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Azure Hybrid Benefit

The most cost-effective cloud for your Windows Server or SQL Server migration.

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Now is the time to move to Azure and reap the rewards of cloud technology, including the ability to scale up or down quickly, pay only for what you use, and save on compute power. Whether you are deploying new virtual machines, moving a few workloads, or migrating your datacenters as part of your hybrid cloud strategy, the Azure Hybrid Benefit provides big savings as you move to the cloud.

  1. Windows Server
  2. SQL Server

Save up to 40 percent on Windows Server virtual machines with Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server

Use your on-premises Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance to save big on Azure. With this benefit, for each license we will cover the cost of the OS (on up to two virtual machines!), while you just pay for base compute costs.

Save up to 40 percent today1

Azure Hybrid Benefit Savings Calculator

Enter the number of core licenses you own that are covered with active Software Assurance

Total licenses must be greater than zero

Enter planned Azure deployment of Windows Virtual Machines

Learn more about Windows Server instances
Sorry, the selected Windows Virtual Machine instance is not available in the selected region.
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Please enter more than zero hours per month

Save up to 82 percent with Azure Reserved Virtual Machine (VM) Instances

You can reserve virtual machines in advance and enjoy cost savings of up to 82% on pay-as-you-go prices when used alongside Azure Hybrid Benefit. Plus, Reserved VM Instances provide price predictability, as well as the flexibility to exchange or cancel to get pro-rated refund, should your needs change.

Learn more about Azure Reserved VM Instances

Activate your Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server

Already using Azure?

  1. Deploy a virtual machine within minutes from the Azure Portal or through the Azure Marketplace.
  2. Upload a custom virtual machine
  3. Migrate existing virtual machines with Azure Site Recovery

New to Azure? Create a Free Account

FAQ

  • The Azure Hybrid Benefit helps you get more value from your Windows Server licenses and save up to 40 percent* on virtual machines. You can use the benefit with Windows Server Datacenter and Standard edition licenses covered with Software Assurance. Depending on the edition, you can convert or re-use your licenses to run Windows Server virtual machines in Azure and pay a lower base compute rate (Linux virtual machine rates).

    * Actual savings may vary based on region, instance type, or usage.

  • The base compute rate that is used to calculate the Azure Hybrid Benefit is equal to the Linux rate for virtual machines.
  • The Azure Hybrid Benefit is applicable to Windows Server Standard and Datacenter Editions.
  • Each 2-processor license or each set of 16-core licenses are entitled to two instances of up to 8 cores, or one instance of up to 16 cores. The Azure Hybrid Benefit for Standard Edition licenses can only be used once either on-premises or in Azure. Datacenter Edition benefits allow for simultaneous usage both on-premises and in Azure.
  • The Azure Hybrid Benefit is available if you own Windows Server Standard or Datacenter edition licenses with active Software Assurance. It is not restricted to any specific licensing program.

  • Yes, you can. The "retroactive tagging" feature enables you to tag your existing VMs to enjoy this benefit. You can find more about how to convert existing VMs on Azure to use Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server.

Additional Resources

Full FAQ

Review frequently asked questions on Azure Hybrid Benefit

Datasheet

Download a summary on the Azure Hybrid Benefit

Windows Server on Azure

Download the Ultimate Guide to Windows Server on Azure

Documentation

Review technical tutorials and more resources

  1. Actual savings may vary based on location, instance type, or usage
  2. Savings based on two D2 v2 Promo virtual machines in West US 2 Region running 550 hours per month for 12 months, base compute rate at CentOS or Ubuntu Linux rate for West US 2, and Software Assurance cost (Level A) for Windows Server Standard edition (one 2-processor license or a set of 16 core licenses). Actual savings may vary based on location, instance type, or usage. Prices as of June, 2017. Prices subject to change.

Save up to 30 percent on Azure SQL Database with Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server

Maximize your current Software Assurance investment by using your existing SQL Server licenses to save up to 30 percent on vCore-based SQL Database options.

Save up to 30 percent today.

Azure Hybrid Benefit Savings Calculator

Enter the number of SQL Server license cores with Software Assurance

Total licenses must be greater than zero

Enter planned Azure deployment of SQL Server Instances

Sorry, the selected SQL Database instance is not available in the selected region.
Please make another selection.
Please enter more than zero hours per month

Get more for your virtualized workloads in SQL Database

SQL Server license trade-in values

SQL Database vCore-based options

SQL Server with Software Assurance

Exclusive to Azure: Get more for your virtualized workloads

SQL Server Enterprise Edition customers with Software Assurance who are using the unlimited virtualization benefit can move to SQL Database at a cost-effective rate.

Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server provides SQL Server Enterprise Edition customers with Software Assurance four cores in the cloud for every one core they own on-premises when selecting the General Purpose option. The General Purpose option best meets the requirements for virtualized workloads, making the move to SQL Database highly cost-effective.

Activate your Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server

Already using Azure?

Sign up for SQL Database Managed Instance from the Azure Portal or through Azure Marketplace.

Try SQL Database Single Database or Elastic Pool from the Azure Portal or through Azure Marketplace.

New to Azure? Create a Free Account

FAQ

  • A virtual core (vCore) represents the logical CPU available for your server, offered with a choice between generations of hardware. For servers created using Gen4 vCores, the vCores are based on Intel E5-2673 v3 (Haswell) 2.4 GHz processors. For servers created using Gen5 vCores, the vCores are based on Intel E5-2673 v4 (Broadwell) 2.3 GHz processors.

  • The vCore-based purchasing model gives you more flexibility and control and a straightforward way to translate your on-premises workload requirements to the cloud. It also allows you to scale compute and storage resources independently, based upon your workload needs.

    The vCore-based model is available to SQL Database Managed Instance, Single Database and Elastic Pool deployment options and enables the use of Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server for each of these options. Pricing within the vCore-based model is therefore available with and without the hybrid benefit:

    • License Included: Excludes Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server. This option is for customers who choose not to apply their existing SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance to vCore-based SQL Database deployment options.
    • Base Rate: Reduced price that includes Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server. Customers can opt into this price by using their SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance.

  • The Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server helps you maximize the value from your current licensing investments and accelerate your migration to the cloud. Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server is an Azure-based benefit that enables you to use your SQL Server licenses with active Software Assurance to pay a reduced rate (“base rate”) on SQL Database. Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server is available to all vCore-based options: SQL Database Managed Instance, Single Database and Elastic Pool. You may apply this benefit even if the SKU is active but note the base rate will be applied from the time you select it in the portal. No credit will be issued retroactively.

    You can activate the Azure Hybrid Benefit via the Azure Portal by attesting you have sufficient active licenses with Software Assurance. The Azure Hybrid Benefit works as follows:

    • If you have Standard Edition per core licenses with Software Assurance, you can get 1 vCore in the General Purpose option for every 1 license core you own on-premises.
    • If you have Enterprise Edition per core licenses with Software Assurance, you can get 1 vCore in the Business Critical option (coming soon) for every 1 license core you own on-premises. Note: The Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server for the Business Critical option is only available to Enterprise Edition customers.
    • If you have highly-virtualized Enterprise Edition per core licenses with Software Assurance you can get 4 vCores in the General Purpose option for every 1 license core you own on-premises. This is a unique virtualization benefit available only on Azure.

  • The virtualization benefit is applicable to virtualized workloads on vCore-based Azure SQL Database. You can use it to convert 1 core of SQL Enterprise Edition with active Software Assurance to get up to 4 vCores of General Purpose at the base rate. This makes moving virtualized applications to vCore-based SQL Database options highly cost-effective. For example, if you have 4 core licenses of SQL Enterprise Edition, you can receive up to 16 vCores of General Purpose at the base rate.

  • Your licenses must be used either on-premises or in the cloud; however, you have a 180-day grace period during which you can use licenses both on-premises and in the cloud to facilitate migration.

  • No. Azure Hybrid Benefit cannot be applied retroactively.

  • To use Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server, you need active Software Assurance. If your Software Assurance expires and you don’t renew it, you’ll be moved to the license included pricing of the respective SKU.

  • This hybrid benefit is only available for use with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and vCore-based Azure SQL Database options: Managed Instance, Single Database and Elastic Pool.

Additional Resources

Full FAQ

Review frequently asked questions on Azure Hybrid Benefit

Datasheet

Download a summary on the Azure Hybrid Benefit

Windows Server on Azure

Download the Ultimate Guide to Windows Server on Azure

Documentation

Review technical tutorials and more resources

  1. Savings based on eight vCore business critical Managed Instance in East US Region, running 730 hours per month. Savings are calculated from full price (license included) against reduced price (applying Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server), which includes the Software Assurance cost for SQL Server Enterprise edition. Actual savings may vary based on region, instance size and performance tier, and Software Assurance tier. Prices as of December 2017, subject to change.
  2. Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server is available to SQL Server Enterprise Edition and SQL Server Standard edition customers with active Software Assurance. The hybrid benefit is applicable to vCore-based General Purpose and Business Critical (coming soon) options in Azure SQL Database.
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