Windows Server on Azure

You can migrate a range of guest operating systems to Azure. This includes all the supported Windows Server versions and VMs from VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V environments with Azure Site Recovery. VMs migrated from these on-premises virtualization platforms run as native Azure infrastructure as a service (IaaS) VMs and are not dependent on the on-premises hypervisor. Windows Server customers using VMware can move or extend VMware environments to Azure with Azure VMware Solution.

We'll meet you where you are, whether you decide to stay on premises or adopt a hybrid model. In the meantime, check the end-of-support date for your version of Windows Server. Keep it running with Extended Security Updates, and ensure that you’ve upgraded to the latest version to take advantage of all the innovations. Many Windows Server customers operate both on-premises and in the cloud and can benefit from adaptive cloud innovations. Learn how to simplify complex environments that extend across datacenters, the edge, and multiple clouds with Azure Arc.

Explore Azure Virtual Machines pricing and the pricing calculator to choose the VMs that best suit your needs.

Yes. Azure Hybrid Benefit lets you use your existing Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance or Windows Server subscriptions for significant savings on Azure. Depending on your edition of Windows Server, you can convert or reuse your licenses to run Windows Server VMs on Azure and pay a lower base compute rate. For each license, Azure will cover the cost of the OS for up to two VMs while you pay only the base compute VM costs.

Yes. There's no upfront cost, and you pay for only what you use. Azure provides flexible purchasing and pricing options for all your cloud scenarios, including Azure Hybrid Benefit and Azure Reserved Virtual Machine Instances. Azure also offers a comprehensive set of tools to help you manage your cloud spend, including Microsoft Cost Management. Use the pricing calculator to determine your total cost of ownership (TCO), and learn more about Azure pricing.

It's important to keep Windows Server up to date. Your options for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 include:

• Move to Azure and run securely with free Extended Security Updates, saving even more with Azure Hybrid Benefit. Get guidance and support through Azure Migrate and Modernize and Azure Innovate.
• Upgrade to the latest version of Windows Server.
• Stay secure and upgrade later. Learn about Extended Security Updates.

Microsoft Learn offers a variety of training modules that you can use to learn about migration and modernization options for on-premises server workloads. A common approach for hosting Windows Server on Azure is with Azure Virtual Machines. To learn how to plan and deploy Windows Server Virtual Machines on Azure, follow this learning path. You can read more about how to use Azure compute services and Windows Virtual Machines in our detailed documentation.