TEMPE, Ariz., March 31, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is approaching the end of its support on April 12, 2016, and millions of businesses, school districts, hospital systems and government organizations will no longer receive security updates after the deadline – potentially opening them up to a series of operational issues and security challenges if left unprepared.
Insight Enterprises (Nasdaq:NSIT) today outlined a four-step migration plan for organizations to make a smooth transition to an updated server.
- Plan Ahead: As the deadline looms, it is critical that organizations proactively identify which servers and applications are operating on the expiring software and whether additional time, finances and human resources are needed to address the upgrade.
- Mitigate Risks: It is extremely important for businesses to test various upgrade scenarios before finalizing and implementing their migration plan. Businesses should confirm whether the applications, hardware, and operating system currently installed on SQL Server 2005 will be compatible with the newer version. Mitigating these risks will help reduce any administrative burden and loss of data.
- Strategize a Migration Process: There are two main solutions businesses can implement when upgrading their SQL Server 2005.
Option 1: IT departments can choose to install SQL Server 2014 to improve core business operations, maintain security and compliance and optimize infrastructure. The new SQL Server 2014 runs up to 13x faster than SQL Server 2005.1
Option 2: Businesses can also choose to migrate to Microsoft Azure SQL Database, a cloud-based database built on SQL Server technologies which provides a highly scalable, multi-tenant database service hosted by Microsoft in the cloud. - Monitor the New Environment: Once the migration is successfully completed, Insight recommends that businesses closely monitor the new solutions for at least 24-48 hours. IT departments should also run several tests on the server’s applications to verify that it’s completely functional.
“With Microsoft planning to release new versions of SQL Server every two years, thorough planning will help businesses and organizations carefully execute each migration to ensure that all of their core systems continue to function properly,” said David Mayer, VP, product management-software, Insight. “We successfully migrated thousands of customers out of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP, and we’ll continue to help businesses act on the critical decisions that need to be made in the transition from SQL Server 2005.”
For more information on Insight, visit http://www.insight.com/ or call 800-INSIGHT.
About Insight
From business and government organizations to healthcare and educational institutions, Insight empowers clients with Intelligent Technology™ solutions to realize their goals. As a Fortune 500-ranked global provider of hardware, software, cloud and service solutions, our 5,700 teammates provide clients the guidance and expertise needed to select, implement and manage complex technology solutions to drive business outcomes. Through our world-class people, partnerships, services and delivery solutions, we help businesses run smarter. Discover more at insight.com. NSIT-M
1 National Institute of Standards and Technology Comprehensive Vulnerability Database 4/17/2013