SOLUTION BRIEF
SQL Server 2014: Are You Ready to Upgrade? Thinking About an Upgrade to SQL Server 2014?
Ask Yourself These 5 QUESTIONS to Determine if Your Organization is Ready to Take the Plunge.
1
hat Version of SQL Server W are You Currently Using?
If you’re still using SQL Server 2008 or earlier, you should definitely consider an upgrade. •M ainstream support for SQL Server 2008 ended in July 2015 and SQL Server 2016 is already on the horizon. The further your database lags behind, the more resource-intensive your upgrade will be when you do move forward. • Extended support for SQL Server 2005 will end in April 2016, which means the end of all technical support and security fixes. You’re leaving the health and security of your data to chance if you don’t upgrade before then. • If you’re using a version of SQL Server older than 2005, consider this your warning: Your data is at risk! You are in serious danger of losing your data to cyber security threats as well as technical issues. The time to upgrade is now!
2
re Your Business Stakeholders A On Board with the Upgrade?
Gaining buy-in from other business stakeholders upfront can save you time and frustration down the line. From database administrators and business intelligence analysts to CIOs and other executives, everyone who has a stake in the upgrade should be kept informed from start to finish.
1. Inform your stakeholders of the risks of upgrading to SQL Server 2014, as well as potential risks of NOT upgrading.
2. Communicate your upgrade plan and timeline
3
o You Have a Need for These D New SQL Server 2014 Features?
Microsoft has included tons of useful new features in SQL Server 2014. If your organization is in need of any of these features, an upgrade would be wise.
The 4 SQL Server 2014 Features You Need to Know 1. Hekaton: An enterprise feature, Hekaton is a big plus for businesses concerned with large-scale transaction processing.
2. Encrypted backups: A tremendous asset for organizations concerned with security. (Hint: This should be ALL organizations.)
3. Clustered columnstore indexes: Provide query execution performance that benefit data warehouse administrators and business analysts.
4. Improved cardinality estimation: Results in better execution plans — an important advantage to analysts and business intelligence architects concerned with the performance of large, complex queries. For more information about these four important new features of SQL Server 2014, read Dan Buskirk’s White Paper, “Migrating to SQL Server 2014? Four New Features You Need to Understand.”
to your IT staff and business stakeholders.
3. Keep all stakeholders informed of successes as well as potential issues.
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