However, as many organizations like yours are eager to innovate with AI for various use cases, it is also very important, if not more, to have a solid IT foundation that can support that ambitious AI vision—from a cost, performance, and security perspective. The last thing companies want is to make a big investment in AI and machine learning initiatives too soon, without the bandwidth, guardrails, or necessary performance in place to support it.

At the heart of your IT estate lies strategic investments you have in business-critical workloads like Windows Server and SQL Server that are and have been the foundation of many organizations for more than 30 years now. The question then becomes—how do you modernize these foundational technologies to make you ready to leverage the full power of AI, that will allow you to adopt AI in a secure, responsible way and gain an edge over the competition?

Catch up on sessions from Microsoft Ignite

Whether you missed some of the sessions at Ignite or just want a recap of all things Windows Server and SQL Server, we’ve got you covered. In this blog, we’re going to showcase the main Ignite sessions for Windows Server and SQL Server, where we had various announcements, demos, and customer testimonials.

Windows Server

What’s New in Windows Server v.Next: In this session, we provide a preview of what’s coming next for Windows Server, a platform that enables IT professionals and developers to modernize their applications and enable hybrid use cases. The topics covered were Active Directory, File Server, Storage, Hyper-V, Security, and more.

Do more with Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure: This session highlights how you can reap more technical and business benefits by running Windows Server and SQL Server on Microsoft Azure. You’ll learn how Azure provides optimal cost benefits, performance, and security for these workloads. Get tips and demos on how to extend Azure innovations to your hybrid and multi-cloud environments with Azure Arc.

Migrate to Innovate: Be AI-ready, secure, and optimize operations: This is an immersive session for IT practitioners on how to migrate to Azure. We highlighted practical steps, demos, and guidance on how migrating to Azure can accelerate the impact of AI in your organization. We then highlighted how you can enhance security and optimize operations once in the cloud and take the first step into Azure with Azure Migrate.

Learn Live: Upgrade and migrate Windows Server IaaS virtual machines: In this online session, you can learn to migrate a workload running in Windows Server to an infrastructure as a service (IaaS) virtual machine and to Windows Server 2022 by using Windows Server migration tools or the Storage Migration Service.

SQL Server

Get superior price and performance with Azure cloud-scale databases: In this session, you can learn how to improve performance with the latest capabilities for Azure SQL Databases, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc for hybrid and multi-cloud. You’ll learn how customers enabled ongoing innovation by migrating to Azure Database for MySQL. This session will cover tactical ways to get the most from your applications with the databases that are easy to use, deliver unmatched price and performance, support open-source, and enable transformative AI technologies.

Accelerate your SQL migration with Azure Data Migration Service: In this demo, you’ll see how the new Azure Data Migration Service along with Azure Migrate can accelerate your SQL modernization journey. We will showcase Azure Data Migration Service streamlined capabilities for readiness assessment, SKU recommendations based on workload rightsizing, and online and offline data migration across Portal, Azure Data Studio, PowerShell, and command-line interface (CLI) experiences that you need for your SQL Server migration journey to Azure from on-premises.

Migrate to innovate: Modernize your data on Azure SQL Managed Instance: In this session, you can watch new performance enhancements in action and experience the ease of online migration to Azure SQL Managed Instance using the link feature. See how you can continue to modernize on Azure through Microsoft Fabric integration and connections to other Azure services.

Bring enhanced manageability to SQL Server anywhere with Azure Arc: Join this discussion to discover how connecting your SQL Servers to Azure can enhance your management, security, and governance capabilities with live demos. SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc is a hybrid cloud solution that allows you to manage, secure, and govern your SQL Server estate running anywhere from Azure. Our experts will also explore different options for deploying Azure Arc to your SQL Servers at scale.

Next steps to modernize Windows Server and SQL Server

Ready to take the next step in modernizing your Windows Server and SQL Server? Here are some quick resources to get started:

1. Upgrade to the latest versions of Windows Server to take advantage of the latest capabilities. Learn more about Windows Server 2022 and SQL Server 2022.
2. Looking to migrate to Azure? Take the first step with Azure Migrate and Modernize, our offering that has programs, offers, support, free tooling, and expert guidance to confidently migrate to Azure.
3. Join the discussion on our Windows Server Tech Community and SQL Server Tech Community.

¹ ITProToday, Microsoft Ignite 2023 Envisions AI as an Everyday Reality, November 16, 2023.

The post Windows Server and SQL Server at Microsoft Ignite 2023 appeared first on Microsoft Windows Server Blog.

Modernize with PaaS or upgrade to a newer version in Azure

Modernization provides organizations with a more future-proof solution by using a cloud-first approach or updating to a newer version. One modernization option is moving to platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solutions such as Azure SQL Managed Instance or Azure App Service. By modernizing workloads to a PaaS solution, customers can fully offload management and patching tasks in the cloud. This helps teams stay up-to-date, avoid future end-of-support dates, and focus on delivering innovative apps and experiences for their businesses.

Alternatively, customers can migrate and upgrade their Windows Server 2012/R2 with Azure Migrate, our free tool for discovery, assessment, and migration of workloads to Azure. With this feature, organizations can now elect to move their legacy applications and databases to a fully supported, compatible, and compliant operating system. This includes our latest release in Windows Server 2022, which provides organizations with advanced multi-layer security, hybrid capabilities with Azure, and a flexible platform to modernize applications. Learn more about this feature of Azure Migrate.

Migrate to Azure for free Extended Security Updates

If organizations are not able to modernize Windows Server 2012/R2 in time, they can use Extended Security Updates (ESUs), which provide security patches for up to three years past the end of support date.

When organizations migrate end-of-support workloads to Azure, they get free Extended Security Updates. This includes options such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure VMware Solution, and Azure Stack HCI. Combining this with Azure Hybrid Benefit and consumption models such as reserved instances or savings plan for compute allows even more savings in Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server.  

Organizations can get in-depth resources to help them start their cloud journey on Azure with Azure Migrate and Modernize & Azure Innovate—our new offerings that provide end-to-end support from migration and modernization to infusing the latest innovation in analytics and AI. 

Stay protected in hybrid and multicloud environments with ESUs enabled by Azure Arc

For organizations who aren’t able to modernize or migrate prior to the Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support date this October, they can protect their hybrid and multicloud workloads with ESUs enabled by Azure Arc. Here are the key benefits:

• Monthly pay-as-you-go: Activate and enroll from Azure to pay for security updates on a monthly basis, giving organizations more flexibility to migrate and modernize to Azure on their terms.  
• Seamless delivery: The enrollment of Extended Security Updates on Azure Arc-enabled machines does not require the acquisition or activation of keys. Moreover, customers have the flexibility to use Azure Update Manager or another patching solution of their choice to receive the actual patches.
• Organize and inventory your assets: Gain visibility and reporting across servers spanning your hybrid, multicloud, and edge infrastructure. 
• Security and compliance: Extend Azure security and governance services such as Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel to further secure their infrastructure from cloud to edge and stay compliant with supported software. ESUs enabled by Azure Arc also gives free access to Azure Update Manager, Machine Configuration, and Change Tracking and Inventory for further automation and easier delivery of patches.

Connect to Azure Arc today to get started with ESUs enabled by Azure Arc or learn more here.

Prepare for other end of support dates

As organizations continually modernize their estate, there are several other end of support dates to keep in mind for Windows Server and SQL Server customers:

• Upgrade Windows Server 2008 virtual machines (VMs) in Azure. If you are running Windows Server 2008 virtual machines in Azure, the fourth and final year of ESUs end on Jan 9^th, 2024. After this date, no more security patches will be provided to virtual machines running this version. Organizations should plan to upgrade to the latest version to run these workloads securely and compliantly. Learn more about how to perform in-place upgrades for Windows Server.

• Prepare for SQL Server 2014 end of support. Many Windows Server customers often run SQL Server for their databases, which also has some end of support dates to be aware of. SQL Server 2012 reached end of support on July 12^th, 2022, and the upcoming end of support deadline is for SQL Server 2014, which reaches end of support on July 9^th, 2024. Organizations have the same three options outlined above to protect SQL Server 2014 workloads.

See the lifecycle of products supported with Extended Security Updates here.

Start modernizing for end of support

Here are a few key resources to learn more so you can be prepared for current and future end of support scenarios: 

• Learn more about your options for Windows Server and SQL Server end of support. 
• Learn more about Extended Security Updates on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and the documentation.
• Learn more about running Windows Server on Azure.
• Watch our latest webinar to learn more about how you can secure your IT foundation to be AI-ready.
• Protect beyond Extended Security Updates by enhancing security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud—a comprehensive and unified cloud-native security solution to protect hybrid and multicloud environments from code to cloud.   

The post Secure Windows Server 2012/R2 workloads with options from Azure appeared first on Microsoft Windows Server Blog.

Options to stay protected for Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support 

As new features and functionality light up the latest versions of our server offerings such as Windows Server 2022 and SQL Server 2022, we want to remind organizations that support for Windows Server 2012/R2 is coming to an end on October 10, 2023. After the end of support date, Windows Server 2012/R2 workloads will be vulnerable as they will no longer receive regular security updates. Organizations can remain protected by:

1. Modernizing to a PaaS platform such as Azure SQL Managed Instance or Azure App Service to always stay up-to-date, or upgrading to the latest version in Azure. With a PaaS platform, customers can fully offload management tasks in the cloud, so teams can focus on delivering innovative apps and experiences for their businesses.   
2. Migrating to Azure  for free Extended Security Updates. This includes options such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure VMware Solution, and Azure Stack HCI. Combining this with Azure Hybrid Benefit and consumption models such as reserved instances or savings plan for compute allows even more savings in Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server.  
3. Purchasing Extended Security Updates to remain protected on premises and in multi cloud environments.

We know that organizations often heavily weigh the best path to modernization, with many factors to consider. In this post, we’ll explore two new options from Azure Migrate and Azure Arc to protect end of support workloads.

Migrate and upgrade Windows Server 2012/R2 with Azure Migrate

If an organization is considering modernizing and migrating to Azure, the first step should be to assess their environment and build a migration business case with Azure Migrate. This free tool provides technical insights into workloads and cost estimates for moving to Azure. 

We’re excited to announce that Azure Migrate now supports in-place upgrades of Windows Server 2012 and later versions, during the move to Azure. Organizations can now elect to move their legacy applications and databases to a fully supported, compatible, and compliant operating system such as Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022. Organizations can also avoid downtime by first upgrading to a test environment in Azure and running production workloads in parallel to confirm functionality and compatibility, before fully moving to Azure.

With this new feature, organizations can avoid Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support and accomplish their modernization and migration goals in one motion. Learn more about this feature in Azure Migrate here.  

Stay protected in on-premises and multicloud environments with Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc 

For organizations who aren’t able to modernize or migrate prior to the Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support date this October, Microsoft is announcing Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc. With Azure Arc, organizations will be able to purchase and seamlessly deploy Extended Security Updates in on-premises or multicloud environments, right from the Azure portal. Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc also gives more flexibility with a pay-as-you-go subscription model. 

Here are the key benefits: 

• Flexible billing and savings: Activate and enroll from Azure to pay for security updates on a monthly basis, giving organizations more flexibility to migrate and modernize to Azure on their terms.  

• Centralized cost management: Analyze costs using Azure Cost Management and see all Azure consumption in one place.  

• Greater visibility: Surface enrollment status of Extended Security Updates to highlight gaps and status changes  

• Organize and inventory your assets: Gain visibility and reporting across servers spanning your hybrid, multicloud, and edge infrastructure. 

• Keyless delivery: The enrollment of Extended Security Updates on Azure Arc-enabled machines does not require the acquisition or activation of keys. 

• Security and compliance: Seamlessly extend Azure security and governance from cloud to edge and stay compliant with supported software. 

To get started today, connect your servers to Azure Arc for free by installing Azure Arc using familiar deployment tools like Configuration Manager, Group Policy, Windows Admin Center, or MSI. In September 2023, Extended Security Updates enabled by Azure Arc will be available natively in Azure to point and click to activate your Extended Security Updates. This capability will also be available for SQL Server 2012.

Start modernizing for end of support

With all the new options available, there’s no better time to start modernizing for end of support with Azure. Here are a few key resources to get started: 

• Learn more about your options for Windows Server and SQL Server end of support. 
• Learn more about Extended Security Updates on our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and the documentation.
• Protect beyond Extended Security Updates by enhancing security with Microsoft Defender for Cloud – a comprehensive and unified cloud-native security solution to protect hybrid and multicloud environments from code to cloud.   
• Learn more about running Windows Server on Azure.
• Get in-depth resources for every stage of your cloud journey with Azure Migrate and Modernize & Azure Innovate—our new offerings from Azure that provide end-to-end support from migration and modernization to infusing the latest innovation in analytics and AI. 

The post New options for Windows Server 2012/R2 end of support from Azure appeared first on Microsoft Windows Server Blog.

Azure Hybrid Benefit expansion

As customers are increasing cloud adoption to run virtual machine (VM)–based and containerized applications, they also need to keep some workloads on-premises. At Microsoft, we are committed to meeting customers where they are. Azure Hybrid Benefit is a program that enables customers to reduce the costs of running workloads in the cloud. At Microsoft Ignite, we’re introducing new additions to Azure Hybrid Benefit to bring the value of Azure to where customers are.

As part of our updates, customers with Windows Server Software Assurance or a Cloud Solution Provider subscription will be able to use Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) on Windows Server and Azure Stack HCI in their own datacenters or edge infrastructure at no additional cost. This will enable customers to containerize their applications and deploy them on Azure or on-premises consistently by maximizing business value with a managed Kubernetes service in their own environments.

For customers looking to modernize their environment, we are also introducing a new benefit for Windows Server Datacenter Software Assurance customers to use Azure Stack HCI at no additional cost.¹ With this, customers can modernize their existing datacenter and edge infrastructure to run their VM and container-based workloads on modern infrastructure with industry-leading price performance and built-in connectivity to Azure. Learn more about Azure Hybrid Benefit for AKS and Azure Stack HCI.

More flexibility to run Windows Server

On October 1, 2022, we implemented several updates to outsourcing and hosting terms for customers and partners globally. Among these is the Flexible Virtualization Benefit, which allows customers with Software Assurance or subscription licenses to run their own licensed software, including Windows Server, on other cloud providers’ infrastructure—dedicated or multitenant.² Additionally, customers can also license Windows Server on a VM basis.

Windows Server customers have been increasingly leveraging Windows containers to modernize their applications. However, we heard from a few of our customers and application vendors that needed the ability to distribute a complete containerized application directly to their end users. Starting today, customers will be able to redistribute Windows Container base images beyond their organization in accordance with the updated End-User Agreement License. Now, customers and application vendors across segments like medical, financial, manufacturing, or other air-gapped environments can more easily use Windows containers to modernize their applications. Learn more about the upcoming changes in our tech community blog.

Modernize for end of support

With all the added benefits and flexibility mentioned above, there is no better time to modernize than now. This is especially true if you are running Windows Server 2012/R2, which is reaching end of support next year on October 10, 2023. We have several options to keep your Windows Server 2012/R2 workloads protected:

• Migrate to Azure and run securely with up to three years of free Extended Security Updates. This includes all Azure destinations such as Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure VMware Solution, and the Azure Stack portfolio.
• Upgrade to Windows Server 2022 to get the latest innovation in security and application modernization.
• Deploy extended security updates on-premises. Customers that cannot meet the end of support deadline and have Software Assurance or subscription licenses under an enterprise agreement enrollment, and cannot migrate their Windows Server to Azure, will have the option to buy Extended Security Updates.

Start migrating and modernizing your Windows Server workloads

No matter where you are in your migration and modernization journey, we are committed to supporting you at every step. Here are some resources to get started today:  

• Learn more about the unique capabilities and cost-savings available when running Windows Server on Azure.
• Learn more about your options for Windows Server and SQL Server 2012/R2 end of support.
• Migrate and modernize with confidence through the Azure Migration and Modernization Program.

¹_{Currently only available for Windows Server Datacenter licenses with Software Assurance purchased through Enterprise Agreements. Customers can only use Windows Server or Azure Stack HCI. Customers will have 180 days of concurrent use rights to move to Azure Stack HCI.}

²_{Note that these changes exclude what we term Listed Providers: Alibaba, Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft. Customers that want to use a Listed Provider for outsourcing can acquire licenses directly from the Listed Provider.}

³_{Note: In alignment with the servicing model for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 (link to blog), the Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 ESU program will only include Monthly Rollup packages; Security Only update packages will not be provided.}

The post Maximize your Windows Server investments with new benefits and more flexibility appeared first on Microsoft Windows Server Blog.

We want to continue to invest in your organizations’ success and enable you to get the most out of Windows Server by keeping you informed of the latest product announcements, news, and overall best practices. Here are the top five to-do’s for you to make the most out of Windows Server:

1. Patch and install security updates without rebooting with Hotpatch

Hotpatch is now generally available. As part of Azure Automanage for Windows Server, this capability allows you to keep your Windows Server virtual machines on Azure up-to-date without rebooting, enabling higher availability with faster and more secure delivery of updates. Other capabilities that are part of Azure Automanage for Windows Server include SMB over QUIC, as well as extended network for Azure, which lets you keep your on-premises IP addresses when you migrate to Azure. Learn more about why Azure is the best destination for Windows Server.

2. Take the recently available Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Certification

Invest in your career and skills with this brand-new Windows Server certification. With this certification, you can keep the Windows Server knowledge you have built your career on and learn how to apply it in the current state of hybrid cloud computing. Earn this certification for managing, monitoring, and securing applications on-premises, in Azure, and at the edge. Learn more about Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate certification today.

3. Upgrade to Windows Server 2022

With Windows Server 2022, get the latest innovation for you to continue running your workloads securely, enable new hybrid cloud scenarios, and modernize applications to meet your ever-evolving business requirements. Learn more about investing in your success with Windows Server.

4. Protect your workloads by taking advantage of free extended security updates (ESUs) in Azure

While many customers have adopted Windows Server 2022, we also understand that some need more time to modernize as support for older versions of Windows Server will eventually end.

• For Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 customers, the end of support date is October 10, 2023. 
• For Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 customers, the third year of extended security updates are coming to an end on January 10, 2023. Customers can get an additional fourth year of free extended security updates (ESUs-only) on Azure (including Azure Stack HCI, Azure Stack Hub, and other Azure products). With this, customers will have until January 9, 2024 for Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 to upgrade to a supported release.

We are committed to supporting you as you start planning for end of support if you are running workloads on older versions of Windows Server. Learn more about end of support deadlines for Windows Server 2008/R2 and 2012/R2 and your options.

5. Combine extended security updates with Azure Hybrid Benefit to save even more

In addition to all the innovative Windows Server capabilities available only on Azure, it also has offers for you to start migrating your workloads with Azure Hybrid Benefit. It is a licensing benefit that allows you to save even more by using existing Windows Server licenses on Azure. Learn more about how much you can save with Azure Hybrid Benefit.

Ask questions and engage in our community

Get started implementing these Windows Server best practices today! Join the conversation by sharing stories or questions you have here:  

• Windows Server Tech Community.
• @windowsserver on Twitter.

¹_{Note: In alignment with the servicing model for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 (link to blog), the Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 ESU program will only include Monthly Rollup packages; Security Only update packages will not be provided.}

The post Get the most out of Windows Server with these 5 best practices appeared first on Microsoft Windows Server Blog.