Still running Windows Server 2012? Support ran out years ago.
DataWarrant migrates your firm's file, print, AD, and application servers off end-of-life Windows Server versions to a modern, fully supported environment — on-premise or in Azure — before an unpatched vulnerability becomes your problem.
Purpose-built for law firm infrastructure
Every year on an unsupported OS is a year of unpatched risk.
Windows Server 2008 R2 and 2012 / 2012 R2 are both years past end of extended support, and 2016 is approaching its own support cutoff. Once a version goes end-of-life, Microsoft stops shipping security patches for it — full stop, unless you're paying for Extended Security Updates.
Firms that wait end up paying escalating ESU fees for a shrinking safety net, running critical infrastructure that vendors and cyber insurers no longer want to support. The firms that act now migrate on their own timeline, test thoroughly, and land on infrastructure with years of support ahead of it.
No more security patches
Unsupported versions stop receiving fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities — including the ones attackers actively scan for.
ESU costs climb every year
Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program is a paid bridge, and the price increases with each additional year you stay on it.
Compliance and insurance exposure
Cyber insurance renewals and client security questionnaires increasingly ask directly whether you're running supported operating systems.
Four migration paths. One right answer for your firm.
We assess your environment first, then recommend. Here are the paths we execute.
In-Place Upgrade to Windows Server 2022/2025
Upgrade existing physical or virtual servers directly where hardware and application compatibility allow, preserving roles and configuration.
- Lowest re-platforming effort
- Keeps infrastructure fully on-premise
- Familiar ops model for IT staff
- Best for recently refreshed hardware
Azure Virtual Machines
Rehost servers as Azure VMs, eliminating the on-premise hardware refresh cycle entirely and pairing naturally with Azure Backup and Site Recovery.
- No hardware refresh required
- Built-in backup and disaster recovery
- Pay for what you use
- Native Microsoft 365 and Entra ID integration
Azure Local
A modern hyperconverged on-premise platform for firms that need data to stay on-site but want Azure-consistent management and a current OS.
- Data stays on your premises
- Modern, supported hypervisor stack
- Consistent management with Azure
- Strong fit for data residency requirements
Application Modernization & Replatforming
Retire legacy file, print, and AD roles you don't need in favor of Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and SharePoint or OneDrive where appropriate — reducing what you need to migrate at all.
- Fewer servers to maintain long-term
- Reduces future migration scope
- Modern identity with Entra ID
- Best paired with an OS migration for what remains
What's included in the migration.
A full-scope engagement, not just an OS upgrade.
Full Server & Role Inventory
Every physical and virtual server, its roles (AD, DNS, DHCP, file, print, application), and its dependencies mapped before anything moves.
Legal Application Compatibility Testing
Elite, Aderant, iManage, NetDocuments on-prem components, and custom integrations tested against the target OS before cutover.
Extended Security Update Bridging
Where a clean cutover can't happen before your support deadline, we help you license and scope ESU coverage as a bridge, not a destination.
Active Directory & Entra ID Modernization
Domain controllers upgraded or replaced, with hybrid identity via Entra ID configured where it makes sense for your firm.
Physical-to-Virtual & Virtual-to-Cloud
Legacy physical servers converted to modern virtual machines, on-premise or in Azure, as part of the same project.
Hardware Refresh Planning
Where new hardware is required, we right-size it to the target OS and your actual workload — not the specs you bought a decade ago.
Security Baseline Hardening
Servers land on the new OS with current security baselines applied, not just a lift-and-shift of a decade of configuration drift.
Rollback-Ready Cutover Plans
Every migration wave has a tested rollback plan, so a failed cutover doesn't turn into a firm-wide outage.
Post-Migration Support
We stay engaged after go-live to tune, patch, and resolve issues as your team adapts to the new environment.
A structured process built around your risk, not a rigid script.
We assess before we plan, and we plan before anything moves.
- 01
Server & Role Inventory
Every server, its OS version, roles, and application dependencies catalogued — including which ones are safe to retire outright.
- 02
Compatibility & Risk Assessment
Legal applications and custom integrations tested against target OS versions. ESU exposure and support deadlines documented.
- 03
Target Architecture & Migration Path
We recommend in-place upgrade, Azure VM, Azure Local, or a mix per server, with a cost comparison against staying on ESU.
- 04
Build & Test
Target servers built and validated — AD replication, DNS, application connectivity — before any production workload cuts over.
- 05
Wave Migrations
Servers migrated in scheduled waves during maintenance windows, sequenced by risk and dependency, least disruptive first.
- 06
Decommission & Harden
Legacy servers decommissioned, current security baselines applied, and documentation handed off to your IT team.
What changes after migration.
Legacy Windows Server Today
- Running versions years past end of support
- No security patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities
- Paying escalating Extended Security Update fees
- Legacy hardware with no vendor support
- Manual patching and configuration drift
- Compliance and cyber insurance questionnaires flagged
- No path to hybrid cloud or modern identity
- Application vendors dropping support for the OS version
Post-Migration
- Running Windows Server 2022 or 2025 — fully supported
- Current security patches applied automatically
- No ESU fees — support included in the OS lifecycle
- Modern hardware or Azure infrastructure
- Automated patching and configuration baselines
- Compliance questionnaires answered cleanly
- Hybrid identity with Entra ID where useful
- Full vendor support for legal applications
Why law firms choose DataWarrant for Windows Server migrations.
Legal app expertise
We know Elite, iManage, NetDocuments, Aderant, and Intapp. We understand their infrastructure dependencies and what breaks during an OS migration if you don't plan carefully.
Security & compliance first
Attorney-client privilege, data residency requirements, and bar association guidance around infrastructure inform every architecture decision we make.
Honest cost modelling
We compare ESU fees against migration cost across a multi-year horizon before you commit to anything. No surprises post-migration.
Support-deadline awareness
We track your servers' end-of-support and ESU expiration dates and design the project timeline around them, bridging with ESU where needed.
Minimal disruption
Migrations are scheduled around court dates, closings, and firm events. Most cutovers complete in a single scheduled maintenance window.
End-to-end ownership
Assessment, architecture, build, migration, testing, and decommission — all DataWarrant. No handoffs between vendors mid-project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Know which servers are still on borrowed time?
Send us your current Windows Server versions and a rough server count. We'll come back with a preliminary risk assessment and migration path — no commitment required.