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What’s your plan for System Center 2019 EOS?

System Center 2019 – the latest version of Microsoft’s data-centre management and monitoring application – gives you the tools to govern data centres running Windows Server 2019 and enables hybrid management and oversight with Azure.

Released in March two years ago, the System Center 2019 product suite falls under Microsoft’s Fixed Lifecycle Policy. End of Support (EOS) dates for System Center 2019 Data Protection ManagerSystem Center 2019 Operations ManagerSystem Center 2019 OrchestratorSystem Center 2019 Service Manager, and System Center 2019 Virtual Machine Manager are confirmed: Mainstream Support ends on 9 April 2024 and Extended Support ends five years later, on 9 April 2029.

Microsoft has outlined its road map for System Center 2019 and Update Rollups – with features, enhancements, and fixes – are currently being issued a few times a year.

Microsoft has also outlined its cloud-first strategy, and is increasingly investing in Azure to provide system management capabilities for Windows Server and Linux virtual machines and hosts. Inside Microsoft itself, System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) has been dropped in favour of an Azure service: the company uses Azure Monitor to address operations support for its own applications.

With the System Center 2019 EOS dates on the horizon in 2024 and 2029, you may not feel hard-pressed to re-evaluate your on-premises data centre immediately. But as you build out your business systems – to empower your teams for the new world of work and to drive your digital transformation initiatives – it’s important to invest in future-ready technology.

Here are some of the most compelling Azure resources to weigh as alternatives for your System Center 2019 toolkit.

Backup and disaster recovery with Azure

Two Azure services offer similar capabilities to System Center’s Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) and Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM).

Azure Backup can back up your physical machines on-premises, virtual machines in Azure, or virtual machines running on hypervisors on-premises. Storage options include locally redundant, geo-redundant and zone-redundant storage for long-term data recoverability.

Azure Site Recovery enables multiple disaster recovery options for your entire site by replicating groups of virtual machines in these scenarios:

  • Enterprise to Enterprise (between your primary and secondary sites)
  • Enterprise to Azure (from on-premises to Azure virtual machines)
  • Azure to Azure (from Azure VMs in one region to Azure VMs in another region)

With Azure Backup and Azure Site Recovery, you can prepare for unplanned outages and be ready to respond and recover as quickly as possible.

Management and monitoring with Azure

The management and monitoring capabilities provided by Azure Automation, Azure Monitor, and Azure Arc-enabled servers are comparable to System Center’s Operations Manager (SCOM), Orchestrator (SCO), and Service Manager (SCSM) software.

Azure Automation allows you to automate, configure, and install updates across hybrid environments. By automating frequent and time-consuming management tasks, you can reduce operational errors and boost efficiency.

Azure Monitor collects and analyses telemetry data from on-premises and Azure environments to help you monitor your infrastructure, applications, and networks. With end-to-end visibility and deeper insights, you can quickly identify and resolve problems.

With Azure Arc-enabled servers, you can extend the Azure resource manager framework to allow for the creation of Azure resources for operating system environments (OSEs) hosted outside of Azure. In this way, on-premises servers can be managed via the Azure portal and other Azure tools.

With Azure AutomationAzure Monitor, and Azure Arc-enabled servers, you can leverage Azure’s scale and power for more comprehensive control and oversight.

Security with Azure

Azure Security Center offers security management, monitoring, and alerting capabilities to Windows and Linux virtual machines, including:

  • Management of Microsoft and third-party endpoint protection software on OSEs
  • Monitoring and notification of potentially malicious activity on OSEs
  • Threat intelligence and OSE misconfiguration warnings based on data gathered by Microsoft
  • Anomaly detection to highlight potential cyberattacks

Azure Defender can be integrated into Azure Security Center to offer additional capabilities. Azure Defender for Servers (applicable to physical servers and VMs) includes:

  • Management of just-in-time VM access to limit inbound traffic to Azure VMs except when requested and required
  • Analysis of network and application usage to help limit unwanted network traffic and application activity
  • System call alerts for Linux servers

With Azure Security Center and Azure Defender, you can manage and secure your Windows and Linux VMs, and improve your overall security posture.

Migrate to modernise

Microsoft will end Mainstream Support for System Center 2019 in less than three years. And in 2029, Extended Support for the suite will cease, too. We expect forthcoming updates and any additional features to focus on improving on-premises capabilities and further integrating System Center with Azure’s range of services.

If you plan to keep using System Center 2019, then be sure to bookmark these online resources to stay up to date with developments and announcements:

And if you want to explore your options for cloud-powered transformation, or data-centre migration to Azure, then book a workshop with us:

We can help you design a migration strategy, create a road map for implementation, and guide you and your teams through a seamless and secure Azure migration process. Get in touch to learn more.

Get maximum value from your Azure investment.

As a Gold Microsoft Partner and Microsoft Azure Expert MSP, we’re able to deliver innovative cloud solutions that work for you.

Take a look at our customer success stories to see how we’ve transformed enterprises in South Africa and around the world.

BUI attains Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure Advanced Specialization

We are excited to announce that we have earned the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure Advanced Specialization in recognition of our deep knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise in migrating Windows Server and SQL Server-based workloads to Azure.

Only Microsoft Partners that meet stringent criteria around customer success and staff skilling, as well as pass a third-party audit of their migration practices, are able to earn the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure Advanced Specialization.

As companies look to modernise their applications and take full advantage of the benefits that cloud computing can deliver, and with the recent end-of-support for Windows Server 2008 R2 and SQL Server 2008 R2, they are looking for a partner with advanced skills to assess, plan, and migrate their existing workloads to the cloud.

“This is the fifth advanced specialization we have attained since September last year, and it complements our existing capabilities in Adoption and Change ManagementIdentity and Access ManagementThreat Protection, and Windows Virtual Desktop,” says BUI Managing Director Ryan Roseveare.

“As more and more businesses turn to the cloud for productivity, security and scalability, we’re seeing an increased demand for expert technical advice and collaborative engagements. We are committed to giving customers the best service and the most innovative solutions to help them not only migrate with confidence, but also achieve their business objectives as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Roseveare explains.

Lionel Moyal, Commercial Partner Director at Microsoft South Africa, adds: “The Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure Advanced Specialization highlights the partners who can be viewed as most capable when it comes to migrating Windows-based workloads over to Azure. BUI clearly demonstrated that they have both the skills and the experience to offer clients a path to successful migration so that they can start enjoying the benefits of being in the cloud. I applaud BUI for this achievement. It further underscores their continuing efforts to deliver the highest levels of customer service and support in a rapidly changing world of work.”

BUI offers a two-week-long Data Centre Migration to Azure workshop for customers looking to transform their business operations with cloud technology. The workshop includes a cloud readiness assessment, a detailed road map for cloud implementation, Azure architecture fundamentals, a migration plan, and a migration execution proposal. Learn more on Azure Marketplace, or contact our team today.

Need a trusted partner to help you migrate to the cloud?

BUI is a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider and a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association.

Let’s talk about cloud-powered productivity and security solutions customised for your business requirements.