"Is Extended Security Update (ESU) available for Windows Server 2016, and what is the contracting procedure?

Question

EOS of Windows server 2016 support is planned at Jan of 2017. For some reasons, there can be case that we need ESU for Windows Server 2016 on EC2 server of AWS. So we want to confirm there will be ESU for Windows Server 2016, and if we want to get ESU for Windows Server 2016, what is the official procedure to contract.

Answer 1

Hi ishi,

To clarify, Windows Server 2016 entered Extended Support in January 2022, with official End of Support (EOS) scheduled for January 2027. ESU will be available for this product after EOS, ensuring continued access to critical security updates for organizations that require additional time to transition.

For workloads hosted on AWS EC2, ESU can be obtained in two ways:

1. AWS-provided AMIs: If you're using Amazon-provided Windows Server 2016 AMIs, ESU coverage is typically included and managed by AWS. No separate contract with Microsoft is required.
2. Bring Your Own License (BYOL): If you're using your own Windows Server licenses on EC2, you’ll need to purchase ESU licenses through a Microsoft Volume Licensing program. This requires active Software Assurance or an Enterprise Agreement.

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Best regards,

Harry Phan