Process for Upgrading SQL Server Version on Azure Pay as You Go VM

Question

Hi,

Trying to find documentation on upgrading the SQL Version (i.e., 2019 to 2022) on a pay as you go Azure VM that included the Windows Server and SQL Server license in the pay as you go. Everything thing I can find seems to be related to hybrid licensing or related to having software assurance and you having direct access to installation media. Is there any path for pay as you go other than spinning up a brand new vm and manually moving all databases, etc.

Answer 1

Hi Alan Whitehouse

Microsoft supports an in-place upgrade of SQL Server (for example, 2019 → 2022) on an Azure Virtual Machine deployed using the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) model. You do not need to create a new VM and migrate databases unless you prefer a side-by-side approach.

The upgrade is performed using the standard SQL Server upgrade process on the existing VM. The main consideration for PAYG VMs is how to obtain the SQL Server installation media.

For Marketplace-based SQL Server VMs, the supported approach is to provision a temporary Azure VM that already has the target SQL Server version (for example, SQL Server 2022), copy the installation media from that VM (commonly located under C:\SQLServerFull), and transfer it to your existing VM. After copying, the temporary VM can be removed.

Once the media is available on the existing SQL Server 2019 VM, you can run SQL Server Setup and choose the option to upgrade from a previous version. This performs an in-place upgrade, preserving existing databases, logins, SQL Agent jobs, and configuration. As with any SQL Server upgrade, there will be downtime during the process, and full backups should be taken beforehand.

After the upgrade completes, it is recommended to ensure the VM is properly registered with the SQL IaaS Agent extension so that the Azure portal reflects the updated SQL Server version and continues to manage the VM correctly. If the SQL edition was changed as part of the upgrade, the edition property should also be updated accordingly.

in-place upgrade is fully supported for PAYG SQL Server VMs. Creating a new VM and migrating databases is optional, not required.

Helpful References:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/install-windows/supported-version-and-edition-upgrades?view=sql-server-ver17
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-agent-extension-manually-register-single-vm?view=azuresql&tabs=azure-portal
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/change-sql-server-version?view=azuresql#get-a-sql-server-media-or-key-for-upgrading-the-version-of-sql-server
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/change-sql-server-version?view=azuresql

Hope this helps, Please let us know if you have any question and concerns.

Answer 2

As per https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/change-sql-server-version?view=azuresql

Customers who don't have Software Assurance can deploy an Azure Marketplace SQL Server VM image with the desired version of SQL Server, and then copy the setup media (typically located in C:\SQLServerFull) from it to their target SQL Server VM.

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hth

Marcin