The time is right; the time is now

Transcription

1 The time is right; the time is now Why organisations need to modernise before support of Windows Server 2003 ends on 14 July 2015 shaping tomorrow with you Fujitsu sells Microsoft software licenses

2 The time is right; the time is now Why organisations need to modernise before support of Windows Server 2003 ends on 14 July 2015 Extended support for Windows Server 2003 ends on 14 July What does this mean in reality for organisations that don t migrate to a new platform before this date? If you are still using Windows Server 2003, you re running an increasingly costly platform that s already incompatible with many of today s technologies including cloud computing. By not upgrading to a newer platform before support ends you face numerous security and compliance risks. Industry experts estimate that more than 10 million machines worldwide still running Windows Server 2003 will be left stranded. Source: AppZero.com This whitepaper looks at the potential hazards organisations are likely to encounter by running Windows Server 2003 without support. It also evaluates the upgrade options and benefits gained from migrating to a new platform. 2

3 The security risks Once all support activities cease, there are a number of significant concerns for organisations still running on Windows Server 2003, not least of which is security. The elimination of all security fixes, updates and patches are amongst the most critical of issues. To be clear, no further fixes will be available after 14th July 2015, regardless of the severity of the problem. It s this exposure to risk that places the greatest urgency on organisations to take remedial steps now. The knock-on effect of a security meltdown could impact on customers of, and users within, an organisation. The result of this could be irreparable damage to reputation and credibility. This leads directly to the next critical issue. The danger of regulatory non-compliance Depending on the nature of your industry, you could incur considerable financial penalties for non-compliance. By going beyond the termination of the extended support date, organisations potentially place themselves in a regulatory non-compliance situation. This is going to be a particularly heavy burden for those in tightly regulated industries. Meeting legal requirements It s vital business-critical applications running on Windows Server 2003 are checked and verified to ensure continuous operation. To meet legal and regulatory requirements, many organisations will need to allocate or potentially hire costly resources to monitor and isolate any servers running Windows Server

4 The absence of essential support With organisations no longer able to contact Microsoft for technical support in the event of a server problem, the result of a system experiencing an outage could potentially cause a long period of downtime. In a worst-case scenario, it may not be possible to restore a system and recover data and applications from the stalled machines. The cost and credibility implications of this could be massively damaging. Application support challenges Critical business applications running on an out-ofsupport operating system are at risk. An organisation s inability to support these applications could result in major operational headaches. The cost of running Windows Server 2003 without support Obviously, organisations that choose not to migrate to a newer platform before 14 July 2015 face numerous security and compliance hazards. Aside from these risks, they will also incur a significant increase in the cost of maintaining an outdated infrastructure. An expensive, outdated platform Windows Server 2003 is becoming an increasingly expensive platform that s already incompatible with many of today s technologies. As Server 2003 support becomes a thing of the past, there will be a substantial escalation in the manhours and cost of maintaining an ageing environment: Many applications currently running on Windows Server 2003 have a 32-bit architecture that will need to be updated to run 64-bit on Windows Server In a rapidly evolving and increasingly cloud-hosted world, it s essential to be able to access the latest applications in order to serve your clients needs. How will Windows Server 2003 End of Life impact on your organisation? 290k per 100 devices running Windows Server k 148k per device or Flat fee for Security updates k per 100 devices running Windows Server k 300k per device or Flat fee for Security updates This depends on the size of an organisation s Windows Server 2003 estate and the applications they run on it. The answers to the following questions will help organisations assess how severe the impact is likely to be for them. Do you know what applications you run on Windows 2003? Will your infrastructure support a new operating system? Do you have a complete map of your estate? Will your legacy systems be able to run on 64-bit architecture? Limited IT options Essentially, failure to act is not only going to result in major operational problems, it will also inevitably lead to a narrowing of options. By running an outdated platform, you severely restrict the choice of technologies available to you. Restricted cloud-hosting options Cost-reducing IT such as cloud hosting will be out of reach due to the inability of Windows Server 2003 to leverage modern cloud options such as Microsoft Azure. For example, Windows Server 2003 installations cannot be re-hosted in a Microsoft Azure environment, unless it s a 64-bit image: the vast majority of Windows Server 2003 installations are 32-bit solutions. 4

5 When is the time to act? According to Steve Brennan, the Microsoft Business Development Manager at QA, the average migration for Windows Server takes 200 days. The clock is ticking This means the clock is ticking for organisations that don t want to leave themselves exposed to security or compliance risks for any period of time, however brief. When extended support ends, those still running Windows Server 2003 will be left with a sizeable challenge. Act now If your organisation doesn t yet have a migration plan in place, the time to act is most definitely now. It takes a considerable period to evaluate your existing operations and explore the upgrade options that are available to you. Exploring viable alternatives Windows Server 2008 replaced Server 2003, bringing with it an enviable set of enhancements. Skip Windows Server 2008 However, organisations considering an upgrade to Windows Server 2008 should take into account the fact that mainstream support of this product is due to end in January This could mean spending time and money on an upgrade only to be left vulnerable to risk again in the very near future. A safer bet is to look at the extensive benefits you could gain by migrating to Windows Server 2012, a modern server that gives the competitive advantages only the latest technology can provide. 5

6 Looking to the future A key benefit of the enhanced features Windows Server 2012 offers is the ability to take advantage of new IT opportunities such as flexible cloud hosting. Think ahead Forward-thinking organisations will view Windows Server 2003 end of support as an opportunity to modernise their IT infrastructure across hardware and software, operating systems line-of-business and applications. They can also use this transition as the trigger to start reducing expenditure by leveraging hybrid cloud. Simple actions such as moving intensive workloads to the cloud and server consolidation could save an organisation a considerable sum. Support growth Employing a new technology platform with the breadth and depth to support growth will help organisations that want to change their IT structure. This could include the adoption of subscription-based managed services. Perhaps the most significant benefit of migrating to Windows Server 2012 is the ability to unlock the value from operating assets, delivering greater ROI and productivity. A move to the cloud Windows Server 2012 is a cloud-optimised operation system that offers organisations greater choice and flexibility, and consistency: The flexibility of the cloud Hybrid solutions through cloud service providers offer the flexibility to bridge on-premises investments with cloudbased deployments. The result of this is the ability to deliver new services and capabilities, improve employee productivity, and reduce costs. The choice offered by the cloud You could deploy in a hybrid data centre environment based on the Microsoft Cloud Platform, in your own data centre, in Microsoft Azure, or through a service provider partner. The choice is yours. The benefits of Windows Server 2012 These are just some of the advantages offered by Windows Server 2012: Virtualisation Windows Server 2012 enables you to take advantage of server virtualisation. For example, Microsoft Hyper-V, which is a part of Server 2012, can run a Windows print server as a virtual instead of physical machine, providing greater flexibility. Hyper-V virtualisation allows multiple operating systems to run on a single platform. Scalability Organisations can scale their storage needs, giving users just as much storage as they need. This scalability is both efficient and cost-effective as you can easily accommodate present and future demand. Enhanced remote access Mobile users can access applications hosted on-premises or in the cloud with no risk to essential data that remains on the server. Staff can work from anywhere, at any time, with ease. Performance Windows Server 2012 has enhanced performance over Server 2003 with new operational roles, script execution capabilities and much more. Consolidation You can gain more from your IT investment by consolidating workloads onto fewer servers and use virtualisation to improve hardware utilisation. Security Bug fixes on out-of-support systems are costly. Windows Server 2012 has new and enhanced security features such as BitLocker and SSL encryption for virtual private networking. Cost Efficiencies When support for Server 2003 ends in 2015, bug fixes will be extremely costly. Purchasing Windows Server 2012 licenses could be far less expensive than trying to maintain a Server 2003 environment. 6

7 Cloud computing platforms Cloud platforms enable you to build, deploy, and manage applications in the cloud without worrying about the cost of purchasing new server hardware. Platforms such as Microsoft Azure can become a core part of a Windows Server 2012 infrastructure to form a strong foundation on which organisations can build for the future. You can easily scale up or down as needed with the assurance of knowing you have the additional protection of multiple data backups in Microsoft-managed data centres. Critical data backup Organisations could lose critical data if they don t have a current data backup solution. Cloud platforms offer simple, reliable backup for data and applications, and are affordable because you pay only for the storage you use. There are no typical infrastructure costs or per-server or data transfer fees. Quick and easy website hosting Many organisations decide to host their own websites, but find they re hampered by poor performance, security breaches, and high costs. With Azure, you can quickly and easily host scalable websites in the cloud. Microsoft uses multiple data centres around the world to ensure a reliable and secure experience. Only pay for the IT you use The key benefit of cloud computing is the ability to have the IT capacity you need when you require it, without additional capital expenditure. Your overheads move to a predictable, steady and often cheaper operational expenses model instead of a costly and unstable capital expenses one. The cost-efficiencies of only paying for what is needed can in turn be passed on to clients.

8 Azure is the only major cloud platform ranked by Gartner as an industry leader for both infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). This powerful combination of managed and unmanaged services lets you build, deploy, and manage applications any way you like for unmatched productivity. Source: Microsoft Challengers Leaders Amazon Web Services Microsoft Virtustream Rackspace CenturyLink CSC IBM (SoftLayer) Verizon Terremark Google Dimension Data VMware Joyent Fujitsu Ability to execute GoGrid HP Niche players Visionaries Completeness of vision As of May 2014 Cloud-based productivity services Cloud-based productivity tools such as Office 365 mean you can have the same clean, consistent experience on PC, Mac, tablet and phone both in the office and out and about. Wherever, whenever, however Whatever device you re working on, Office 365 gives you access to everything you need from documents and to calendars and contacts, irrespective of where you happen to be at the time. By supporting mobile workers, your organisation can experience a business agility it could never hope to achieve before. 8

9 Windows Server 2003 End of Life Migration Services When preparing for migration, it s essential to adopt a strategy that mitigates risk and ensures optimal operational functionality during the transitional period. The tried and tested approach Make sure you choose a partner who has a history of delivering business-critical infrastructure and application design build to the public and private sector. An experienced partner will use a seven-step plan to migration to counter any transition issues and ensure a seamless progression to a new system. Using tried and tested methodology, a project should be fully managed to mitigate risk and remediate problems. A seven-step approach to optimal migration After holding a workshop to define engagement requirements around re-platforming, a partner should follow an established procedure: Audit: an organisation s environment is examined using approved tooling. An analysis of data follows, along with validation of infrastructure and active directory. Assess: then an infrastructure s current compatibility with Windows 2012, SQL 2012, Exchange 2013, and vendorbased applications is examined. Report: a comprehensive report is produced, detailing infrastructure requirements for a new platform along with recommendations. Plan: this report is used to build a project strategy and migration design that gives an organisation the choice of physical or virtualisation or a combination of the two. Pilot: functionality testing of a solution takes place, and migration performed against samples of workloads. Remediate: a review highlights any issues; the migration approach can then be amended before deployment phase. Testing to prove functionality is completed. Deploy: a new infrastructure platform is provisioned, an operation system template created, with provision of virtual machines and application migration management. 9

10 In Summary What s clear from this study is that the time to act is now. With a typical migration taking around 200 days, organisations need to ensure their plans are in hand to avoid exposure to potential risks once the 14th July 2015 deadline has passed. Many organisations are firmly grasping the opportunity to analyse their whole IT framework and using this transition as the catalyst to prepare and reposition for the future. The next step forward Foremost in their minds is the avoidance of security and compliance risks that leave them vulnerable. The next step for many is to take the initiative and use this event as a means to significantly reduce expenditure by utilising the latest technologies. If your organisation doesn t yet have a migration strategy in place, now is the time to act. The clock is ticking. A review of your existing estate and exploration of the options available to you can be a time-consuming business. Your first port of call should be a thorough examination of what advantages a modern server such as Windows Server 2012 can bring to your organisation. Think about your present needs and plans for the future. Does your current server offer the capabilities you need to grow in the direction you want? Choose experience Next, look for a partner with the know-how and experience to create the platform that s right for you. Every organisation is different, and their IT needs vary. Aim for a combination of cost-efficiencies, heightened productivity and a structure that delivers exactly what you need now and in the future. Finally, in your search for a trusted partner and advisor look for experience. When embarking on a move of this significance you want the assurance and peace of mind of knowing your organisation is in safe hands. The ideal result Ultimately, your goal is to achieve a seamless transition between the old and the new and ensure your IT structure is secure, cost-effective and future-proofed. Your organisation and users can then experience and take competitive advantage of the flexibility, agility and productivity offered by the very latest technologies on the market. 10

11 Phone: +44 (0) The Time is Right; the Time is Now Contact Fujitsu to discuss your migration options Website: