Windows Server 2008 is an operating system manufactured by Microsoft. With the company constantly upgrading its products, so came the end of windows server 2008 life. Microsoft announced the end of life for windows server 2008. Microsoft windows server 2008 was officially released and launched in 2008, paving the way for advanced technologies in operating systems.
A look at the Effects of end-of-life for windows server 2008
With the manufacturer producing new versions of operating systems, windows server 2008 will eventually no longer be supported. Many companies, business enterprises, and even individuals feel or will feel a great impact either positively if they so choose to upgrade or negatively if their operating system remains the same in the future. Areas as server core, windows server 2008 security measures, and legal liabilities are majorly affected by the operating system’s expiry.
Server Core: Windows server 2008 comes with a server core that is installed to perform certain roles for the server, including print services, DHCP or DNS. Since these services and applications are minimized on the server, security is much improved for the attack surface has hence been reduced. Again with fewer patches to be installed on the server, maintenance and management activities are few. This makes windows server 2008 able to be installed on a 3GB disk space with the manufacturer’s specifications. With these reduced minimum installations for server roles, it is impossible to upgrade back to the operating system’s original state or version. The only way to do that is to reinstall the whole operating system. All these can only be done on a command prompt.
Therefore, for increased operability and cost savings, control should be moved to software from the hardware through windows server 2016 software datacenters. For example, Nano servers can be installed to boost efficiency and add on platforms for applications and cloud hosting, which is smaller than the installation of windows server 2008 core, hence making the server resilient to attacks.
Current software development is advancing to container technology. Windows Server 2008 does not offer this technology; hence application deployment and development are not supported.
Security impacts of windows server 2008: Security is a top priority for IT teams. With the end of life for windows server 2008 and new threats emerging every day, it is harder than ever for the IT security team to secure data and applications. The upgrade provides options and capabilities for the operating system to examine suspicious activities and stop attacks. The upgrade comes with new security features such as virtual machine protection, privilege access control.
For Microsoft security policy compliance, windows server 2008 offers an active firewall for data security. However, third parties also have similar functionalities.
Windows Server 2008 also comes with data encryption features. To protect data in a windows environment from an intruder, windows server 2008 offers Bitlocker protection. This security measure prevents intruders of the operating system data in case the server is booted using portable media in another operating system or is physically detached from a different operating system.
These windows server 2008 security features will not be supported when the operating system expires. Apart from getting advanced protection, windows server 2008 will lack privileged identity protection and breach resistance to secure virtualization.
In-built breach resistance and security at the operating system level prevents attacks on the system. These are some of the security upgrades in windows server 2016. The upgrade reduces suspicious activities in the operating system. Features such as control flow guard and shielded virtual machines in windows server 2016 enhance security in the upgrade while meeting compliance requirements and regulatory objectives and hence protecting the clients.
Control failures and legal liabilities: Businesses that offer or accept services, such as online payments, require certain regulations and certifications for the operating system on every machine linked to the business to be constantly patched, upgraded, and supported. Lack of these updates renders the network a control failure hence vulnerable. Such businesses are guided by strict requirements for safeguarding customer data, which must comply with the set laws and regulations such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This makes the business non-compliant with HIPAA and PCI regulations and could lead to suspension of certifications resulting in fines and penalties.
Windows Server 2008 end of life eventually forces a business to upgrade its server. These can be done by upgrading to a higher and/or newer Windows Server or entirely ending the physical server. This should be done so that the network disruption be as minimal as possible. While checking on the software, it is important also to check if the upgrade will affect the hardware and if the hardware also needs to be changed.
We can conclude that one of the most obvious options is the upgrading of servers and workstations to the latest or newer versions. These new operating systems are continuously upgraded and supported. They also offer many features previously not found on the out-of-date operating system. They are capable of higher performance and efficiency hence the name “upgrade” or “new version.” Significantly the new versions are not heavier and run effectively. It is, however, important to seek help before migrating to other operating systems.
Some of the reasons why businesses should be positive about windows server 2008 end of life are because of what the upgrade operating systems offer, such as:
- Improved management of virtual datacenters
- Reduced administrative effort
- Improved virtual networking performance
- Improved compliance with established standards
- Reduced effort to administer and support web-based applications
- Ability to extend functionality and features
- Improved application pool security
- Improved scalability, reliability, and security
- Improved storage solutions
- Improved protection of intranet resources
- Improved management of file services
Change is inevitable, with the end of life for windows server 2008. Businesses must think about the pace at which technology is changing regarding their security infrastructures being run on hardware that is out of date (hence unsupported). A good example of an operating system offering excellent and important upgrades is the Microsoft Windows server 2016.
Since the end of support, deadlines are an unavoidable issue, transforming, upgrading, and modernizing to new and current versions is of importance.
Like most life cycle milestones, end of life provides businesses with platforms to change and set up the business and customers for the future.
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