CodeFirst is a UK software company that maintains, takes over and modernises business software. We also build new systems at a fixed price.
United Kingdom
Joined August 2013
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A database upgraded to SQL Server 2019 from 2008, 2012 or 2014 may still run at its old compatibility level. Worth checking before the next upgrade, and worth testing on its own when you raise it.
SQL Server 2019 support dates, and what to check before the next upgrade: codefirst.co.uk/end-of-life/…
No tests on your old system? Run last month's real orders through it, save the invoices, and compare after every change. Any difference is either intended or a regression. Someone has to say which.
What regression testing is, and how to protect a system that has no tests: codefirst.co.uk/blog/what-is…
What to do about a system on an unsupported version: codefirst.co.uk/solutions/un…
SQL Server 2014 is in the final year of paid Extended Security Updates. They end on 12 July 2027, and there is no further year to buy. A database migration is easier to plan in October than in June.
Is the contractor who wrote your system retiring? Don't ask them for documentation. Have whoever takes over build, release and restore the system with them before their last day. The questions that come up are what no document captures.
What to secure while the contractor is still available, and how to run the handover: codefirst.co.uk/answers/our-…
Restoring the database is not the whole SQL Server upgrade. Agent jobs, SSIS packages, Reporting Services reports, linked servers and logins sit outside it and do not come across on restore. List them first.
SQL Server support dates for every version, and what to check before upgrading: codefirst.co.uk/end-of-life/…
.NET Framework 4.6.2 stops getting security fixes on 12 January 2027. Versions 4.7 to 4.8.1 remain supported for as long as the Windows version they run on. Worth knowing which one your older apps target.
Every .NET and .NET Framework date: codefirst.co.uk/end-of-life/…
Paying for bespoke software does not make you its owner. In the UK, copyright stays with the supplier unless a written, signed agreement assigns it to you. Worth checking before you need to change supplier.
What to look for in the contract: codefirst.co.uk/answers/who-…
An older business system rarely costs more because of its code. The cost rises around it: support fees, old licences, oversized servers, staff time on workarounds. List every cost against the part of the system it pays for. Some may pay for things nobody uses.
Where the money usually goes, and how to find the savings: codefirst.co.uk/solutions/ri…
Umbraco 13 stops getting security fixes on 14 December 2026. If your website or portal runs on it, plan the move to Umbraco 17 now rather than in the last fortnight before Christmas.
End-of-support dates for web platforms: codefirst.co.uk/end-of-life/…
