Microsoft SQL Server 2008 will be officially off support, and reach end-of-life, on July 9, 2019. Most Clarity applications run on this version of SQL Server, or the older SQL Server 2005. Clarity will continue to work, but losing support means these additional risks will increase over time, not to mention compatibility with later versions of Windows Server and Microsoft Office.

  • Security – There will no longer be any security updates to address holes found in the software. As they are discovered, your network will be at risk, without any solutions being developed.
  • Compliance – Running software that is not supported often breaks security compliance rules.

There are also opportunities to take advantage of new features and benefits in newer versions. Particularly for Clarity, here are some opportunities to consider when addressing

  • Cloud – When Clarity was built, the cloud options we have today were not around (Azure, IBMCloud, Amazon Web Services). Microsoft has provided an end-of-life option for folks who are willing to move their SQL databases into Azure to get an additional 3 years of support.
  • Performance – The last decade has seen huge improvements in the SQL Server engine. By updating to a newer version of SQL server, like SQL Server 2012, which is supported on Clarity 7.2.1 SP2. The new database tuning advisor, profiler and data tools could breathe new life into your Clarity application as you plan your move onto a newer platform.
  • Cost – Many companies participate in enterprise licensing agreements with Microsoft. If your organization has one, you may be entitled to the upgrade without any additional software cost. If all these new features are free, why not use them?

Given these risks and opportunities, here are your choices to consider. I encourage you to reach out to us, as we are happy to help you with the decision, considering your particular context and environment.

  • Do nothing – When deciding to do nothing, your organization accepts the security and compliance risks. If the application is working fine, hopefully, it continues to do so. There is no action required.
  • Update ONLY SQL Server – Moving to Azure or updating the database software to SQL 2012 will provide a few more years of support. Clarity is still supported on SQL 2012, but only if you’re on the latest release 7.2.1 FP2. You’ll still need to test all your templates and manage the change control to make sure it goes smoothly.
  • Move to a modern platform – All of our clients have upgraded from Clarity at this point. Read about some of our happy customers. There are many great options we support, and our Clarity experience makes moving so much easier. If you would like to learn more about these tools and how to migrate from Clarity to them, please reach out to us and we will be happy to show you the options. Some of these do not require SQL Server anymore.

To learn more about the end of life for this product, please see the link below.