Cloud
Producing obituaries for personalities who are still alive and kicking today is a common practice in media editorial offices. We have struck gold and present you with an exclusive necrology on the SQL migration.
"It has gone from us, forever. The SQL database migration has kept us busy for decades. We say goodbye to it with a smile on our faces. It was often a phantom to us - dwelling in the dark, winding alleys of the hard drives, invisible, but always there. All the more vehemently, however, it emerged every few years to demand its tribute: Armies of IT staff had to dance to its tune. Free time became a foreign word to them, perspiration replaced inspiration, even the circles under their eyes cast shadows. It was necessary for SQL migration to be among us. And it is good that it is now at peace."
The opportunity has probably never been as favourable as it is today to make the very last SQL migration and then happily say the obituary. There are a whole series of good arguments that can be used to get management on board for this step. Firstly: Microsoft is discontinuing support and security updates for SQL Server 2008, 2008 R2 and 2012. The lights will go out in July 2022. Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 will follow in January 2023, the 2012 version in October 2023. Well, there are grace periods, more on this below. Secondly: Azure offers databases an attractive new home at fair rental rates. And thirdly: Swisscom's SQL and Azure specialists will provide a dedicated and competent team of movers to assist those wishing to relocate.
If you don't have time to move to the Azure PaaS solution or to an SQL Server 2019, Microsoft is giving you a reprieve. For SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2, the Extended Security Updates are available free of charge for one year if you are planning to move to Azure. Microsoft also offers a solution for on-premise SQL Server 2012 - with paid Extended Security Updates for up to three years. The following also applies here: If obtained in Azure, the updates are free of charge. Whichever updates you choose, however, one thing is certain: postponed is not cancelled. The complete migration will be necessary one way or another. And it will be breathing down your neck until implementation. So why not take care of it in such a way that you are on the safe side in the long term?
The numerous generic advantages of a PaaS model can also be transferred to the operation of databases. At the risk of carrying owls to Athens or water into the Aare, here are the most important ones: Maximum operational stability without having to worry about servers. Fuel for innovation and data-driven business by tapping into powerful cloud tools such as data analytics. The practically unlimited flexibility with which, for example, additional resources can be switched on at the touch of a button to cope with peaks. The possibilities that open up for automation steps, global availability and greater security against cyberattacks compared to on-prem systems. Last but not least, operating costs are likely to be lower in the cloud than in the server room. And not to forget: With the complete shift of SQL databases to the cloud, the redeeming obituary is due!
SQL migration is our specialists' daily bread and butter. They tackle projects of all sizes and provide their customers with expert support in finding future-proof solutions. For example, the team examined, reorganised and migrated almost 300 SQL databases for a construction company. The Swisscom team is particularly keen to get the best out of the new cloud possibilities for its customers. To this end, it focuses on performance, tuning, application modernisation, automation and operational support. It is also practical for companies that they receive these services together with Azure Cloud Managed Services from a single source: the best prerequisites for a relaxed move to the cloud and a successful modernisation leap.
If you have any questions about the migration or would like to know more about the SQL migration, please feel free to contact me.
Principal Product Manager
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