Alibaba Cloud stopped providing new patches for ApsaraDB RDS instances that run SQL Server 2012 on July 12, 2022.
Effective date
July 12, 2022
Background
On July 12, 2022, Microsoft ended free patch and security update support for SQL Server 2012. Microsoft still offers paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) for up to three years from that date. ESU covers only Security Updates and Bulletins rated "critical."
Potential impacts
Continuing to run RDS instances on SQL Server 2012 exposes your workloads to the following risks:
Security vulnerabilities: Critical patches are no longer issued for newly discovered CVEs.
Application incompatibility: Future software and driver updates may not be compatible with SQL Server 2012.
Compliance gaps: Running an unsupported database version may violate regulatory or audit requirements.
Non-functional risks: Edge-case behaviors in the SQL Server 2012 kernel that are unrelated to Alibaba Cloud services remain unpatched.
Alibaba Cloud is not responsible for failures, security vulnerabilities, incompatibility issues, or other risks that arise from issues in the SQL Server 2012 kernel, as these are not caused by Alibaba Cloud services. You are responsible for the risks and consequences if any.
Your options
Purchase ESU from Microsoft. ESU is available for up to three years from July 12, 2022. Coverage is limited to Critical security patches and does not address functional or compatibility issues.
Affected versions
The following RDS instance versions are affected:
RDS SQL Server 2012 Web
SQL Server 2012 SE
SQL Server 2012 EE Basic
SQL Server 2012 EE