It’s my understanding that you should be able to buy the ESUs from any Microsoft CSP. The MAK will show up in the MAC (admin.microsoft.com), which you’ll add to each server using slmgr.vbs /ipk and then activate.
You’ll typically get 3 years of updates via ESU. Each license is only valid for a year, so you’ll need to re-license each server annually. In my experience, the cost per license doubles each year.
If you’re interested in getting in contact with someone who can sell you ESUs, send me a DM. They’re located locally to me (MN). I’m not sure if they’re able to sell to companies in other states, as they’re mostly a local MSP/ITSP, but it’d be worth asking.
Answer from big-green-man on community.spiceworks.comAny guidance for purchasing Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows Svr 2012
Windows 2012 extended support
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 end of support | Sysnative Forums
When extended support ends for 2012R2 does that also mean MS Defender will no longer be updated?
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It would seem that microsoft has decided to extend support for 2012 another 3 years. Well at least we got some old stuff migrated that management might not have given the budget for in any other case.
https://blog.trustedtechteam.com/2023-11-13-microsoft-announces-three-year-extension-for-windows-server-2012-esus/
It’s my understanding that you should be able to buy the ESUs from any Microsoft CSP. The MAK will show up in the MAC (admin.microsoft.com), which you’ll add to each server using slmgr.vbs /ipk and then activate.
You’ll typically get 3 years of updates via ESU. Each license is only valid for a year, so you’ll need to re-license each server annually. In my experience, the cost per license doubles each year.
If you’re interested in getting in contact with someone who can sell you ESUs, send me a DM. They’re located locally to me (MN). I’m not sure if they’re able to sell to companies in other states, as they’re mostly a local MSP/ITSP, but it’d be worth asking.
We have a client that’s got a Windows Server 2012 R2 server and a pretty extensive Autodesk Revit deployment with Revit Servers 2018 through 2024. Their projects are typically very large and long running so there are still projects in Revit 2018 that are being actively worked on. We started working back in September of last year to try to migrate them to at least Revit 2021 (which supports Windows Server 2022) but we aren’t going to make it and they’re likely going to be stuck on Windows Server 2012 for quite a while. At this point, we have to start looking at how to keep the Server 2012 going for as long as we can and the Extended Security Updates seem to be our only option. We usually buy Microsoft licensing through TechData / TD Synnex but they have basically said “we don’t do that” and hung up. I’m digging around on the Microsoft site now to try to wrap my head around it but am not making a lot of progress. Can anyone here give me some pointers or point me in the right direction on this? My original hope was that there would just be a SKU that I’d buy that would give me a magical key or something to continue getting updates but that’s apparently not the case
@Microsoft
Hello,
We have so many on prem virtual machines running windows 2012 servers in the environment and I was reading that there is buy option to extend the support for patching
and updates. I need help on how this can be accomplished.
Do we buy license from Microsoft ? What type of license?
All covered here
learn.microsoft.comHow to get Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2,...
Learn how to get Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2 after the end of their support lifecycle.
Note the specifics here about volume license requirements and what can be covered along with how
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowserver/forum/all/how-can-i-buy-esu-for-windows-server-2012-r2/6eaa67c0-0b0c-46ee-b48a-c548bb907b76