Updated: July 15, 2020 (June 2, 2016)

SQL Server Life Cycle

Andrew analyzes and writes about Microsoft's data management, business intelligence, and machine learning solutions, as well as aspects of licensing... more

The latest version of SQL Server shipped in June 2016. SQL Server 2016 delivers improvements for security, performance, change tracking, and other tasks. Future SQL Server releases will probably continue to alternate between releases focused on high availability and the core database engine and releases focused on other features, such as business intelligence, with gaps of two years in between.

SQL Server 2014 reached general availability on Apr. 1, 2014, and received SP1 in Apr. 2015, containing bug fixes and minor enhancements. The service pack should have been applied by July 12, 2016, to continue receiving support. SQL Server 2012 received SP3 in Dec. 2015 containing bug fixes that improve performance, scaling, and troubleshooting features, which must be installed by Dec. 1, 2016, to continue receiving support. SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2 left Mainstream support on July 8, 2014, but received final service packs in Sept. 2014 that must have been applied by Oct. 13, 2015, to continue receiving support.

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