8. What does “end of support” mean for a service pack (e.g. Windows XP SP2)?
You may recall that Microsoft MCTS Training recently announced an update to the Service Pack Support policy. In a nutshell, for Service Packs end of support is 12 or 24 months after a new release, depending on the product family. After the end of support, customers should expect the following:
*
No security updates or non-security hotfixes
*
Limited break/fix support incidents continue to be available, but there is no option to engage Microsoft’s product development resources
*
If the support incident requires escalation to development for further guidance, requires a hotfix, or requires a security update, customers will be asked to upgrade to a supported service pack
7. If I am on an unsupported service pack, what type of support can I receive? What is “Limited Troubleshooting”, anyway?
For customers on unsupported service pack versions, Microsoft offers limited troubleshooting support as follows:
*
Limited break/fix support incidents will be provided through Microsoft Customer Service and Support; and through Microsoft’s managed support offerings (such as Premier Support).
*
There will be no option to engage Microsoft’s product development resources, and technical workarounds may be limited or not possible.
*
If the support incident requires escalation to development for further guidance, requires a hotfix, or requires a security update, customers will be asked to upgrade to a supported service pack.
Limited break/fix troubleshooting simply means that support professionals will provide troubleshooting to customers on unsupported service packs, even without a Custom Support contract. Access to Premier Support resources, such as Premier Field Engineering, Technical Account Managers and Application Development Consultants will also continue to be available to the customer. Microsoft will still require customers to be on a supported service pack to receive hotfixes, security updates, time zone updates, or access to sustained engineering.
This policy is designed to provide additional support options and flexibility for customers who have not completed migration to a supported service pack. Customers are highly encouraged to stay on a supported service pack to ensure they are on the latest and most secure version of their product.
6. If I’m on an unsupported product, what type of support can I receive?
If you are on a product that has reached the end of support, you do not have many options to obtain support from Microsoft MCITP Certification. Generally, existing online content may be available to resolve common issues, if the product is still within the Online Self-Help Support phase.
Custom Support is also available for purchase for those customers who have not been able to complete their migration to a supported product, and absolutely need additional support from Microsoft. The Custom Support offerings include access to security hotfixes and are specifically designed to help customers bridge the support gap while they complete their migration.
Note: To enroll in Custom Support, customers must have a Premier Support contract. Additionally, customers are required to have a migration plan in place, prior to purchasing Custom Support. Please contact your Microsoft representative for further information.
5. What is “Custom Support”?
As we’ve already discussed, support for Business & Developer products terminates at the end of the Extended Support phase. Support for service packs will end either 12 or 24 months after the release of a new service pack, varying by product family.
Customers are encouraged to migrate to a supported product as soon as possible, to ensure they can receive security updates and continue to receive product support. For those customers who have not been able to complete their migration, and need additional support from Microsoft, we have a support offering for select products called Custom Support.
Simply put, Custom Support provides support for those products that are no longer publicly supported.
Custom Support should be considered the option of last resort for customers who are unable to complete migration. For complete details on the Custom Support program please contact your Microsoft representative for further information.
4. What happens to components at the end of support?
Once a product or service pack reaches the end of support, all of the components associated with that release will also be unsupported on that platform. For example, Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) will continue to be supported on both Windows 2000 and XP SP2 until they reach the end of support on July 13, 2010. After this date, customers who wish to receive support on IE6 will only be able to do so on a supported product version, such as Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP SP3.
3. Are these policies global? Do they apply to all products?
In short, yes. The goal of the Support Lifecycle policy is to provide consistent and predictable guidelines for product support availability for all Microsoft products in all of the worldwide markets where Microsoft does business.
2. Will Microsoft provide security updates for products after the end of support?
I know I’m sounding like a broken record here, but the answer is no. J Once a product or service pack has reached the end of support, Microsoft no longer provides any new security updates. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to a supported product or service pack to ensure they are able to receive continued support and security updates.
1. Where do I find more information on the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policies?
There are a number of great resources to find more information on the Support Lifecycle policies. First, I’d recommend visiting the Microsoft Support Lifecycle website. This site is the primary source of information on the policies and specific support transition dates for our products. If you are interested in getting quarterly news updates on the Support Lifecycle policy and a calendar of upcoming support transitions, I’d recommend subscribing to our customer-ready newsletter. Finally, I’d recommend reading the blog on a on regular basis. Since you are here, I assume you already know how to find it. J
Normally, Paul Schaffer would do a rimshot here and play some witty music. Unfortunately, I don’t have a backup band. J
I hope this provides a useful rundown of the top questions related to the end of support. If you think we missed a top question or if you have a related issue, please feel free to post them in the comments section. We’ll do our best to read them and respond.
*This posting is provided “AS-IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights.*. What does “end of support” mean for a service pack (e.g. Windows XP SP2)?
You may recall that Microsoft recently announced an update to the Service Pack Support policy. In a nutshell, for Service Packs end of support is 12 or 24 months after a new release, depending on the product family. After the end of support, customers should expect the following:
- No security updates or non-security hotfixes
- Limited break/fix support incidents continue to be available, but there is no option to engage Microsoft’s product development resources
- If the support incident requires escalation to development for further guidance, requires a hotfix, or requires a security update, customers will be asked to upgrade to a supported service pack
7. If I am on an unsupported service pack, what type of support can I receive? What is “Limited Troubleshooting”, anyway?
For customers on unsupported service pack versions, Microsoft offers limited troubleshooting support as follows:
- Limited break/fix support incidents will be provided through Microsoft Customer Service and Support; and through Microsoft’s managed support offerings (such as Premier Support).
- There will be no option to engage Microsoft’s product development resources, and technical workarounds may be limited or not possible.
- If the support incident requires escalation to development for further guidance, requires a hotfix, or requires a security update, customers will be asked to upgrade to a supported service pack.
Limited break/fix troubleshooting simply means that support professionals will provide troubleshooting to customers on unsupported service packs, even without a Custom Support contract. Access to Premier Support resources, such as Premier Field Engineering, Technical Account Managers and Application Development Consultants will also continue to be available to the customer. Microsoft will still require customers to be on a supported service pack to receive hotfixes, security updates, time zone updates, or access to sustained engineering.
This policy is designed to provide additional support options and flexibility for customers who have not completed migration to a supported service pack. Customers are highly encouraged to stay on a supported service pack to ensure they are on the latest and most secure version of their product.
6. If I’m on an unsupported product, what type of support can I receive?
If you are on a product that has reached the end of support, you do not have many options to obtain support from Microsoft. Generally, existing online content may be available to resolve common issues, if the product is still within the Online Self-Help Support phase.
Custom Support is also available for purchase for those customers who have not been able to complete their migration to a supported product, and absolutely need additional support from Microsoft. The Custom Support offerings include access to security hotfixes and are specifically designed to help customers bridge the support gap while they complete their migration.
Note: To enroll in Custom Support, customers must have a Premier Support contract. Additionally, customers are required to have a migration plan in place, prior to purchasing Custom Support. Please contact your Microsoft representative for further information.
5. What is “Custom Support”?
As we’ve already discussed, support for Business & Developer products terminates at the end of the Extended Support phase. Support for service packs will end either 12 or 24 months after the release of a new service pack, varying by product family.
Customers are encouraged to migrate to a supported product as soon as possible, to ensure they can receive security updates and continue to receive product support. For those customers who have not been able to complete their migration, and need additional support from Microsoft, we have a support offering for select products called Custom Support.
Simply put, Custom Support provides support for those products that are no longer publicly supported.
Custom Support should be considered the option of last resort for customers who are unable to complete migration. For complete details on the Custom Support program please contact your Microsoft representative for further information.
4. What happens to components at the end of support?
Once a product or service pack reaches the end of support, all of the components associated with that release will also be unsupported on that platform. For example, Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) will continue to be supported on both Windows 2000 and XP SP2 until they reach the end of support on July 13, 2010. After this date, customers who wish to receive support on IE6 will only be able to do so on a supported product version, such as Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP SP3.
3. Are these policies global? Do they apply to all products?
In short, yes. The goal of the Support Lifecycle policy is to provide consistent and predictable guidelines for product support availability for all Microsoft products in all of the worldwide markets where Microsoft does business.
2. Will Microsoft provide security updates for products after the end of support?
I know I’m sounding like a broken record here, but the answer is no. J Once a product or service pack has reached the end of support, Microsoft no longer provides any new security updates. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to a supported product or service pack to ensure they are able to receive continued support and security updates.
1. Where do I find more information on the Microsoft Support Lifecycle policies?
There are a number of great resources to find more information on the Support Lifecycle policies. First, I’d recommend visiting the Microsoft Support Lifecycle website. This site is the primary source of information on the policies and specific support transition dates for our products. If you are interested in getting quarterly news updates on the Support Lifecycle policy and a calendar of upcoming support transitions, I’d recommend subscribing to our customer-ready newsletter. Finally, I’d recommend reading the blog on a on regular basis. Since you are here, I assume you already know how to find it. J
Normally, Paul Schaffer would do a rimshot here and play some witty music. Unfortunately, I don’t have a backup band. J
I hope this provides a useful rundown of the top questions related to the end of support. If you think we missed a top question or if you have a related issue, please feel free to post them in the comments section. We’ll do our best to read them and respond.
*This posting is provided “AS-IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights.*