Mitigating Risks as .NET 6 End of Support Looms

.NET 6, which is arguably one of the greatest versions of .NET ever, is nearing its end of support on November 12, 2024. This means that after this date, Microsoft will STOP providing updates, including security patches and technical support, for .NET 6.

Why Does It Matter?

While your applications built on .NET 6 will continue to function, the end of support creates a bunch of risks for your organization:

• Security Vulnerabilities: Without ongoing security updates, your applications become increasingly exposed to newly discovered threats. This leads to bad stuff like data breaches, system compromises, and other (really serious) security issues. If you don’t believe me, read the last 30 years of technology articles…
• Lack of Technical Support: If you encounter issues with your .NET 6 applications after the end of support date, you'll be on your own to troubleshoot and resolve them.
• Compatibility Issues: As newer versions of .NET are released, your .NET 6 applications will experience compatibility problems with libraries, tools, and operating systems.

Action Plan for .NET 6 Users

1. Prioritize Upgrading to .NET 8: The most effective way to mitigate these risks is to upgrade your applications to .NET 8, the latest LTS release. Upgrading not only ensures continued security and support but also allows you to take advantage of new features and performance improvements. I know that sounds obvious, and if it were easy you’d have already done it. But, I can’t emphasize enough that holding on to old tech will continue to degrade your organization and increase your technical debt. 
2. Evaluate Your Applications: Assess the criticality and complexity of your .NET 6 applications. Prioritize mission-critical applications and those that handle sensitive data for upgrading first.
3. Use the .NET Upgrade Assistant: Microsoft provides a helpful tool called the .NET Upgrade Assistant to streamline the upgrade process. It can help identify compatibility issues, suggest code changes, and automate some of the upgrade tasks. [Note: The .NET Upgrade Assistant isn't a silver bullet and struggles with complex projects and third-party libraries, which usually requires manual intervention. It doesn't generally understand custom and non-standard code, which means manual adjustments. While helpful, it focuses on code-level changes, overlooking broader infrastructure or performance considerations.]
4. Thorough Testing: Before deploying upgraded applications to production, conduct comprehensive testing to ensure they function correctly and perform as expected in the new environment.
5. Consider Help: If you need help, there are lots of resources and vendors who can help. Not to put too fine a point on it, but this is what GAP does for a living.

Additional Tips

• Consult Microsoft's Resources: Refer to Microsoft's official documentation for detailed instructions and best practices on upgrading to .NET 8.
• Plan Ahead: Don't wait until the last minute. Start planning your upgrade now to avoid any disruptions or security risks.

Remember: The end of support for .NET 6 marks the deadline for taking action. Proactively upgrading to .NET 8 or exploring other support options is pretty much required to ensure the continued security, stability, and performance of your .NET applications.