This topic describes the release dates of Microsoft SQL Server versions and the lifecycle policies of SQL Server versions for ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server.
Lifecycles of major engine versions
Major engine version | Status | Release date by Microsoft | End-of-support date by Microsoft | Date to stop providing patches by ApsaraDB RDS |
SQL Server 2022 | Available for purchase | January 11, 2033 | N/A | |
SQL Server 2019 | Available for purchase | January 8, 2030 | N/A | |
SQL Server 2017 | Available for purchase | October 12, 2027 | N/A | |
SQL Server 2016 | Available for purchase | July 14, 2026 | N/A | |
SQL Server 2014 | Available for purchase | July 9, 2024 | ||
SQL Server 2012 | Available for purchase | July 12, 2022 | ||
SQL Server 2008 R2 | Phased-out | July 9, 2019 |
The SQL Server version policies of ApsaraDB for RDS SQL Server vary based on the lifecycle policies of Microsoft SQL Server versions. After Microsoft ends support for SQL Server versions, Alibaba Cloud no longer provides patches or security updates.
If Alibaba Cloud stops providing patches for an SQL Server version, Alibaba Cloud still provides basic technical support for the SQL Server version to ensure that your RDS instance can run as expected.
Announcement on end-of-sale for major engine versions
Announcement on stopping providing new patches
Recommendation
If Alibaba Cloud stops providing patches for an SQL Server version and you continue to use RDS instances that run the SQL Server version, security risks may arise in your applications and workloads. The security risks include but are not limited to security issues, application incompatibility issues, compliance issues, and possible security threats caused by some non-functional risks. To ensure the security and stability of your workloads, we recommend that you upgrade your RDS instance to a later SQL Server version at the earliest opportunity.