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Hi,
We have an existing 2016 Standard Server running as a VM image on a platform from a IaaS provider. The server is licensed using the Volume Licensing from the IaaS Provider. We'd like if possible to lift and shift that image into our tenancy in Azure. I was looking at this URL in the hope we could migrate the server https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/tutorial-migrate-physical-virtual-machines.
However on the licensing side, just wondering if it is possible to update the Volume license from the IaaS provider on the server and replace it with a possible Azure server license or would we need to purchase our own windows 2016 license etc and use it on the machine? Is there a best recommended way to do this?
Thanks
@Sliverlight Any update on the issue?
Please "Accept as Answer" if it helped so it can help others in community looking for help on similar topics.
Thanks
@prmanhas-MSFT Hi, Just wanted to give you an an update. I managed to resolve this. I had to use a volume license key for windows 2016 and then point the server licensing to the Azure KMS server. Once I did the following the I was then using the Azure Licensing server for the VM license and it seems to be working well.
Thanks
@Sliverlight Yes, if you have Software Assurance (SA) you can use License Mobility or Azure Hybrid Benefits to "bring-your-own-license" for all Virtual Machines supported server products. License Mobility does not apply to Windows Server. Azure Hybrid Benefits apply to Windows Server and SQL Server only.
The license to run Windows Server in the Azure environment is by default included in the per-minute cost of your Windows Virtual Machine.
Windows Server licenses are not eligible for License Mobility through Software Assurance, but customers licensing Windows Server with Software Assurance can utilise the Azure Hybrid Benefit for a cheaper per-minute cost when running a Windows Virtual Machine.
Licences for use of Windows Server on-premises (whether in a virtual hard disk (VHD) or otherwise) must be obtained separately through volume licensing.
You can refer to below articles as well for more information:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/product-licensing/azure
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-in/pricing/licensing-faq/
Hope it helps!!!
Please "Accept as Answer" if it helped so it can help others in community looking for help on similar topics.
@prmanhas-MSFT Thank you for your answer and sorry for delay in coming back to you. I understand the licensing better with what you have outlined. However, I just still have a query in relation to replacing the Volume licensing on a migrated machine with a license from Azure, in that can I upload an image of a windows 2016 and then update it's license key with a license key from Azure. Hope this makes sense. Thanks
@Sliverlight Thank you for responding back!!!
Coming to your query Yes you can migrate your machine to Azure and make use of license from same.
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 or Windows Server Subscriptions. 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).
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/product-licensing/azure
Hope it helps!!!
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@prmanhas-MSFT Thank you again for your response.
I don't think I'm been clear in my response to you. The trouble is that we cannot make use of the license that the VM is currently using as we don't own this license, it is a license supplied by our IaaS provider who we will no longer use. We need to replace this license that is on the machine.
I was hoping that we could maybe relicense the server using a license supplied by Azure. I'm not sure if this is possible, get a license from Azure and then use it on this VM? I hope this clarifies what I'm trying to say.
Thank you
@Sliverlight Thank you for the clarification!!! Let me reach out to our internal licensing team to have clarity on this and will keep you updated on thread once I have input from their side.
Thanks
@prmanhas-MSFT Thank you very much for that. I will await your response back.
Posting as answer due to character limit
@Sliverlight Apologies for all the delay in response. I had discussion internally and below is the response I got from our internal team:
There are multiple ways to move VMs to Azure depending on where they are and how much work you want to do.
They can also download their VHD and upload it directly to Azure then create a new VM from that custom VHD.
Upload a VHD to Azure or copy a disk across regions - Azure PowerShell - Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
Create a Windows VM from a specialized VHD in Azure - Azure Virtual Machines | Microsoft Learn
Licensing should be all taken care of through any migration process.
Hope it helps!!!
Please "Accept as Answer" if it helped so it can help others in community looking for help on similar topics
@prmanhas-MSFT . Sorry for the delay in getting back. I was in the process of migrating an on premise server(windows 2016 STD) to Azure on the past day as I wanted to see how the licensing was handled.
I used the Azure Appliance migration for the migration process and setup the migration process in the Azure. I first replicated the server and then successfully migrated it into Azure. I then connected in via RDP, but on connection I can see the license information is still the same as it was for the on-premise's server. I did select an option on the migration not to use the Hybrid licensing option. So I would have thought the server license would have probably updated to an Azure license, but this didn't seem to happen.
Can you ask your internal team if there's something else I need to do?
Thanks