End Of Support For Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Andrew Firman, product manager, Microsoft, Tarsus Distribution 

Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 ended on 14 January 2020. That means critical, regular security updates have also ended. If your business is still running on this outdated operating system, its infrastructure and applications are unprotected, exposing it to cyber attacks by people who will take advantage of unpatched security vulnerabilities. 

We strongly advise customers still using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 products and services to migrate to Windows Server 2019, the latest version of the Windows Server operating system. This will ensure your business can take advantage of the latest product innovations and that you have uninterrupted support from Microsoft. 

Windows Server 2019 is not only significantly faster, it also incorporates advanced tools for hyperconvergence, management, security, containers and more. It includes Windows Admin Center, a locally deployed, browser-based app for managing servers, clusters, hyper-converged infrastructure, and Windows 10 PCs.  

The significant improvements meet the security, scalability, and optimised data centre requirements that are needed in today’s fast-paced environments and can add significant additional value to your business. 

Windows Server 2019 Key Features Include: 

• A storage migration feature that migrates data from the legacy platform to the new 2019 platform 
• System insights that offer predictive analytics based on AI, which helps to lower operational costs of the platform 
• Improved authentication that helps create new opportunities to use the account for cloud authentication 
• Data deduplication, which helps to maximise the use of free space 
• Monitoring of memory and server storage at the cluster level 
• Creating large clusters while maintaining resiliency 
• Persistent memory that offers reduced latency in data storage and retrieval 
• A centralised network controlling mechanism 
• Faster connectivity among virtual peer networks 
• An Azure network adaptor, which provides connectivity to virtual VPN networks 

Better Security 

Security is central to Windows Server 2019, and it has a protect, detect and respond approach to security. The Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (WDATP) feature augments the preventive aspect of the system’s security application. This provides better safeguards for early detection and management of security threats. It also offers better support for encryption of network portions. 

Windows Server 2019 also bridges on-premise environments with Microsoft Azure, helping you modernise your applications and infrastructure. If you are ready to make the move, Tarsus Distribution – a trusted Microsoft partner – is available to help you at every step of the migration journey.