How to Apply BYOL SQL License to Existing Azure VM on Cloud IAAS

In case if you are looking to apply BYOL SQL License to Existing Azure VM, then this post is for you. If you or your customer have an Enterprise Agreement or Software Assurance (SA) for License mobility, you can migrate your existing SQL Server workloads to the Azure Cloud. Let’s find out how.

How To Apply BYOL SQL License to Existing Azure VM

Until recently, the best way to achieve this is to deploy a vanilla Windows Server 2012 or 2016 VM image. Post-deployment, you have to install SQL Server manually using your installation media and use your purchased SQL Server License key (If not populated by default).

In case if you used any of the SQL Server VM pre-built images available on Azure, you will be charged for the SQL Server on an hourly basis. Even if you uninstall SQL, the billing will not stop, since the License cost is associated with the VM image. Asking Microsoft support to remove this billing is not a good idea either, because custom building VM’s can become an administrative nightmare for Microsoft.

Now, if you were already using an existing SQL Server VM image on Azure, the process mentioned above and a side-by-side migration were recommended.

On the 26th of May, 2016 Microsoft, in a blog post, announced the availability of BYOL images for SQL Server on Azure. These VM images do not tag the SQL Server billing, and you will have to provide the essential BYOL information to Microsoft within ten days. Screenshot below:

It eliminates the need to build custom images in order to migrate SQL Server to Azure Virtual Machines. Instead, customers can quickly provision VMs from one of the above images (screenshots) and add their existing license. Do not that an Enterprise Agreement subscription is required.

Read the Microsoft announcement here.

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