Server 2003 end of life

[Pants]

How long do you think Server 2003 will be used by businesses after the extended support ends next year ?

I would think there will be businesses that for whatever reason, don't upgrade.

 

[skdmaster]

Server 2003 EOL is 7/14/2015 http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=3198 but still I have already been making clients aware of it especially anyone in medical or retail for HIPAA/PCI Compliance so they can start to budget for it in the near future.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I imagine a good portion...even 2 years from now after R2 gets sunsetted by Microsoft. I still have a client that has Server 2000 still going. They're super cheap...planning on server upgrades in 2014...but they're keeping it until then. A little over a year ago I saw a place that still had an NT 4 Server going.

 

[SAG]

I still have a client that has Server 2000 still going.

Same here, but just as a terminal server licensing server.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I've got a client that has Win 2K running on about 4-5 year old. Took some effort to find drivers but we had to make a LOB app work. Next upgrade will make use of a some kind of virtual host.

 

[Pants]

Thing is, I've got a desktop computer that I've thrown together from spare parts and have 2003 installed on it, just so I can't learn the basic functions of the OS. I've been doing this for about 8 months. Don't have money to buy a system for installing 2008 or 2012, yet. But while I'm saving my pennies, I'm trying to determine whether it's worth putting time into learning 2003.

I would think so since a lot of the basic functionality of Windows Server doesn't seem to have changed...ie Active Directory, organizational units, group policy, folder redirection, roaming profiles, trusts... When moving into later versions the learning curve won't be bad since I have a feel for the basics.

I figure another year of using 2003, I'll be able to afford a new system for installing 2008 or 2012, and I'll be ready to take on those businesses who don't want to upgrade from 2003 (and since 2003 and 2K are similar, I can probably handle 2k without much trouble, if necessary). Around February next year I plan to get a loan from my bank to help me get my business started because my credit will have significantly improved, and I'll buy my new Server (test) system at that time.

 

[NYJimbo]

I still have a client that has Server 2000 still going.

We actually had one Win 2000 hosting server running here on Long Island until "Sandy" hit us last year. We just couldn't get old customers off the machine because they had so many old custom apps. After we told them they now had to go to at least 2003 (yup, not 2008) because our local network was gone, they managed to do the move in a week without too much pain. So with 2003 coming to an end you think they would be interested in keeping an eye out for the next move ? Nope, they don't care, they will wait until WWIII or the sun burning out or something forces them to go to 2008.

 

[Pants]

We actually had one Win 2000 hosting server running here on Long Island until "Sandy" hit us last year. We just couldn't get old customers off the machine because they had so many old custom apps. After we told them they now had to go to at least 2003 (yup, not 2008) because our local network was gone, they managed to do the move in a week without too much pain. So with 2003 coming to an end you think they would be interested in keeping an eye out for the next move ? Nope, they don't care, they will wait until WWIII or the sun burning out or something forces them to go to 2008.

So it sounds like I'll be good to go with my plan.


How do these businesses maintain the security of old Windows Server operating systems when Microsoft doesn't release security patches for them, anymore ?

 

[NYJimbo]

How do these businesses maintain the security of old Windows Server operating systems when Microsoft doesn't release security patches for them, anymore ?

They don't. For this server we didn't either. We did all we could with locking down the machine but it was limited to what we could do with the O/S and adding third party software. You can put them behind firewalls, turn off stuff, etc but that's it.

 

[Pants]

I was probably thinking of Windows XP when I said "next year" 2003 support will end. Evidently it's July 2015 when extended support ends. Anyway, thx for the feedback

 

[Tony_Scarpelli]

For all those old machines and old old servers and clients who do not want to budget for a new server you might look into Microsoft's 2011 WHS. It is touted mostly for SOHO but it is on the 2008 SBS server bloodline.

I am using it quite successfully in house on a four node network. The software can be run on a Pentium 4 with HT 2 Gig of ram satisfactorily with 3 or 4 client stations. I suppose a duel core with 4 Gb's would be sufficient for its 10 user limit. The software is $49 on the internet and it will load on just about any workstation hardware.