This week's editorial is a guest post from Kathi Kellenberger.
SQL Server had been on a two-year release cycle for some time, but SQL Server 2017 arrived less than 18 months after SQL Server 2016 became available. Each release of SQL Server brings exciting new features and improvements to existing capabilities. Many organizations are running instances that are several versions of SQL Server behind. While keeping up with the latest SQL Server versions is challenging, staying behind puts you at risk of losing mainstream support and missing out on beneficial features. Often database administrators must support multiple versions at once, and consultants face an even greater range of versions among their customers.
While the release cycle has been shrinking, Microsoft has not committed to any specific frequency for releasing new versions of SQL Server. They do, however, want to make innovations available on a timely basis for those customers who want to use them. No one expects Microsoft’s customers to upgrade every time that at new version is available, and skipping a version or two is an option for shops that want to move at a slower pace.
During presentations, I often poll the audience about the versions they use. The number of hands being raised for 2000 and 2005 has diminished over the years. Quite a few of my clients, mostly small businesses, are running SQL Server 2008 R2.
So many organizations are running 2008 R2, one might think it is the best version of SQL Server ever produced. The actual truth is not so simple. Some companies are hesitant to make the move off 2008 R2 because of the change to per core licensing. Others are happily hosting their databases on older versions and see no reason to change and possibly break something that is working for them. The effort involved with testing and upgrading is discouraging, and some companies are running legacy applications that work only on ancient versions, SQL Server 2000 for example, and do not have a choice.
Memories of the painful experience of upgrading from SQL Server 2000 are still fresh for some shops, but the compatibility gap between versions is much narrower once past 2005. To make upgrading easier, Microsoft generally provides a tool called The Upgrade Advisor for each new version that will spot issues and provide a chance to resolve them before starting the upgrade process. Virtualization also makes setting up testing environments much simpler and quicker.
Sometimes a fantastic feature will motivate an upgrade. With each new version there are enhancements to T-SQL, improved availability and disaster recovery functionality, more security options, and additional ways to get better performance. With 2016 service pack 1, many previously Enterprise only features were ported down to more affordable editions. This is a game changer for many organizations and makes the upgrade to 2016 more attractive.
Another consideration is support. Time passes quickly, and it doesn’t take long to reach the end of mainstream support. SQL Server 2008 R2, for example, has been out of mainstream support since 2014. While it’s still in extended support, which will ensure security hotfixes, other support features are available only on a paid basis.
Costs, effort, and possible dizziness due to the pace that new versions are released are holding back some companies from upgrading. What is keeping your shop from upgrading SQL Server?