Windows Server 2008 end of support

Number: IN19-001
Date: 12 March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this Information Note is to draw attention to the end of life for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 product lines. Effective 14 January 2020 Microsoft will no longer provide automatic fixes, security updates, or online technical assistance for these products.

Assessment

As of 14 January 2020, Microsoft will no longer support the Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 family of operating systems. Organizations running these operating systems after the end of support date will no longer receive security updates, and may be exposed to outage, compliance and security risks. Hardware and software compatibility issues may also arise when implementing current technologies which may not have been designed for use with the Windows Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2 operating systems.

Migration to newer versions of Windows Server can present unique challenges and it is critical that those organizations operating Windows Server 2008 and/or Server 2008 R2 plan and test a migration solution before the deadline. Applications may have compatibility issues with more recent versions of Windows Server and/or alternate operating systems. Organizations will need to ensure that their critical applications are compatible with the operating system chosen for migration.

CCCS recommends that the planning process for the migration of Server operating systems include the following:

  • Have an accurate inventory of which servers with operating systems reaching end of life.
  • Prioritize the servers to be upgraded or migrated.
  • Decide whether the servers will be upgraded, migrated or cloud hosted.
  • Decide on a destination for systems being migrated.
  • Decide on a supported server operating system.

Organizations will need to identify all infrastructure, application and hardware dependencies when planning a Windows Server migration. The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (MAP) can be used to discover Windows Server instances within an organization’s network and assess readiness.

Options are available to purchase Extended Security Updates for up to 3 years for operating systems environments that cannot be migrated by 14 January 2020. These updates will only cover security vulnerabilities deemed to be “critical” by Microsoft.

Suggested Action

CCCS strongly encourages Information Technology owners and operators relying on Windows Server 2008 and/or Server 2008 R2 to begin planning their migration to an updated operating system as soon as possible.

References

Note to readers

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre) operates as part of the Communications Security Establishment. We are Canada's national authority on cyber security and we lead the government's response to cyber security events. As Canada's national computer security incident response team, the Cyber Centre works in close collaboration with government departments, critical infrastructure, Canadian businesses and international partners to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from cyber events. We do this by providing authoritative advice and support, and coordinating information sharing and incident response. The Cyber Centre is outward-facing, welcoming partnerships that help build a stronger, more resilient cyber space in Canada.

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