Starting December 31, 2025, Alibaba Cloud will end technical support for ApsaraDB RDS instances running SQL Server 2008 R2. This includes feature updates and issue fixes. Upgrade your instances before this date to avoid security exposure and service disruption.
What changes after December 31, 2025
Existing instances remain operational, but the following restrictions apply:
Security patches and bug fixes are no longer applied to the database engine.
If you open a support ticket for an issue caused by the SQL Server 2008 R2 engine itself, Alibaba Cloud may not be able to provide a resolution.
New RDS instances running SQL Server 2008 R2 are no longer available for purchase. This has been in effect since July 14, 2023.
New features released for ApsaraDB RDS may only be available on supported engine versions.
Continued use is at your sole risk. Alibaba Cloud disclaims all liability for damages, losses, or disruptions caused by end-of-life software.
Risks of staying on SQL Server 2008 R2
Security vulnerabilities: No patches means known and future exploits go unaddressed.
Application incompatibility: Dependencies on newer drivers, connectors, or application frameworks may break.
Compliance challenges: Regulatory requirements often mandate running supported software versions.
Free major version upgrade offer
To help you upgrade smoothly, Alibaba Cloud is offering a free upgrade promotion:
Promotion period: August 27, 2025 to March 31, 2026
Applicability: All subscription RDS SQL Server 2008 R2 instances
Rules:
Free upgrades to later versions are available for RDS SQL Server instances with fewer than 16 cores.
The free upgrade covers the remaining subscription period of your current RDS SQL Server 2008 R2 instance. After the upgraded instance expires, standard renewal pricing will apply.
Each instance is eligible for this free upgrade offer only once.
Upgrade paths
Choose an upgrade path based on your instance's disk type.
Instances using cloud disks
In-place engine upgrades are not supported for cloud disk instances. Migrate to a new instance:
Instances using Premium Local SSDs
Upgrade the engine version directly on the existing instance:
Upgrade to SQL Server 2016. SQL Server 2012 reached end of support on July 12, 2022 and no longer receives security patches.
From August 27, 2025 to March 31, 2026, Alibaba Cloud offers a free major version upgrade promotion for subscription RDS SQL Server 2008 R2 instances.
Choosing a target version
| SQL Server 2016 | SQL Server 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Cloud support status | Supported | Supported |
| Microsoft support status | Supported | End of support (July 12, 2022) |
| Recommendation | Preferred | Not recommended |