SQL Server Upgrade
Just like any other technology, data platforms are evolving at an exponential pace. And Microsoft SQL Server is no different. If you run your line-of-business systems or your customer-facing applications on old SQL Servers, then you have good reasons to upgrade.
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Reduce the Risk of Security Breaches
If you are still using SQL Server 2008 R2 or even older versions, then you are already way beyond the end of extended support.
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This means that Microsoft doesn't provide bug fixes or security patches anymore. If a security breach is discovered, then your databases are at risk, and you're on your own.
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Even for SQL Server 2012 and 2014, mainstream support ended a long time ago, which means that Microsoft is not providing enhancements and new features anymore. They only provide critical bug fixes and security updates for these versions.
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Increase Scalability & Flexibility
Even if you are using a supported version of SQL Server, there were so many new features and enhancements over the years. Each version brings a wealth of new features that improve performance, availability, and security.
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Some features improve productivity and allow for better data analytics, visualization, and more. Take Columnstore Indexes, Always On Availability Groups, Intelligent Query Processing, and Always Encrypted – just to name a few.
Maximize Your ROI
If that's not enough, then upgrading your SQL Server instances also has the potential of saving costs. Sometimes the cost savings can be huge.
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For example, starting with SQL Server 2016, Microsoft added to all editions a lot of features that were previously available only in Enterprise Edition. Some customers take advantage of this by upgrading to a new version of SQL Server and then downgrading from Enterprise to Standard Edition, thus saving a lot of money on licensing.
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There are many other opportunities for cost savings.
Modernize your data platform, take advantage of the latest technology out there, improve performance, availability and security, and even save money along the way.
It All Begins with Proper Planning
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We have a lot of experience in upgrading SQL Server from dozens of projects with various customers. We take a structured approach, and we created a methodology that we follow in order to achieve success, every time.
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Kickoff Meeting – We interview key role members in your organization, about the business environment, the current system architecture, the current pain points, the requirements, and a lot of technical stuff.
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Upgrade Plan – We analyze all the information that we collected from you, including a lot of data that we collect from your current infrastructure, and then we write a comprehensive plan that takes into account your goals and constraints.
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Development – Once the upgrade plan is approved, we develop and test all the scripts and tools required for the upgrade.
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Testing – This is important. If you don't have a proper testing environment, then we will help you set up one. We will test the entire solution, from start to finish, as many times as needed, until it is completely bug-free, and until we (and you) feel confident and ready to go live.
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Deployment – This is money time. We deploy the solution in your production environment. We monitor the system before, during, and after deployment. If anything goes wrong, then we respond quickly according to the risk analysis.
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Summary Report – After a successful deployment, we send you a summary report. This report describes what we have achieved. It includes a summary of the deployment process, a performance analysis (before and after), recommended next steps, and more.
Ready to take the next step or have any questions? Talk to one of our experts.
