Microsoft begins countdown to SQL Server 2005 death

End of support next April will present opportunity for customers to add value, Microsoft claims

Even as D-Day for Windows Server 2003 looms, Microsoft has begun urging customers to plan for next year's end of support for SQL Server 2005.

In a blog post on Monday, Microsoft reminded its users that extended support on all versions of SQL Server 2005 will come to an end in 12 months' time, on 12 April 2016.

The post said: "A year sounds like plenty of time to plan your migration, but, depending on the type of application, the migration destination, the scale of the move and resources allocated, migrations can take several months."

Once the support ends instances will continue but Microsoft will no longer deliver hotfixes or security updates on SQL Server 2005, the blog said.

The post also said this migration represented an opportunity rather than just an upkeep issue.

"Upgrading is not just a maintenance task, but an opportunity to provide new value to your business. Moving to SQL Server 2014 or Azure SQL Database enables you to achieve breakthrough performance."

SQL Server 2014 is 13 times faster than the SQL Server 2005, Microsoft claimed.

Microsoft will also be ending support for Windows Server 2003 this July in a move which the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) said would see rapid uptake of cloud adoption.