The time has come: Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows Server 2008 (2k8) on January 14th, 2020. As of late 2019, almost 40,000 organizations are still using Windows 2k8, meaning that most, if not all, will have to choose their migration path to continue their success. Without upgrading to an updated offering or different provider, organizations still using Windows 2k8 in 2020 will be subject to a variety of attacks, as bad actors will absolutely continue to exploit 2k8’s security weaknesses.
Many companies may choose to stay with Microsoft and migrate to Azure, or update their systems to Windows Server 2019, but in doing so they might find that Microsoft isn’t providing them with everything that they need. I think most would agree that a cloud partner would be a good move for organizations facing a migration, but is adding the complexities of managing Azure or even AWS to your already maxed workload the right thing to do? Maybe not.
Clouds like these require certifications and a long list of training courses for a reason: they are complicated and manage their cloud in a way that makes sense for their highly complex and proprietary infrastructure. Most of the people we talk to that are still using Win2k8 are lacking skills, staff, or other resources, and taking on a server migration will be a tough task, let alone a whole new style of managing their systems. A better option for them might be to find a simplified cloud provider that has tools to allow them to build and manage their environment intuitively almost like it was in their own datacenter.
Problems with Obvious Alternatives to Windows 2k8
Obviously, Microsoft recommends upgrading your 2k8 servers to Windows Server 2019 or migrating to Azure. But let’s not be so quick to jump on the Microsoft bandwagon. Just like most major IaaS providers, there are negatives to their offerings.
For starters, Azure’s GUI for control and admin is seemingly ever-changing. They released major updates in May 2019 that left many feeling confused and overwhelmed with almost 300 services across 19 different categories available from the main portal. Secondly, the constant requirement for monitoring and management effectively require certification, and make it difficult for you as an organization to find the “best fitting package” from Azure’s expansive list of options.
Similarly, when using AWS, IT admins can spend countless hours simply deciding which packages will best fit their company's needs. In many cases, organizations will end up choosing a package that is too big for their actual requirements, which obviously results in unnecessary costs.
As the largest cloud offering on the market, AWS, has become the top target for hackers looking to exploit security vulnerabilities. This is due to the sheer number of AWS instances available for attacking: if an attacker discovers an AWS vulnerability, he has an endless list of potential targets to pick on. Having a long list of well documented externally facing APIs is helpful for developers and hackers alike.
Planning for Unplanned Downtime
If you’re plan to move away from Windows 2k8 includes the cloud, which most experts will say it should, you need to be prepared. This does not only include testing compatibility, performance, and other normal operations. You should also prep for the worst case. One of the most common issues we hear about in the cloud space is the lack of immediate support when issues arise. Let’s face it, problems are going to happen sooner or later, regardless of which cloud provider you use. You’re going to have unplanned downtime.
There’s a few key questions that need to be addressed when thinking about unplanned downtime:
A Simplified Cloud Platform Will Ease Your Anxiety
You need to be prepared for the Windows 2k8 end of life but you’re unsure where to turn. You’re considering migrating to Azure, but you’ve heard that other platforms are better for your company needs. AWS is an obvious choice, but their expansive list of pricing and packages make your head spin. To top it off all of the household names seem to require hours of training to get started. You’re already late, you need to get started now!
Egenera’s simplified cloud platform gives managed service providers and IT organizations an enterprise level cloud service that is economical, flexible and extremely simple to use.
Egenera’s Xterity Cloud is built to align with the design, management, administration, and accounting processes that your organization already uses. Xterity Cloud is built with VMware, block storage, and other architectural features that more often than not, actually ease the technical transition to Egenera from other providers. In fact, Egenera offers solutions to help customers run legacy servers with new servers in parallel to assist with the cost, risk, and complexity of upgrades just like this.
Our DR service is completely and 100% managed internally. Plus, if something catastrophic happens, we guarantee that you will have your servers available in 4 hours or less with no more than 15 minutes of data loss. If something breaks, we contact you, not the other way around.
Xterity Cloud is built on best of breed technologies that have been hardened by years of use and are backed by dedicated support teams; we even offer integrated backup and DR services through a contracted SLA, not a bunch of mismatched, DIY, 3rd party solutions. Unlike most major cloud providers, Egenera provides aggressive support response times and actual humans you can talk to without the need for expensive additional support packages. Our customers are drawn to Xterity Cloud for the ease of use, the high value, and the rapid support response time - and they stay with us.
About Egenera
Egenera was founded in 2000 and was quickly named as one of the top 10 startups to watch in 2002. Egenera’s Xterity Cloud platform is a global public cloud offering that is built in top tier data centers with leading connectivity providers, with the mission to simplify the consumption and management of IT resources. Xterity’s simplified cloud console allows organizations to get into the cloud without certifications, developers, or system architects.
From their operations in Massachusetts, to Japan, to Ireland, Egenera has established a reputation within the cloud computing industry as a leader in simplified IaaS. Egenera can help organizations large or small achieve their goals by providing 24 x 7 x 365 support and learning the individual needs of your business.
Explore a simplified cloud platform and avoid hours of headaches at Egenera.com.
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