A Legend is dead.

SQL Server 2005 is no longer supported.  Today is the first day that DBAs and companies cannot call on Microsoft to help with or support a SQL Server 2005 Instance. (of course I am sure M$FT will gladly accept some money for additional support).

But many companies will still run with this stalwart and continue to use it until it dies.  SQL 2005 has proven over time to be a stable system capable of doing a yeoman’s job.

Nine years ago, SQL Server 2005 revolutionized the way DBAs interacted with SQL Server.  SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) brought a new method of administering and programming SQL server.  The Graphic User Interface (GUI) based program was miles ahead of the old Microsoft Management Console (MMC) plugin, SQL Enterprise Manager.

SQL Server 2005 was the first major overhaul of the SQL Engine, it introduced among other things XML data type, Common Language Runtime integration, and most importantly Dynamic Management Views (DMVs). 

While some say “death to the dreaded GUI, long live T-SQL”, I for one, as a visual person, love the GUI.  Yes, I always find myself using the “script” feature to learn the actual T-SQL and to execute the T-SQL for faster execution, but some tasks are made simpler using the GUI instead of T-SQL.

It definitely seems the development of SQL Server 2005 was directed by actual SQL developers, administrators, and users. 

Over the years and versions, many features have been added to SSMS to even make it a better application: detailed graphical execution plans, intellisense, Central Management Server, the list could go on.  I for one am excited that the Server Group has handed off SSMS as a separate tool because hopefully it can be placed on a more aggressive update schedule.  Hopefully the development of SSMS will keep with pace of our needs.

So here’s to SSMS and it continued improvements and features.

So to recap, here is a list of SQL Server version still under main stream support:

• SQL Server 2012 – support ends 7/11/2017
• SQL Server 2014 – support ends 7/9/2019

That’s it, two versions!!  (I did not include SQL Server 2016 on this list, because technically it has not been released for general use.)

Extended support, which only includes security updates is a little better:

• SQL Server 2008 & 2008 R2 – extended support ends 7/9/2019
• SQL Server 2012 – extended support ends 7/22/2016
• SQL Server 2014 – extended support ends 7/9/2024

Knowing how long it takes to get capital expenditures approved and how expensive SQL Server can be, you better start budgeting  to replace SQL Server 2008 & 2008 R2 machines now!