How do I justify upgrading to Windows Server 2008?

Question

We're just about to start a new greenfield project - it's a highly functional web application using ASP.NET MVC3, SQL Server etc. We're also going to be using Windows Workflow Foundation for the first time.

Our client only wants to use his existing Windows Server 2003 web servers. My main issue (other than it is 8 years old) is that we don't much experierence of WWF development, but understand that using AppFabric (Server 2008 only) will improve WWF development.

It's a significant cost to the client, as we need fail-over servers and a UAT environment as well.

Am I correct in my understanding, and what methodologies can I use to justify the cost of upgrading?

Answer 1

Your client needs to understand that if they are going to make the investment in their new system, they need to upgrade the infrastructure around it - it is all part of the SAME investment - ie. putting the new paint job on the old '76 Ford Pinto may spruce it up a bit - but it is still a Pinto (sorry Pinto fans)

But to help them, you need annotate each of the benefits, and then try to put a dollar amount on each of them. You hit on some of the benefits - Security, Virtualization, Performance, Server management, IIS Upgrades, Terminal server enhancements, AD upgrades - However, they all come at a price - with possible cost savings. You convinced them to use the technology stack that you did - great. Now, tie that stack with the enhancements in 2008 server - and try to associate cost savings with as much as you can.

Answer 2

Mainstream support for 2003 ended in July 2010 and while extended support is available until 2015 it isn't something I personally would like to rely on for a major new development. See here for more details from Microsoft.

Answer 3

For me the best way would be to estimate how much extra the development will cost if you have to do it on 2003.

Developers time is expensive. To work out how expensive typically double the average salary of the developers (this is a rough measure of all the additional costs of having that person around - office space, relevant taxes paid by the company, training, other benefits) and then divide by 220 (approximate number of working days in a year (260) after holidays (assume 20), public holidays (assumed 10) and average sick (assumed 10)) to establish the daily cost - so a developer earning $50,000 a year costs about $450 a day.

Then very roughly estimate the difference between doing it one way and the other in days (don't forget on-going support), multiply up by the daily rate and that's the cost.

That should have either eliminated or significantly cut into the cost of the 2008 licenses.

The other thing to do is look at how you can minimise the cost of the licenses - usually by cutting down on the number of servers (this will be over-speced a lot of the time) but also by looking at things such as MSDN which may allow you to get the development licenses for MS products on a better deal.

I'm not knocking things like the on-going support of the OS and the like as arguments, just my experience is that if someone is concerned about money, talk to them about money.

Update: As you're an internal department it may be that there is pressure that can be bought to bear as part of an overall company strategy. The advantage you have here is that in theory you share certain long term goals (as opposed to if you were a consultant or contractor you'd be a gun for hire doing what you were told). It's worth speaking to others within the IT department to see if there are strategic guidelines or standards that help you make your case (perhaps in the most extreme example no new apps running on 2003 servers).

Answer 4

My main issue (other than it is 8 years old) is that we don't much experierence of WWF development, but understand that using AppFabric (Server 2008 only) will improve WWF development.

You're kidding, right? Sure 2008 is better than 2003 (its 5 better) but if you can't justify it to yourself without some 'understanding' that 'AppFabric' will 'improve' WWF development... then you have no hope of justifying it to the client. Figure out if it will improve WWF development, after you've determined if WWF is the dev route that actually helps you make the product. (hey, why not chuck in Biztalk and make it run on the Cloud too)

Technology for technologies sake does not make a better product (if anything, it makes a worse one as you have to learn how to use it first), but it does mean you become uncompetitive. If your competitors come up with a bill half the one you present them with, and can give them what they want... you'll be drawing your unemployment cheque pretty quickly.

Answer 5

If you can't justify it to yourself with more than a vague single-sentence, it'd be highly unprofessional to try to persuade the customer to upgrade.