extended support

Tech Optimizer
March 18, 2026
AWS has ended standard support for PostgreSQL 13 on its RDS platform, urging customers to upgrade to PostgreSQL 14 or later. PostgreSQL 14 introduces a new password authentication scheme (SCRAM-SHA-256) that disrupts the functionality of AWS Glue, which cannot accommodate this authentication method. Users upgrading to PostgreSQL 14 may encounter an error stating, "Authentication type 10 is not supported," affecting their data pipeline operations. The incompatibility has been known since PostgreSQL 14's release in 2021, and the deprecation timeline for PG13 was communicated in advance. AWS Glue's connection-testing infrastructure relies on an internal driver that predates the newer authentication support, leading to failures when validating setups. Customers face three options: downgrade to a less secure password encryption, use a custom JDBC driver that disables connection testing, or rewrite ETL workflows as Python shell jobs. Extended Support for customers who remained on PG13 is automatically enabled unless opted out during cluster creation, costing [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: AWS PostgreSQL 13 Support Ends, Unveiling Compatibility Challenges Earlier this month, AWS concluded standard support for PostgreSQL 13 on its RDS platform, urging customers to upgrade to PostgreSQL 14 or later to maintain a supported database environment. This transition aligns with PostgreSQL 13's community end-of-life, which occurred late last year. PostgreSQL 14, introduced in 2021, enhances security by adopting a new password authentication scheme known as SCRAM-SHA-256. However, this upgrade inadvertently disrupts the functionality of AWS Glue, the managed ETL (extract-transform-load) service, which is unable to accommodate the new authentication method. Consequently, users who heed AWS's security recommendations may find themselves facing an error message stating, "Authentication type 10 is not supported," effectively halting their data pipeline operations. This situation is particularly concerning as both RDS and Glue are typically utilized within production environments, where reliability is paramount. The deprecation of PostgreSQL 13 did not create this issue; rather, it eliminated the option to bypass a long-standing problem that has persisted for five years. Customers now face a dilemma: either accept an increased maintenance burden or incur costs associated with Extended Support. The crux of the matter lies in the connection-testing infrastructure of AWS Glue, which relies on an internal driver that predates the newer authentication support. When users click the "Test Connection" button to validate their setup, it fails to function as intended. A community expert on AWS's support forum acknowledged three years ago that an upgrade to the driver was pending, assuring users that crawlers would operate correctly. However, reports have surfaced indicating that crawlers also encounter issues, further complicating the situation. This incompatibility has been acknowledged since PostgreSQL 14's release, and the deprecation timeline for PG13 was communicated in advance. Both the RDS and Glue teams are likely aware of industry developments, yet it appears that neither team monitored the implications of their respective updates on one another. The underlying reason for this disconnect is rooted in AWS's organizational structure, which comprises tens of thousands of engineers divided into numerous semi-autonomous service teams. Each team operates independently, with the RDS team focusing on lifecycle deprecations and the Glue team managing driver dependencies. Unfortunately, this division of responsibilities has resulted in a lack of ownership over the gap between the two services, leaving customers to confront the consequences in their production environments. This scenario is not indicative of malice or a deliberate revenue enhancement strategy; instead, it reflects the challenges posed by organizational complexity. Integration testing across service boundaries is inherently difficult, particularly when those boundaries span multiple billion-dollar businesses under the same corporate umbrella. The unfortunate outcome is that customers are left to grapple with the fallout of these misalignments. For those facing a broken pipeline in the early hours of the morning, the rationale behind the incompatibility becomes irrelevant. The pressing need is for a solution, and AWS has presented three options, none of which are particularly appealing: Downgrade the password encryption on your database to the older, less secure standard, which contradicts AWS's own security guidance. Utilize a custom JDBC driver, which disables connection testing and may not support all desired features. Reconstruct ETL workflows as Python shell jobs, effectively abandoning the benefits of a managed service. For customers who opted to remain on PG13 to avoid this specific issue, Extended Support is now automatically enabled unless explicitly opted out during cluster creation—a detail that can easily be overlooked. This support incurs a fee of [cyberseo_openai model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Rewrite a news story for a technical publication, in a calm style with creativity and flair based on text below, making sure it reads like human-written text in a natural way. The article shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. The article shall NOT start from a title. Response language English. Generate HTML-formatted content using tag for a sub-heading. You can use only , , , , and HTML tags if necessary. Text: Earlier this month, AWS ended standard support for PostgreSQL 13 on RDS. Customers who want to stay on a supported database — as AWS is actively encouraging them to do — need to upgrade to PostgreSQL 14 or later. This makes sense, as PostgreSQL (pronounced POST-gruh-SQUEAL if, like me, you want to annoy the living hell out of everyone within earshot) 13 reached its community end of life late last year. PostgreSQL 14, which shipped in 2021, defaults to a more secure password authentication scheme (SCRAM-SHA-256, for any nerds that have read this far without diving for their keyboards to correct my previous parenthetical). It also just so happens to break AWS Glue, their managed ETL (extract-transform-load) service, which cannot handle that authentication scheme. If you upgrade your RDS database to follow AWS's own security guidance, AWS's own data pipeline tooling responds with "Authentication type 10 is not supported" and stops working. Given that both of these services tend to hang out in the environment that most companies call "production," this is not terrific! The deprecation didn't create this problem. It just removed the ability to avoid a problem that has existed for five years, unless you take on an additional maintenance burden or pay the Extended Support tax. Here's the technical shape of the Catch-22, stripped to what matters: when you move to a newer PostgreSQL on RDS, Glue's connection-testing infrastructure uses an internal driver that predates the newer authentication support. The "Test Connection" button — the thing you'd click to verify that your setup works before trusting it with production data — simply doesn't. A community expert on AWS's support forum acknowledged three years ago that "the tester is pending a driver upgrade," and assured users that crawlers use their own drivers and should work fine. Users in the same thread reported back that the crawlers also fail. Running Glue against RDS PostgreSQL is a bread-and-butter data engineering pattern, not an edge case — this is a well-paved path that AWS has let fall into disrepair. The incompatibility has been known since PostgreSQL 14 shipped in 2021. The deprecation timeline for PG13 was announced in advance. Both teams—RDS and Glue—presumably track industry developments. Neither, apparently, bothered to track each other. The charitable read on how this happens is also the correct one: AWS has tens of thousands of engineers organized into hundreds of semi-autonomous service teams. The RDS team ships deprecations on the RDS lifecycle, the Glue team maintains driver dependencies on the Glue roadmap, and nobody explicitly owns the gap between them. The customer discovers the incompatibility in production, usually at an inconvenient hour. This is not a conspiracy, as AWS lacks the internal cohesion needed to pull one of those off. This is also not a carefully-constructed revenue-enhancement mechanism, because the Extended Support revenue is almost certainly a rounding error on AWS's balance sheet compared to the customer ill-will it generates. Instead, this is simply organizational complexity doing what organizational complexity does. It's the same reason your company's internal tools don't talk to each other; AWS is just doing it at a scale where the blast radius is someone else's production database. Integration testing across service boundaries is genuinely hard when those boundaries span multiple billion-dollar businesses that happen to share a parent company. Nobody woke up and decided to break Glue. It came that way from the factory. I want to be clear that I genuinely believe this, because the alternative I'm about to describe isn't about intent. The problem with the charitable read is that it doesn't matter If you're staring at a broken pipeline in your environment at 2 am, the reason is academic. You need a fix. AWS has provided three of them, and they all suck. You can downgrade password encryption on your database to the older, less secure standard: the one you just upgraded away from, per AWS's own recommendations. You can bring your own JDBC driver, which disables connection testing and may not support all the features you want. Or you can rewrite your ETL workflows as Python shell jobs. Every exit means giving up the entire value proposition of a managed service — presumably why you're in this mess to begin with — or walking back the security improvement you were just told to make. For customers who stayed on PG13 to avoid this specific problem, Extended Support is now running automatically unless you opted out at cluster creation time—a detail that's easy to miss. That's $0.10 per vCPU-hour for the first two years, doubling in year three. A 16-vCPU Multi-AZ instance works out to nearly $30,000 per year in Extended Support fees alone. It's not a shakedown. But it is a number that appears on a bill, from a company that also controls the timeline for fixing the problem, and all of the customer response options are bad. AWS doesn't need to be running a shakedown. They just need to be large enough that the result is indistinguishable from one. This pattern isn't unique to AWS, and it isn't going away. Every major cloud provider – indeed, every major technology provider – is a portfolio of semi-autonomous teams whose roadmaps occasionally collide in their customers' environments. It will happen again, with different services and different authentication protocols and different billing line items. The question isn't whether the org chart will produce another gap like this. It will. The question is what happens after the gap appears: does the response look like accountability — acknowledging the incompatibility before the deprecation deadline, not after — or does it look like a shrug and three paid alternatives? Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by one very large org chart. Just don't forget to check the invoice. ®" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" ].10 per vCPU-hour for the first two years, doubling in the third year. For instance, a 16-vCPU Multi-AZ instance could result in nearly ,000 annually in Extended Support fees alone. While this may not be a deliberate exploitation of customers, it does present a significant financial burden, especially given that AWS controls the timeline for resolving the underlying problem. This pattern of organizational dissonance is not unique to AWS; it is a common occurrence among major cloud providers and technology companies alike. Each operates as a collection of semi-autonomous teams, leading to potential conflicts that can manifest in customer environments. The future will likely see similar gaps arise, characterized by different services, authentication protocols, and billing implications. The critical question remains: how will these organizations respond once such gaps are identified? Will they demonstrate accountability by acknowledging incompatibilities before deprecation deadlines, or will they offer a shrug accompanied by three costly alternatives? In navigating this complex landscape, it is essential to remember that the challenges posed by large organizational structures can often lead to unintended consequences. As customers, vigilance regarding invoices and service compatibility is paramount." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].10 per vCPU-hour for the first two years and doubling in the third year. This situation reflects the challenges posed by AWS's organizational complexity, where independent teams may not effectively coordinate updates, leading to customer difficulties.
Winsage
March 5, 2026
Windows 12 is speculated to launch as early as late 2026, coinciding with the expiration of extended support for Windows 10. Rumors suggest it may feature a modular structure, allowing user customization, and will integrate artificial intelligence as a core component. Community reactions have been largely critical, particularly regarding the potential for a subscription model for AI features. There are doubts about whether Microsoft can effectively launch a new version while addressing issues in Windows 11. Additionally, the next iteration may not be called Windows 12, with possibilities of names like Windows AI or Windows Copilot to reflect its AI focus.
Winsage
March 4, 2026
Microsoft has been encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11 since its launch in October 2021, employing tactics such as full-screen pop-up ads. Some users prefer Windows 10 due to its hardware requirements and design issues. A user named 'djseifer' reported that their Windows 10 PC automatically upgraded to Windows 11 while they were away, despite declining previous upgrade prompts. Upon returning, they expressed dissatisfaction with the new interface, particularly the Start menu and centralized taskbar. It is generally understood that Microsoft should not forcibly upgrade a user's operating system without consent, although the user may have inadvertently consented through prior agreements. Users can disable automatic updates to maintain their Windows 10 experience, but this may expose them to security vulnerabilities. Microsoft requires TPM 2.0 for Windows 11, complicating upgrades for unsupported hardware. Windows 10 will still be usable after Microsoft ends support on October 14, 2025, but users will face increased risks from cyber threats. Extended Security Updates (ESU) will provide limited security updates for a time.
Winsage
February 25, 2026
Microsoft is offering up to three years of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for older Windows installations, with the expectation of compensation. Most major versions of Windows 10 will reach end of support by 2025, while Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB and Windows IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 will end support on October 13, 2026, and Windows Server 2016 will conclude support on January 12, 2027. Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows Server 2025 for Windows Server 2016 users. The pricing for ESU for Windows 10 2016 LTSB starts at a specified amount per device for the first year, with expected increases in subsequent years. Customers using Intune or Windows Autopatch may receive a reduced rate. There is no official pricing for Windows Server 2016 ESU, creating uncertainty for administrators. Historically, Microsoft has charged a premium for extended support, with previous ESU costs for Windows Server 2012 being 100 percent of the full license price for the first year. The final cost of ESU will depend on each organization’s licensing agreement.
Winsage
February 24, 2026
Microsoft has announced the end of support for several Windows products launched in 2016, including Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB, and Windows IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016. Windows Server 2016 has been in the extended support phase since January 2022, with security updates available until January 12, 2027. Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB and Windows IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 will reach the end of their extended support on October 13, 2026. Microsoft offers the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for these products, allowing critical security updates for a fee, with costs for Windows 10 Enterprise 2016 LTSB set to increase annually per device. ESU will also be available for Windows Server 2016, but pricing details are not yet released. Windows IoT Enterprise LTSB 2016 will receive extended support through hardware manufacturers, with terms and costs varying by supplier. Microsoft emphasizes that using unsupported software increases risks and that migrating to a newer version of Windows is the only long-term solution.
Winsage
February 20, 2026
Mozilla has ceased support for Firefox on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, with the final version available being Firefox 115. Users will continue to receive updates through the Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) channels until February 2026. This decision follows Microsoft's end of support for these Windows versions in January 2023. Mozilla encourages users to upgrade to newer operating systems like Windows 10 or Windows 11, or to switch to Linux. Additionally, Mozilla has faced criticism regarding plans to transform Firefox into an AI-driven browser, but assured users that all AI features will be optional.
Winsage
February 19, 2026
Mozilla has announced that "Firefox version 115 is the last supported Firefox version for users of Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1." Support for these operating systems began phasing out in January 2023, with access to the Extended Support Release (ESR) for critical security updates available until the end of February 2023. Firefox will continue to support Windows 10 for the foreseeable future, but transitioning to Windows 11 may present challenges due to hardware requirements. Mozilla suggests considering a shift to a Linux-based operating system for users whose hardware cannot accommodate Windows 10 or higher, as most Linux distributions come with Firefox as the default browser.
Winsage
February 15, 2026
Microsoft has blocked credential autofill functionality in Windows 11 as part of the February 2026 Patch Tuesday updates to address the critical vulnerability CVE-2026-20804, which allows unauthorized access by tampering with Windows Hello authentication. This vulnerability was first identified in August 2025 and allows local administrators to inject biometric data. The restriction was documented in the January 2026 Patch Tuesday release notes. Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) operates at a hypervisor virtual trust level but is limited by hardware compatibility issues, particularly affecting AMD-based systems. Post-update, credential dialogs do not respond to virtual keyboard inputs from remote desktop or screen-sharing applications, preventing autofill during remote support sessions. Microsoft has provided a risky workaround that allows applications to operate with elevated administrator privileges, but this reintroduces the vulnerability. Organizations must now choose between disrupted remote support workflows or risking exposure to credential injection attacks, leading to operational challenges for IT teams and help desk staff.
Tech Optimizer
January 29, 2026
Standard support for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition and Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL version 13 will end on February 28, 2026. PostgreSQL 13 will be deprecated by the community in November 2025, ceasing to receive bug fixes or security patches. AWS recommends upgrading to newer versions, such as 16 or 17, which offer significant performance enhancements and improved security. PostgreSQL 17 can achieve up to twice the write throughput and consumes 20 times less memory during vacuum operations. Version 16 introduces pg_stat_io for detailed I/O statistics, while version 14 includes a vacuum emergency mode. Aurora-specific enhancements in version 14.9 and later can lead to faster query latency and reduced costs. Version 14 introduces new roles for access control, and version 15 revokes certain permissions. Major upgrades in logical replication include automatic slot synchronization in version 17 and support for parallel apply in version 16. Transitioning between major versions requires careful examination of catalog changes, as some views and configuration parameters will evolve. Extensions must be verified, as most do not auto-upgrade. An in-place major version upgrade can be performed via the AWS Console or CLI, with downtime varying based on database size. AWS recommends snapshot-based testing beforehand. The CLI command can check valid upgrade targets, leading from version 13 to 14, 15, 16, or 17. Preparation involves validating instance classes and dropping replication slots. Amazon RDS Blue/Green deployments allow for near-zero downtime by synchronizing production with a staging environment, enabling application testing before traffic switching. This feature is supported from Aurora PostgreSQL version 13.12 onward. Logical replication through pglogical offers flexibility for minimal downtime, while AWS DMS supports homogeneous migration with Change Data Capture. Extended Support is available for a fee, providing up to three years of security patches. Best practices include replicating production environments in staging, conducting load tests, and validating queries against new catalogs. Recent minor releases, including Aurora PostgreSQL 17.6 and 16.10, showcase ongoing improvements. Engaging AWS Support is advisable for complex setups to ensure seamless transitions before the deadline.
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