The SQL Server 2016 Plan

SQL Server 2016 went out of support this week, on Jul 14, 2026. This is the end of the Extended support, according to the Support Lifecycle page. Microsoft posted an article on next steps for SQL Server 2016, which looks like the AI read of an article at the top. There's a lot of header info, so scroll down. I'm sure none of you want to listen to 10 minutes of an AI voice reading an article.

I know some of you still run SQL Server 2016. In fact, I still run into some companies on older versions, and the last (ever) update from Brent also showed 6% on 2014 and older. There are probably still plenty, albeit a minority, of systems on older versions. I know when I worked in a non-regulated industry, we weren't in a hurry to upgrade as many of our applications ran fine on older versions. Especially with VMs these days, I could see people sticking with 2016 for a while if it's running well. Just be sure your server is well protected by firewalls.

The blog gives 3 upgrade paths: Azure (IaaS or PaaS), SQL Server 2025, or Extended Security Updates. That latter one goes until 2029 if you want to pay for it. This is certainly a marketing post more than a technical one. Moving to Azure PaaS isn't necessarily easy or quick. IaaS doesn't help you here, so I'm sure whoever wrote this post (or whatever AI) isn't thinking this through. An Azure VM isn't going to get me any support.

SQL Server 2025 is likely the easiest if you want to upgrade, as you could continue to use an older compatibility level in your database on SQL Server 2025. It will cost something, but it does give you 9-ish years of support and updates. I'd certainly prefer this over paying for ESU. It might not be a seamless upgrade, but I'd give it a quick go and see if my application worked on a restored 2016-on-2025 database. That's an easy test and helps me make a decision.

I suspect some in regulated industries need support for their compliance goals, and they might pay for ESU if their staff is busy and they need to mitigate an audit finding. I think this option is there, and it's expensive, as a carrot/stick combo for organizations to upgrade. I can't be upset about this, as I think there should be a plan in organizations to keep their software up to date. Either deliberately plan to remain on an older version and accept the risk, or ensure you have plans (and time) in place to regularly upgrade systems.

If you're on SQL Server 2016, what are your plans? Upgrading soon? Sticking with the platform? And if you're on 2017 or 2019, you ought to be thinking forward and be ready to handle the end of support for those versions.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

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