Migrating from Windows Server 2012 R2 to Windows Server 2022

Question

Hi Everyone, I have a 9 years-old Windows Server 2012 R2 host running a guest Windows 2012 SQL Server standard edition VM in Hyper-V. I will soon be retiring this machine and I will be migrating to the new Windows server in 2022 with newer hardware. I have some questions about this migration.

1. Can I just export and import the SQL VM into the server 2022 host?
2. Will I need to purchase a new Windows 2022 SQL server license if I can't simply move the VM in (1)?
3. How to go about this migration?

Thanks!

Answer 1

1, Probably yes this should work.

2, If the OS doesn't change probably not. You can check the supported operating systems here. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/sql/general/use-sql-server-in-windows

Assuming the Server 2012 R2 product key is retail you could reuse it on the imported guest.

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Answer 2

Hi. Thank you for your question and reaching out. I’d be more than happy to help you with your query

Yes, it is possible to export and import the SQL VM into the server 2022 host. However, you may need to purchase a new Windows 2022 SQL server license depending on the licensing terms of your existing license.

To go about this migration, you should begin by backing up your existing SQL VM. This can be done through the Hyper-V Manager or a third-party backup utility. Once the backup is complete, you can then create a new virtual machine on the server 2022 host and import the backed up VM. After importing the VM, you will need to reconfigure the settings and install any necessary drivers or applications. Finally, you can then restore the SQL VM from the backup and you should be ready to go.

If the reply was helpful, please don’t forget to upvote or accept as answer, thank you.

Answer 3

Hi. Thank you for your question and reaching out. I’d be more than happy to help you with your query

Yes, it is possible to export and import the SQL VM into the server 2022 host. However, you may need to purchase a new Windows 2022 SQL server license depending on the licensing terms of your existing license.

To go about this migration, you should begin by backing up your existing SQL VM. This can be done through the Hyper-V Manager or a third-party backup utility. Once the backup is complete, you can then create a new virtual machine on the server 2022 host and import the backed up VM. After importing the VM, you will need to reconfigure the settings and install any necessary drivers or applications. Finally, you can then restore the SQL VM from the backup and you should be ready to go.

If the reply was helpful, please don’t forget to upvote or accept as answer, thank you.

Answer 4

A question I have is will I need to buy a license to upgrade my SQL server from 2012 standard to 2019 standard?

Yes, you'll need to purchase a new license.

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--