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Cloud license status: Reference

Cloud license management can provide the license status and requirements for the following Windows resources:

  • Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Scale Sets
  • SQL resources, including:
    • SQL Database/Elastic Pool
    • SQL Managed Instance
    • SQL Virtual Machine
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To view the license status of a resource, select its name from the resource table of the Windows Server or SQL Server page. The status will display in the Licensing information tab of an information panel. The tab will also indicate the license requirements for the resource.

Possible license statuses and reasons​

Cloud management provides the current license status for both Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Scale Sets and SQL resources. It also provides the reason for that licensing status.

Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Scale Sets​

Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Scale Sets can have the following license statuses:

  • Eligible: The resource uses a Windows Server operating system and is not in a Dev/Test subscription.
  • BYOL: The resource has the Azure Hybrid Benefit applied, which results in no license charges from the cloud provider.
  • Not Applicable:
    • The resource is in a Dev/Test subscription, which results in no license charges from the cloud provider.
    • The resource does not use a Windows Server operating system.

For additional information about VMs, what affects the cloud license status for them, and actions you can take to optimize your licensing cost savings, see Explore Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows VMs - Azure Virtual Machines .

SQL resources​

SQL resources can have the following license statuses:

  • Eligible:
    • The resource is a SQL managed instance and is not in a Dev/Test subscription.
    • The resource is a SQL database configured with the vCore purchasing model and is not in a Dev/Test subscription.
    • The resource is a SQL virtual machine, not configured as a high availability and disaster recovery replica and is not in a Dev/Test subscription.
  • BYOL: Azure Hybrid Benefit is applied, resulting in no license charges from the cloud provider.
  • Not Applicable:
    • The resource is a SQL database configured with the Serverless compute tier.
    • The resource is a SQL database configured with the DTU-based purchasing model.
      For information on vCore versus DTU Purchasing models, see vCore purchasing model - Azure SQL Database .
    • The resource is a SQL virtual machine that uses SQL Server Web, Express, or Developer edition.
    • The resource is a SQL virtual machine configured as a high availability and disaster recovery replica resulting in no license charges from the cloud provider.
      For information on disaster recovery replicas and AHB, see SQL Server HADR and centrally managed Azure Hybrid Benefit coexistence .

For additional information about SQL resources, what affects the cloud license status for them, and actions you can take to optimize your licensing costs, see:

More cloud licensing information​

For additional information about what affects cloud license statuses and how to manage your licensing cost savings, see: