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If you no longer receive security updates, your system defenses are down. Moreover, you won’t receive updates or feature enhancements once that particular version reaches its EOS date. In the Microsoft world, SQL Server End of Support (EOS) means you will no longer be able to contact Microsoft for product or troubleshooting help, and there will be no more patches or security updates to that particular SQL Server version. While the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy offers 10 years of support (5 years for Mainstream Support and 5 years for Extended Support) for SQL Server, once the Extended Support ends, there will be no support or security updates available to you.
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SQL Server End of Life (EOL) indicates that a particular version is at the end of its useful life, and Microsoft stops selling and developing it.
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