You know that time is running out, and end of support for Windows Server 2003 is just a few months away. And, although you know that it’s time to modernize your data center and upgrade your existing infrastructure to Windows Server 2012 R2, breaking up is hard to do. Difficult conversations and unknown risks are intimidating, and considering your new options isn’t always easy.
We can help! Check out this list of resources to help you get started on upgrading your infrastructure before the end of support in July 2015.
Getting Started: Plan Your Migration
1. Windows Server 2003 End of Support Migration Overview
Watch this MVA course (53 minutes) to learn the details about Windows Server 2003 end of extended support, along with the options, best practices, and tools for migration. After an overview of the process options, learn about considerations when moving apps versus machines, methodology around the process, and how to migrate with AppZero. The course also covers app compatibility statements, vendor supportability, and AppZero usage requirements.
2. Migration Planning Assistant
This tool allows you to outline your entire infrastructure and then get a tailored look at what you need to migrate and how to leverage the cloud to make your network stronger than ever. In a four-step process, the assistant helps you to analyze your Windows Server 2003 workloads and to generate a summary report showing recommendations and relevant Microsoft Partner offerings.
3. Windows Server 2003 End of Life (EOL) Migration: Planning for Your Workloads
Migrations can be complicated. But, unlike in the days of old, today there are numerous options for your destination. In this Channel 9 video (1 hour, 8 minutes) recorded at TechEd North America 2014, get an organized and systematic view of migration strategies and possible destinations. Learn about the tools and available offers, plus a decision tree methodology that provides you with the ability to easily target at-risk workloads and applications. Identify a clear migration path to help you beat the EOL clock!
4. TechNet Evaluation Center Tech Journey
Explore a personalized learning path to see how modernizing your data center allows you to meet today’s business challenges and can enable you to increase resilience and flexibility, simplify management, reduce cost, and speed the delivery of services to the business. Start the Tech Journey, “Modernize Your Datacenter Infrastructure,” and learn how to migrate to Windows Server 2012 R2 and Microsoft Azure. Test drive the software through free evaluations and virtual hands-on labs.
Migrating Your Infrastructure
5. Migrating to Windows Server 2012 Training
Windows Server 2012 is the most significant release of Windows Server to date, providing many options for upgrading and migrating that you can use to help ensure seamless transition to this new server platform from Windows Server 2003. This MVA course exposes you to migration tools and shows you how Windows Server 2012 can ease your transition, not merely in upgrading earlier versions of Windows Server, but also in helping to ensure that your key services can be migrated in an efficient, cost-effective, and safe manner.
6. It’s the End of the World As You Know It… Windows Server 2003 End of Life: Infrastructure Migration
In this Channel 9video (1 hour, 17 minutes), dig into the process of migrating your infrastructure to the latest operating system. This demo-intensive session covers how to migrate various workloads and foundation services, like DHCP, DNS, File/Print, and more. And migration is just the beginning! The session also covers ongoing management. Like the song says, “It’s the end of the world as we know it,” but you’ll be fine.
Exploring the Microsoft Cloud OS
7. Windows Server Courses on MVA
This MVA Windows Server training consists of several courses and is designed to help you gain the skills needed to use Windows Server technology to power the next generation of cloud-optimized networks, applications, and web services. The courses cover virtualization features, efficient networking management, and new storage capabilities which can help organizations give workers access to data and information across varied networks and devices, while keeping costs down.
8. Microsoft Azure Courses on MVA
These MVA Microsoft Azure courses cover key technical topics, including Windows Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Networks, and platform as a service (PaaS) implementation for IT Pros, including using PowerShell for automation and management, using Active Directory, and migrating from on-premises to cloud infrastructure, in addition to important licensing information.
9. Transform the Data Center Immersion V3
Would you like to learn how the Microsoft Cloud OS vision can positively benefit the way your entire organization functions? Watch this MVA course, and investigate how the key tenets of Transforming the Modern Data Center can provide many benefits to enterprise IT today. The course walks you through the key steps and technologies for planning, deploying, and managing this type of environment.
10. Server Infrastructure on MVA
Watch these MVA server infrastructure courses to learn about the technologies and capabilities needed to run a highly efficient and modern data center, and see how it incorporates identity management, systems management, virtualization, storage, and networking.