it pros are migrating from the land of windows server 2003 ......route roadblocks when it comes to...

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The Great IT UpgradeIT pros are migrating from the land of Windows Server 2003... into modern territory.

March 2015 | #WS2003EOL

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2 The Great IT Upgrade: IT pros are migrating from the land of Windows Server 2003... into modern territory | #WS2003EOL#dv v weWS2003EO

CLOSED

Windows Server2003

March 2015 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

00IT Pros Joining the Caravan01

The Realities of Migration02

Destination: WinServer 2012... and Beyond03Head’Em Up and Move’Em Out

PAGE 04

PAGE 10

PAGE 18

PAGE 20

CLOSED

Windows Server2003

04

Details on the DataPAGE 22

05

The WinServer Migration Trail

PAGE 06

4 The Great IT Upgrade: IT pros are migrating from the land of Windows Server 2003... into modern territory | #WS2003EOL

00The WinServer Migration Trail

INTRODUCTION

For most companies, there comes a time

when they must veer away from their well-

traveled path and forge a new one… espe-

cially when the old path might lead them into

dangerous territory! As you may have heard,

support for Microsoft Windows Server 2003

is heading off into the sunset – and IT pros

everywhere are striking out in search of

greener pastures.

Another day, another Microsoft EOL, right?

Perhaps. But while WinServer 2003 will be

unsupported as of July 14, 2015, the outlook

beyond… is pretty bright.

X

March 2015 5

SURVEY INFO

As IT pros around the world prepare to leave

WinServer 2003 behind, we asked nearly 1,300*

of them to tell us about their plans. They shared

how they’re preparing to migrate, what obstacles

they expect to encounter, and the opportunities

that await them.

Did someone say opportunities? Yep! For one,

OS migration gives IT departments the chance

to modernize using technologies like virtualiza-

tion and cloud. No doubt there will be obstacles

along the way. But there’s a bright future on the

horizon and IT pros are forging ahead toward

lands rich in tech resources. Here’s what we

learned along the way...

1. Preparation.

While we’re not seeing a mad rush to

upgrade, nearly all the IT pros we surveyed

say they’re aware that WinServer 2003 will

soon reach EOL, and three-quarters of

those who haven’t already migrated plan

to saddle up and head out beforehand.

2. Modernization.

Roughly two-thirds of IT pros who are

moving on are migrating to the newest,

most advanced WinServer OS available

today: Windows Server 2012 R2.

3. Virtualization.

IT pros aren’t hanging up the saddle at

software upgrades. Many are making

server virtualization a part of their migra-

tion, whether moving apps from physical

servers to VMs or upgrading WinServer

2003 VMs in their virtual infrastructure.

Clearly, at a time like this, an IT pro’s gotta do…

what an IT pro’s gotta do. Most respondents

have either already migrated, are in the process,

or are at some stage of planning their migration.

Where’s your organization on the path lead-

ing away from WinServer 2003? Are all your

provisions in order (compared to your fellow

travelers)? Or could you use a little more

prep time? Are you eager to hit the trail with

opportunities to modernize and virtualize –

or are you taking a more measured approach?

Saddle up alongside our survey respondents

for a clear picture of the new IT frontier.

KEY FINDINGS


01IT Pros Joining the Caravan Yep, it’s time to mosey along. Ninety-four percent

of IT pros surveyed are aware that Microsoft is end-

ing support for WinServer 2003 on July 14, 2015.

And they’re not letting any moss grow under their

feet, either. Of those surveyed, 63% have either

already migrated or partially migrated, and

another 28% are in the planning stages.

Of those in the planning stages, 76% said

their migration will be off to the races

before the EOL date.

Status of Migration Away from WinServer 2003

Fully migrated

Partially migrated

Planning to migrate

No current plans to migrate

Don’t know

15%

48%

28%

8%

1%

March 2015 7

Target Date for Migration(Among those not yet fully migrated)

Within the next month

Within the next 4-6 months

Beyond the next 12 months



Don’t know

(Before EOL)

(After EOL)

14%

12%

35%

3%

27%

10%


Why are so many gravitating toward WinServer 2012/2012 R2? Because it’s the latest and

greatest version of Windows Server available, of course! Other reasons vary from software

standardization to virtualization, but few are doing it just for the features/functionality.

Top Server OS Selections During Migration(Among those fully migrated, partially migrated, or planning to migrate)

Top Reasons for Migrating to WinServer 2012/2012 R2 (Among those migrating to WS2012/2012 R2)

39%

14%

9%

64%

Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft Windows Server 2012

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2

Linux

6%

Latest/greatest version

36%

37%

37%

39%

56%

Software standardization/ease of management

Already own licenses

Features/functionality

Virtualization capability

And where exactly is this great migration taking IT pros? Most are choosing to move to

Windows Server 2012 R2, with WinServer 2008 R2 second in line.

X

March 2015 9

We’ll take a closer look at the role of virtualiza-

tion in migrating away from WinServer 2003

later in this report. But, whoa, steady! Before

we get too caught up in the excitement of

the new frontier, let’s slow our pace and take

a good hard look at some of the realities of

getting there.

“WinServer 2003 has been great. I guess it’s time to move on, but I have to say 2003 performed well and never gave me any trouble.”

– Matt B., IT Director


02The Realities of Migration

As IT pros trek away from WinServer 2003,

there’s some good news, and some… not

so good news. Let’s start with the length of a

typical migration. Thirty-two percent of those

who haven’t started or who’ve only partially

migrated expect an arduous journey of at

least four months – maybe more. In reality,

almost half of those who’ve already completed

their migration report that the actual process

– from planning to execution – took them a

month or less. Yee-haw!

Expected vs. Actual Migration Timeline

AnticipatedMigrationTimeline

Less than 1 month1 month2-3 months

4-6 monthsLonger than 6 monthsDon’t know

ActualMigrationTimeline

14%

32%

12% 38% 19% 13% 4%

14% 30% 11% 10% 3%(Among those fully migrated)

(Among those not yet fully migrated)

March 2015 11

In addition, it looks like the vast majority of

surveyed IT pros are going all in and migrating

ALL of their WinServer 2003 systems. Less than

a quarter indicate they won’t be upgrading every

system. In those cases, only “non-critical” systems

will be left on WinServer 2003.

Servers Involved in the Migration (Among those fully migrated, partially migrated, or planning to migrate)

73%

22%

3% 2%

Migrating all WinServer 2003 systemsMigrating some systemsMigrating noneDon’t know yet

“We still have one WinServer 2003 VM that is hosting an instance of outdated, unsupported [software]. It will be phased out from use by the end of the year and remain active for archival purposes.”

– Jeremy C., IT Manager

Migration Approach of IT Pros Fully, Partially or Planning to Migrate

74%Moving apps to our virtualized servers

Purchasing new servers with software

Purchasing standalone server software

Moving to cloud/hosted service provider solution

30%

16%

12%

As far as their approach to migration, many

IT pros (76%) are jumping on the tech bandwa-

gon by purchasing new servers, cloud services,

and/or new virtualization solutions in addition

to new software.

In addition, a whopping three-quarters

of respondents are moving toward some

form of virtualization, whether saddled

up on new servers or existing VMs.

March 2015 13


ROUTE ROADBLOCKS

When it comes to migrating applications, the

path isn’t as clear-cut. Not everyone is planning

to migrate ALL their systems/apps. For some apps

(email, VPN, CRM, VDI, VoIP) it’s pretty much

straightforward. But it seems that others – partic-

ularly custom apps – could pose challenges and

require a different approach (such as continuing

to host these apps on WinServer2003 past its EOL).

So what else keeps IT pros from migrating all

their servers away from WinServer 2003? For

approximately half of respondents, it’s as

simple as “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

If their previous systems still work, they see

no immediate need to change, despite the

dangers. Other cited barriers to full migration

ranging from lack of time and budget to hard-

ware compatibility.

(And when it comes to concerns over time,

we’ve already established it doesn’t take as

long to migrate as many expect.)

Top Barriers to a Full Migration (Among those not fully migrated)

No immediate need/system is still working

51%

48%

37%

31%

20%

12%

Lack of time

Budget constraints

Compatibility with current software/apps

Considering new IT infrastructure approach (e.g. virtualization/cloud)

Compatibility with current hardware

“Still got two WS2003 servers here. I’ve got everything I need to replace them… except the time.”

– Matt B., IT Director

March 2015 15

The problem with the wait-and-see strategy is, of

course, the risk. Many IT pros are rightly concerned

– after all, once your OS is no longer supported, if

something goes awry… all bets are off. Are you

willing to flip a coin on possible downtime, your

users’ productivity, or your company’s data?

That gamble simply doesn’t sit well. Of IT pros

surveyed, 85% worry about the security risks

associated with an unsupported OS. Other top

concerns include software incompatibility and

compliance risks.

Concerns about Unsupported WinServer 2003(Among those who plan to have WS2003 systems after EOS)

Security risks

85%

72%

66%

65%

65%

58%

58%

55%

55%

Software incompatibility

Compliance risks

Reliability

Downtime

Performance

Data loss

Operating costs/requirements

Hardware incompatibility

OX STORE

$


• Restricting/monitoring access to

WinServer 2003 servers

- “We’ll be locking down services

and limiting access.”

• Re-purposing ancient hardware

- “All remaining [WS2003] servers

have been virtualized.”

Sounds like even more reason to forge ahead… IT pros who report their organizations will continue

with some WinServer 2003 systems are taking actions to mitigate risks, though:

• Backing up data

- “Backup, backup, hiccup... backup.”

• Migrating ASAP

- “We have one WinServer 2003 server

that will be phased out when we retire

the app that it runs.”

OX STORE

$

March 2015 17

Approach to Managing Migration(Among those fully migrated, partially migrated, or planning to migrate)

Finally, when it comes to how IT pros are paying for

and carrying out their migration, survey respondents

report an average budget of $60,000 – though more

than a third of organizations (38%) report having

no budget dedicated to their migration.

Additionally, more than three-quarters indicate

they plan to go it alone, migrating themselves rather

than hiring a third party to guide them.

77%

2%3%

18%

Manage in-houseOutsource partially to a third partyOutsource entirely to a third partyDon’t know


03Destination: WinServer 2012... and Beyond

So what exactly awaits IT pros once they

reach the promised land? In the new, mod-

ern WinServer 2012 OS environment, they’ll

be enjoying a landscape of new technology.

As mentioned, 74% of those migrating from Win-

Server 2003 will move their apps to virtualized

environments as part of their migration. And it’s

a pretty even split between those moving to

brand new virtualized servers (56%) and existing

ones (54%).

Approach to Virtualization(Among those fully migrated, partially migrated, or planning to migrate)

31%

34%

23%

22%

Moving apps from a physical to an existing virtualized server

Moving apps from a physical to a new virtualized server

Moving apps from a virtualized server to another existing virtualized server

Moving apps from a virtualized server to a new virtualized server

74%plan to move apps to virtualizedinstances

OPEN

WindowsServer 2012

March 2015 19

Virtualization seems to be a foregone conclusion.

Cloud… not so much. Only 12% of surveyed IT

pros report plans to migrate to a cloud or hosted

service provider solution. And of those, 50% are

just moving email into the cloud (mostly to

Microsoft Office 365).

This suggests that many IT pros are still leery of

moving their full infrastructure into the wild

blue yonder… likely due to concerns about

security/control and cost effectiveness.


04

If you haven’t been looking forward to the

prospect of migrating away from WinServer

2003, maybe this report will help… spur you

into action! Based on IT pros surveyed, it’s

high time to move on to a more hospitable

– and future-ready – OS environment. It may

seem like a long trail, but the terrain is for-

giving. And while there may be a few road

hazards along the way, you’ll find plenty of

rewards once you reach your destination.

Whether you’re mapping your journey or

you’ve already set out, we suggest you

follow in the footsteps of those IT pros

who’ve gone before you. They’ve already

reached greener pastures by using Win-

Server 2003 migration as an opportunity to

modernize their environments from

software to servers, both physical

and virtual. Happy trails!

Head’Em Up and Move’Em Out

“Woohoo! So long, WinServer 2003! You were a beautiful OS for your time. Alas, this chapter comes to a close....”

– Chris H., Network/Systems Administrator

Want more? Check out the Spiceworks Windows Server EOL group.

http://community.spiceworks.com/windows/server-2003-end-of-life

http://community.spiceworks.com/windows/server-2003-end-of-life

March 2015 21


05We hope you found this tale of migration

insightful and engaging. You’ve just read Spice-

works’ version of data gone spicy: Our answer

to humdrum data. We tackle the tech issues of

today… and what’s coming soon to a server

room near you.

And we deliver it all with more originality and

spice than your typical run-of-the-mill reports.

Drawing from a user base of more than 6 million

IT pros, it’s a glimpse into tech you can’t get

anywhere else.

Details on the Data

Region

53%

North America EMEA APAC

27%

10%

Other 10%

March 2015 23

Industry

Company Size

14%

Manufacturing

10%

Healthcare

8%

Education

8%

IT ServiceProvider

7%

Non Profit

7%

RetailFinance Government

6% 5%

37% 1-99 employees100-499 employees500-999 employees1,000-4,999 employees

39%

7%

10%

7%

5,000+ employees


The contents in this report are a result of primary research performed by Spiceworks. Unless otherwise noted, the entire contents distributed as part of this report are copyrighted by Spiceworks. As such any information made available by any means in this report may not be copied, reproduced, duplicated, published, displayed, transmitted, distributed, given, sold, traded, resold, marketed, offered for sale, modified to create derivative works or otherwise exploited for valuable consideration without prior written consent by Spiceworks. For more information visit www.spiceworks.com/voice-of-it/terms.

This report contains information of fact relating to parties other than Spiceworks. Although the information has been obtained from, and is based on sources that Spiceworks believes to be reliable, Spiceworks does not guarantee the accuracy, and any such information might be incomplete or condensed. Any estimates included in this report constitute Spiceworks’ judgment as of the date of compilation, and are subject to change without notice. This report is for information purposes only. All responsibility for any interpretations or actions based on the information or commentary contained within this report lie solely with the recipient. All rights reserved. 2015.

About Spiceworks Voice of IT®

The Spiceworks Voice of IT market insights program publishes stats, trends and opinions collected from technology professionals that are among the more than 6 million users of Spiceworks. Survey panelists opt-in to answer questions on technology trends important to them. To find out more about our research capabilities, email [email protected].

About Spiceworks

Spiceworks is the professional network 6 million IT professionals use to connect with one another and over 3,000 technology brands. The company simplifies how IT professionals discover, buy and manage more than $600 billion in technology products and services each year. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks is backed by Adams Street Partners, Austin Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Goldman Sachs, Shasta Ventures and Tenaya Capital. For more information www.spiceworks.com.

For other Spiceworks Voice of IT reports visit: www.spiceworks.com/marketing/resources/

Voice of IT ®

Sources *Asked of IT pros who’ve either migrated from WinServer 2003 in the last year or who currently have a WinServer 2003 server on their network.

Credits Research: Priscilla Brave, Tracy Peto, Jace Recio Copy & Editing: Mary Summerall, Lisa Young, Andrew Baron Illustration & design: Julian Hector, Clarice Bajkowski

Follow Spiceworks on Twitter and connect with Spiceworks on Facebook.

This report was sponsored by SanDisk.

SanDisk Corporation, a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 25 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk’s quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world’s largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smart phones, tablets and PCs. Over the last three years, SanDisk has built a strong, enterprise-class portfolio of cutting-edge storage and software solutions, augmented most recently by its acquisition of Fusion-io. SanDisk supports a growing enterprise portfolio of system and software solutions, which includes the SanDisk ION Accelerator, flash-appliance, FlashSoft server caching software, ZetaScale flash-acceleration software and the recently launched InfiniFlash next-generation storage platform.

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it pros are migrating from the land of windows server 2003 ......route roadblocks when it comes to...

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