Important Dates for Windows Server

Windows Server 2012 became generally available for volume licensing customers in Sept. 2012 and was preinstalled on servers from OEMs in Oct. 2012. It will receive Mainstream support until Jan. 2018 and Extended support until Jan. 2023. Windows Server 2008 R2 was generally available in Oct. 2009 and received a first service pack (SP1) in Feb. 2011. Windows 2008 was generally available in May 2008. This first release was named SP1 to signify a synchronization of the Windows Server code with the code changes in Windows Vista SP1. This means the first service pack with fixes to the released Windows Server 2008 SP1 code was SP2.

Mainstream support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 has been extended to Jan. 15, 2015; it previously expired July 9, 2013. The decision means that customers get free hotfixes and other minor software updates for an additional 18 months, reducing the cost of maintaining existing installations. However, it does not mean that future versions of Microsoft applications will run on Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2. Extended support, which runs for five years beyond the end of Mainstream support, also has been lengthened to Jan. 14, 2020. The extensions follow Microsoft’s formal support policy and were triggered by the Sept. 2012 release of Windows Server 2012: a version receives Mainstream support for five years after release or until two years after its successor is released, whichever is longer. Windows Server 2012 R2 retains the same support life cycle as Windows Server 2012, ending on Jan. 10, 2023.