SQL Server 2005 was a huge release for Microsoft and this SQL Server world we live in in general. It was stable, worked well and had wide application support. Over the years, updates and tweaks and so-on have been well documented and the experience base with 2005 is extensive.
It’s also been simmering on the radar security-wise and, with the stopping of support for this release, you can bet that it’ll become an even more tasty target for those looking to cause problems with databases.
In short, it’s time to move forward. It’s time to update your SQL boxes that are still running this release. More than 10 years it’s been out there.
This is both impressive and problematic. Problematic because it’s such a far-reaching release and that means a good bit of reliance on it. 3rd party applications that need it, tools that work against it. It’s well-entrenched.
Impressive because we continue to see interest in online sessions, materials, articles, etc. that address 2005. This means it’s out there, being supported, actively.
April is the official end of life for SQL Server 2005. You can read more here. It’s not very far away and, if you’ve not had time to get the wheels rolling by now, you may be facing an uphill battle to get it done in time. Of course it’s not that SQL Server is “expiring” at that time, but it’s surely something you don’t want to chance – that of not being able to get assistance with tool updates, with support from Microsoft, etc.
A few areas to consider:
– If you have departmental databases on your network, you’ll want to make sure you have a complete inventory of the systems running there. You may have some systems on which people are relying that are dependent on 2005.
– Check your SQL Server-based third-party applications – there have been cases where an application installs it’s own instance of SQL Server to run against. Make sure you have documented and updated these instances as well. Note that this can be tricky – especially if the application is version-dependent for some reason. It’s critical that you check with your application vendor(s) to make sure they have updated their software if needed.
– It’s important to make sure you’re also taking into account 3rd party utilities as you move to a new release of SQL Server. There were “add-ins” and utilities and other supplements to SQL Server that were much more invasive in that timeframe. Examples include things like indexing utilities, maintenance utilities, even administrative tools. Make sure these are updated and work with the version you’ll be moving to.
In short, be careful not to upgrade or consider upgrading with blinders on. Make sure you know about related issues and take into account the upgrade path for those elements if needed.
But make sure you’re moving on from SQL Server 2005 ASAP.