The new Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization is now live

  • Article

Appropriate roles: Global admin | MPN Partner Admin

As of January 9, 2023, the new Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization will combine and replace the following specializations:

  • Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure
  • Linux and Open-Source Database Migration to Microsoft Azure

Overview

Given the desire to align with customer expectations and accommodate the natural overlap between the capabilities validated in the two previously mentioned specializations, the new Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization simplifies the validation of core infrastructure migration expertise for customers.

On January 9, 2023, partners with active enrollments in the Linux and Open-Source Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization and/or the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization will be auto-enrolled in the new Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization.

If your organization is currently enrolled in either or both previously mentioned specializations, any incremental product benefit packages that have already been provisioned for enrollment in either the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization and/or the Linux and Open-Source Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization won't be affected during your current organization’s Solutions Partner designation year.

However, on your organization’s next Solutions partner designation anniversary date, only the Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft specialization will be eligible for incremental product benefits against the maximum cap of five Azure specializations. Refer to the Solutions partner benefit guide to learn more about the individual maximum cap amounts for benefits provisioning by specialization category.

Prerequisites

The following are the new Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization prerequisite requirements to apply for the new specialization as of January 9, 2023 or renew this specialization upon your respective anniversary date. Review the new prerequisites and plan ahead to ensure your organization is able to auto-renew upon your anniversary date and maintain the new specialization.

Requirements Details
Solutions Partner requirement Your organization must have an active Solutions Partner for Infrastructure (Azure) designation OR Solutions Partner for Data & AI (Azure) designation.
Performance requirements Your organization must show an average of at least USD10,000 Windows Server Virtual Machine (VM) Azure Consumed Revenue (ACR) in the previous three months from at least three customers (aggregated from across your customers), and your organization must also show an average of at least USD 5,000 Linux VM ACR in the previous three months from at least three customers (aggregated from across your customers).

AND

Your organization must show an average of USD 3,000 from SQL Managed Instance (MI), SQL Database (DB), and SQL VM ACR in the previous three months from at least three customers (aggregated from across your customers). At least USD 1,000 of that average must be from SQL MI or SQL DB.

AND

Your organization must also show an average of USD1,500 ACR in the previous three months from at least three customers (aggregated from across your customers) from any or a combination of these databases:

Azure Database (DB) for MariaDB

Azure DB for MySQL

Azure DB for PostgreSQL Azure Cosmos DB
Knowledge requirements Your organization must have at least three individuals who have passed the following certifications (each certification listed is held by at least one individual):

DevOps Engineer Expert certification

Azure Data Engineer Associate certification

Azure Administrator Associate certification
Audit Your organization must pass a third-party remote audit. (For partners who are auto-enrolled into the new specialization as of January 9, 2023, your organization won't need to schedule an audit for the new specialization upon your anniversary date. You'll be auto renewed upon your anniversary date if you've met the other prerequisites. Upon your second year in the new specialization, your organization will have to pass the audit in addition to meeting the prerequisites.)

If you had an active enrollment in the Linux and Open-Source Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization and/or the Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization prior to January 9, 2023, sign in to Partner Center to confirm your organization’s new anniversary date under the new Infra and Database Migration to Microsoft Azure specialization.

Review the new prerequisites and plan to ensure your organization can auto-renew upon your anniversary date and maintain the new specialization.

If you would like to apply for the new specialization, sign in to Partner Center to start the process of completing the required steps and validations for this specialization.

Next steps