About a third of current Microsoft SQL server deployments lack support from the tech giant. Lansweeper researchers find that companies are still often using versions of Microsoft SQL Server that have reached end-of-life status.
According to researchers at IT asset management and visibility specialist Lansweeper, of the 1,1 million Microsoft SQL Server deployments surveyed, 32 percent will soon no longer be supported by Microsoft.
Of these 32 percent of Microsoft SQL Server instances, 19.8 percent are actually already unsupported. The remaining 12 percent will be added starting July 9, 2024, when SQL Server 2014 goes permanently end-of-life.
The only versions that will still receive security updates by Microsoft after that are SQL Server 2016 until July 14, 2026, SQL Server 2017 until October 12, 2027, SQL Server 2019, until January 8, 2030, and SQL Server 2022 until January 11, 2033.
More users of SQL Server 2019
Fortunately, researchers have seen many companies upgrading to SQL Server 2019 over the past two years. At just over 44 percent, this version now has the largest share of the 1.1 million deployments surveyed. Previously, SQL Server 2014 still led this ranking.
Updating before end-of-life is important
Lansweeper reminds SQL Server users that updating before a version goes end-of-life is very important. Otherwise, they risk an increased risk of cyber attacks or losing data protection and security compliance, which can ultimately lead to reduced productivity and reliability.
Also read: ‘Microsoft SQL attacks are soaring’