With Extended support for SQL Server 2008/R2 ending on 9th July 2017 Microsoft has announced a new Premium Assurance support offering.
The Premium Assurance will allow for Security updates and bulletins rated ‘critical’ and ‘important’ for an additional 6 years after Extended support ends.
(Source: Microsoft)
Eligible SQL Server products currently are:
- SQL Server 2008/R2 Standard, Datacenter, and Enterprise
- SQL Server 2012 Standard and Enterprise
- SQL Server 2014 Standard and Enterprise
- SQL Server 2016 Standard and Enterprise
Key notes include:
- SQL Server Premium Assurance is purchased as an Add-ons for an ‘Active’ Software Assurance on the SQL Server.
- SQL Server Premium Assurance offering must be purchased for each SQL Server to be covered before the version of SQL Server goes out of support i.e to support SQL Server 2008 version, you’ll have upto June 2019 to purchase the offering.
- Software Assurance must have been purchased using one of the four licensing programs and enrollments: Enterprise Agreement, Enterprise Agreement Subscription, Enrollment for Education Solutions, and Server and Cloud Enrollment. If not, then Premium Assurance will not be an option for you.
- Existing Client Access Licenses (CALs) must be covered by an active Software Assurance license, but SQL Server Premium Assurance Add-on licenses for CALs are not required.
- You may reduce licenses or drop the offering completely at the time of your Software Assurance renewal only.
- When you purchase Premium Assurance dictates what you’ll pay as shown in the below table:
(Source: Microsoft)Is it worth it? Possibly for shops that can’t move from SQL Server 2008/R2 and require piece of mind and/or to meet regulatory compliance.
