How to Extend Windows Server 2012 Support with Azure Arc

If you are still running Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 on-premises or in other clouds, you might be worried about the upcoming End of Support date on October 10, 2023. After that date, Microsoft will no longer provide critical security updates for these versions of Windows Server, leaving your infrastructure vulnerable to cyberattacks and compliance issues. 

But don’t worry, there is a solution to help you extend the support for your Windows Server 2012 workloads for three more years, while also giving you the benefits of Azure management and billing. That solution is Windows Server 2012 Extended Security Updates (ESUs) enabled by Azure Arc. 

What are Windows Server 2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc? 

Windows Server 2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc is a new offering from Microsoft that allows companies to get three more years of critical security updates for their Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 servers, regardless of where they are hosted. These updates are delivered through Azure Arc, a service that enables companies to manage and secure their servers across on-premises, edge, and multi-cloud environments from a single pane of glass in the Azure portal. 

By enrolling your Windows Server 2012 servers in Azure Arc, you get access to Windows Server 2012 ESUs as a pay-as-you-go service, billed monthly through Azure. You are also able to take advantage of other Azure Arc features, such as Azure Update Manager, Azure Machine Configuration, and Azure Change Tracking and Inventory, to simplify and automate the management of your servers. 

Why leverage Windows Server 2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc? 

Windows Server 2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc offer several advantages over traditional Windows Server 2012 ESUs from Volume Licensing: 

• Monthly pay-as-you-go - no upfront annual commitments and pay for what you need with the flexibility to deactivate ESU licenses mid-year as you migrate and modernize workloads to Azure. 
• Azure billing - as an Azure billed service, you decrement WS2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc from your MACC and apply Azure Consumption Discounting (ACD) for price savings. 
• Seamless delivery - Azure Arc identifies and provides an inventory of all of your Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 servers, and with one-time point and click enrollment eliminates the need for annual MAK key deployment. 
• Licensing flexibility - mix and match Standard and Datacenter licensing, and virtual core and physical core models, eliminating the need to match SKUs with your underlying host. 
• Azure management -benefit from free access to Azure Update Manager, Azure Machine Configuration, and Azure Change Tracking and Inventory (AMA based) for your Azure Arc-enabled servers enrolled in WS2012 ESUs through Arc. 

Windows Server 2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc is a great option for companies that want to extend the support for their Windows Server 2012 workloads while also enjoying the benefits of Azure management and billing. This solution can help companies protect their End of Life infrastructure from security risks and compliance issues, while also providing them with a path to migrate and modernize their workloads to Azure. 

If you are interested in learning more about Windows Server 2012 ESUs enabled by Azure Arc, check out the official announcement from Microsoft or contact us for more information. We’re here help you get started with this solution and guide you through the best practices and tips to make the most of it.