It should be known by now that support for Windows Server 2008 (also for R2) and Windows 7 will end on January 14, 2020. There will therefore be no more security updates for these Windows versions. Support for Exchange Server 2010 was discontinued in September 2019 by Microsoft on the 13.10.2020 However, this does not include the operating system. So while Exchange 2010 will continue to receive security updates until October 2020, this does not apply to the operating system. Microsoft has cited the many Exchange 2010 installations as the reason for extending Exchange support, but most Exchange 2010 installations are likely to be running on Windows Server 2008 (R2). It is a shame that support for the operating system has not also been extended by a few months. Tomorrow is patch day again, so let's see if there will be the last updates for Windows 7 and Server 2008. There will probably be no more updates, unless Microsoft sees serious reasons and patches Server 2008 and Windows 7 out of turn, if I remember correctly, this was last the case with Windows XP.
So if anyone is still running Exchange Server 2010 on Server 2008 R2 (also SBS 2011) or is still using Windows 7: If the horse is dead, get off.
As I currently hear, there are still many SBS 2011 installations, these installations should now be migrated to Office 365 or Windows Server 2016 as quickly as possible. Even if it is not officially supported, you can also "rebuild" an SBS with Windows Server 2016 and Exchange 2016. SBS 2011 was basically just an installation of DC, Exchange, Sharepoint, file server and WSUS on one server (apart from a few minor additional features). This can still be realized with Windows Server 2016. Of course, this is not supported in this way; MS only supports the installation of these roles on a server in conjunction with SBS. Exchange 2010, Sharepoint 2010, WSUS etc on Server 2008 Standard was also not supported by Microsoft without SBS.
Since it is not a good idea to keep the old SBS or Windows 2008 Server running, you have to look for an alternative now at the latest (there is still one day left). Migrating to a single server with DC, Exchange, SharePoint, WSUS etc. on a Windows Server 2016 (self-built SBS) would be one option, but this is not supported by MS. In my opinion, however, this would still be better than continuing to run the old SBS 2011. Alternatively, Office 365 is an option, but here too, at least the Windows Server must be purchased new.
Whichever path is taken, the next serious security vulnerability is bound to occur, so haste is of the essence.
