We've known for some time that SQL Server 2005 was reaching the end of its extended support period and Microsoft has been busy encouraging users to move to newer software such as SQL Server 2014.
Today is the day when its support finally ends, so users still running the system will no longer receive hotfixes and security updates from Microsoft.
Ali Din, CMO at cloud infrastructure company dinCloud says, "Migrating your infrastructure can seem daunting, but it's imperative for organizations to upgrade to a modern data platform before the support deadline in order to maintain security and compliance. There are a lot of enhancements from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2012, but if you are going to go through an upgrade, I suggest taking advantage of the technology with a proven methodology".
Din recommends that enterprises make the move to the latest version on SQL Server (SQL Server 2014), so that they can take advantage of the latest features and functionality available. In addition they should use an SQL database expert to help with the planning, migration, and optimization of their systems.
The Enterprise edition of SQL Server allows users to take advantage of In-Memory to improve database performance, along with AlwaysOn for high availability. The robust features of SQL Server 2014 should allow companies to save by not having to buy multiple smaller or less feature-rich databases.
More about end of support for SQL Server 2005 and migration options can be found on the Microsoft website and on the dinCloud blog.
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