SQL Server 2016 is past extended support

According to Microsoft's lifecycle page, SQL Server 2016 extended support ended on July 14, 2026. Extended Security Updates are listed by year: Year 1 from July 15, 2026 to July 13, 2027, then Year 2 and Year 3.

What it means

• No regular security fixes without extended security updates
• Extended security updates are a bridge for a planned move, not a destination
• The move touches more than the engine: drivers, jobs, linked servers, reports

A sample status report

Illustrative example only. Week 3 of 8: two of five databases restored on the target version, compatibility level tests green, one job still uses a deprecated feature — owner assigned, fix due next week.

Note. Weekly status on one page keeps the move visible for people who are not in the database every day.

Checklist

• ☐ Instances on 2016 listed, with owners
• ☐ Decision recorded: migrate, or extended security updates as a bridge
• ☐ Test restores on the target version
• ☐ Jobs, drivers and reports checked
• ☐ Weekly status shared

Free status report

Open the weekly status report →

Source: Microsoft Lifecycle — SQL Server 2016, learn.microsoft.com. Checked 2026-11-01.