Server 2003
End of Story
Everybody is still talking about the discontinuation of support for Windows XP. Perhaps less well known is the fact that support for Windows Server 2003 has also ended. If you have not already done so, migrating from Server 2003 should be at the very top of your priority list. In this article, I provide a brief overview of the various paths and, among other things, look at options for migrating individual server roles to Server 2012 R2 and consolidating legacy applications.
Advanced support for Windows Server 2003 ended on July 14, 2015 [1]. Additionally, other well-known Microsoft products, like SQL Server 2005, will reach the end of their product life cycle in the not too distant future. You can find an overview of the life spans of various Microsoft products online [2].
Migration Process
A structured procedure for analyzing and migrating from old operating systems and applications is a prerequisite to successfully migrate legacy systems. You should therefore design a schedule and task plan containing at least the following points:
- Identify servers with Windows Server 2003.
- Inventory the installed applications.
- Categorize the software.
- Clarify which applications can be replaced, updated, or abolished.
- Check which server roles can be consolidated on other, more recent systems.
- Migrate applications.
- Upgrade the operating systems.
Other steps may be necessary, depending on your systems.
Migrating Individual Server Roles
Microsoft provides a few manuals for migrating server roles [3] that are designed to make it easier for admins to port server roles to newer operating
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