Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Did you know there’s a special trick that enables you to automatically register any SQL Server Virtual Machines running in your Azure subscription as SQL workloads in the Azure Portal?

• Register Your Azure SQL Virtual Machines with SQL Server IaaS Agent extension today
  “…simply tick a consent checkbox and allow Microsoft to automatically register all existing and future SQL Server Virtual Machines in your subscription”
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/updates/register-your-azure-sql-virtual-machines-with-sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-today/

If you enable this switch in your Azure Portal, any new Azure VMs running SQL Server get automatically discovered & registered in Azure Portal Management as “SQL Resources” & are simultaneously prepped for “Automated Management”, without *any* disruption to the VM’s operation.

WHY DOES ONE CARE?
By doing this, you get the benefits of SQL IaaS “Lightweight Management” Mode for all SQL Server VMs – at no cost!:

1. Registers the VM as a SQL resource in Azure Portal – enabling views & dashboards that “catch” any and all SQL resources in a group or the subscription
2. Enables the Azure Administrator to “discover” SQL workloads that “pop up” in their subscription to ensure they are properly licensed or applying Azure Hybrid Benefit to reduce the VM operational cost
3. Enables changing the SQL Server license type/edition on the fly to ensure it matches one’s licensing
4. Installs the SQL IaaS extension binaries on the VM – but does NOT reboot the VM nor consume CPU cycles
5. Simplifies compliance by notifying Microsoft that Azure Hybrid Benefit is enabled, a requirement per Product Terms
6. Enables administrators to easily step up to SQL IaaS “Full Management” mode during a maintenance window
   (Full Management provides Automated Backup, Automated Patching, Azure Key Vault Integration, etc. – for FREE)

Details here:

• Automatic registration with SQL VM resource provider
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-vm-resource-provider-automatic-registration?tabs=azure-cli
• What is the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension?
  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-automate-management?tabs=azure-cli