Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Planning to implement Azure VMWare Solution to hybridize your on-prem VMware infrastructure with the Azure cloud?

If you have a “Microsoft Enterprise Agreement” or “Software Assurance on their Windows Server & SQL Server licenses”, you’re in luck! You have a unique benefit called the “Azure Hybrid Use Benefit” that entitles you to use your licenses within Azure in various cost-savings configurations.

For starters, our main page for “Azure Hybrid Use Benefit” – along with the “Hybrid Cost Calculator” is available here:

• Azure Hybrid Benefit – Hybrid Cost Calculator

MIGRATING SQL SERVER LICENSES FROM “ON-PREM VMWARE” TO “AZURE VMWARE SOLUTION”
Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise licenses are required for each Azure VMware Solution ESXi host core that is used by SQL Server workloads running in a cluster. You can reduce this however by specifically configuring the “Azure Hybrid Benefit feature within Azure VMware Solution”, using placement policies to limit the scope of ESXi host cores that need to be licensed within a cluster.

There are also 180 days of “dual-use rights” between on-premises and Azure to provide  migrating. This is outlined in:

1. Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server, SQL Server, or Linux subscriptions – Azure VMware Solution
2. Enable Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server in Azure VMware Solution – Azure VMware Solution

MIGRATING WINDOWS SERVER LICENSES FROM “ON-PREM VMWARE” TO “AZURE VMWARE SOLUTION”
Microsoft Windows Server Datacenter licenses on-prem have physical core licenses that are applied respectively to the physical cores of Azure VMware Solution, similar to how this is applied to Azure dedicated servers. 

This is outlined here:

1. Explore Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows VMs
2. Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server

MIGRATING RED HAT ENTERPRISE LINUX (RHEL) VIRTUAL MACHINES “ON-PREM VMWARE” TO “AZURE VMWARE SOLUTION”
Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB) for Linux lets you easily switch the software subscription model for your VM. You can remove licensing cost by bringing your Red Hat and SUSE Linux subscriptions directly to Azure, or utilize a model where you pay for subscriptions as you use them.

This is outlined here:

1. Azure Hybrid Benefit for Linux virtual machines