If you are still running on either Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 it might be time you considered upgrading or transitioning to a newer Windows Server version. Microsoft has announced that it will cut support for all the editions on October 10, 2023.
You might recall that Windows Server 2012 hit its end of support date back in 2018, however, Microsoft decided to extend its support for an additional five years. And as it now seems, Microsoft won't extend its support anymore.
This means that these products won't receive any security updates, non-security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. On-premises customers that decide to keep running on either Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 even after they reach end of support will be exposed to phishing attacks and security breaches.
Microsoft recommends that admins should consider transitioning to Windows Server 2022 or purchasing Extended Security Updates (ESUs) if they want to keep their on-premises Windows Server 2012 servers running and continue getting security updates.
If you opt to take the ESUs route, you'll get up to three more years of security updates that can be renewed annually till October 13, 2026. Alternatively, you can also migrate to Azure Virtual Machines which will provide you with free ESUs for three years after the end of support.
Microsoft further indicated that:
For on-premises servers, customers can use Azure Arc to receive automated/scheduled ESU updates and installation as well as the security and governance capabilities in Azure.
It is also worth noting that Windows Server 2008/R2 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) will reach its end of support date on January 10, 2023. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
