How to change sql server license in Azure VM? [clo

Question

We currently have a VM in Azure which was created from the Azure gallery as a VM with Sql Server Enterprise licensing included on a per-hour basis. This is a very expensive VM. We have MSDN licenses, and this is a dev machine, so we want to change the licensing.

How can we change the licensing without recreating the VM? Would it be possible to create a new VM, copy the disk, and then the licensing is gone?

Answer 1

Changing the SQL-Server license is only possible with the SQL-Server Setup tool. If you ordered the SQL server via the AZURE deployment, you would not gain any benefit in overwriting the license key. You will get billed "as ordered" not "as currently installed license". The only way to get off this contract is to delete the entire VM.

You will have to set up a new server and install your type of SQL-Server as needed with your own license key (or pick any of the preconfigured Data Services from AZURE). You then can transfer the database, either manually or guided by the SQL-Server Management Studio and later cancel the previous server.

How can we change the licensing without recreating the VM? Would it be possible to create a new VM, copy the disk, and then the licensing is gone?

No. As far as I know, the application license is tied to the data file, not to the VM instance. You would get the same bill, as it would be essentially the same Server. If you make a copy of the disk or create a template and multiply that one, you will get billed for EACH instance.

Try it and watch your bill rising.

Sorry. This may not be the answer you like, but that's the way AZURE licensing is handled.

Backing up the data files and restoring them on a new and cheaper server is quick and painless. However, since you later configured the server as a multi purpose application server, these applications go down the drain too, if you kill the VM. So be prepared with a backup plan (and down time) for those too. An additional, temporary mapped disk would be a good place to dump all your valuables.

Dynamics CRM is almost entirely defined in the databases, so restoring this service is like any other "desaster recovery procedure". Install clean and restore the database. You might have to manually configure SQL server logins and permissions as these are not part of the DB but of the server instance.

If you start with a plain server, you can still install any SQL-Server edition you like if you provide installation media and license key. You can download the ISO file from MS from within the VM. This may be quicker than uploading from your site.

Please mind that MS ist quite picky on whether you are allowed to install your own licenses. I have not heared of any technical hurdles.