Virtual Machines

Licensing Reference
Licensing reference materials are continuously updated, highly-detailed entries covering Microsoft licensing terms, procedures, practices and timelines.
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Product Reference
Product reference materials are clear, concise definitions and descriptions of Microsoft's ever-growing catalog of products and services.
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Virtual Machines Roadmap Posts
All Virtual Machines Roadmaps
Production Use of Microsoft Server Applications in Azure Virtual Machines
Production Use of Microsoft Server Applications in Azure Virtual Machines.
Azure Virtual Machines
Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) offers subscribers persistent VMs running production workloads of Windows Server, Linux,... more
Dedicated Hosting in Azure
Dedicated hosting, unlike multitenant hosting such as that used by Azure VMs, allows customers to... more
Windows Server Roles in Azure Virtual Machines
Chart describes the Windows Server Roles supported for use in Azure VMs
Virtual Machines Analyst Reports
All Virtual Machines Reports
How to Plan for VM Retirement
Updated: March 3, 2025
New VM series are both an opportunity to save money and a signal that existing...more
Optimizing VM Costs with Scaling
Updated: March 1, 2025
Matching resource consumption to actual demand is an important part of controlling Azure VM costs....more
Azure Update Management Center in Preview
Updated: December 29, 2024
UPDATE 2023-09-25: Generally available as Azure Update Manager. A new Azure Update management center in...more
VMware Rapid Migration Plan: Some Benefits for Commitment
Updated: December 13, 2024
Note: In Dec. 2024, Microsoft extended the deadline to the VMware Rapid Migration Plan to...more
Arm Azure VMs Can Cut Linux Workload Costs
Updated: October 18, 2024
Arm Azure VMs that use Microsoft’s Cobalt processors are generally available and could cut costs...more
Azure Compute Fleet: Optimize the Costs of Large-Scale VM Deployments
Updated: August 27, 2024
Azure Compute Fleet, in preview, can expedite the deployment and maintenance of a large number...more
Microsoft Arm CPUs for Azure VMs
Updated: August 27, 2024
VM Series Processor Status Category vCPUs Memory Dpsv5 Ampere Altra GA General Purpose 2-64 8-208...more
Maximizing Discounts for Long-Running Azure VM Workloads
Updated: March 25, 2024
Several purchasing options can help reduce costs for long-running Azure VM workloads. Each option has...more
Azure VMware Solution Offers VMware in Azure
Updated: November 28, 2023
Azure VMware Solution by CloudSimple is no longer offered by Microsoft. Current Azure VMware Solution...more
Azure Compute Unit Compares VM Performance
Updated: November 20, 2023
Azure Compute Unit is a measure that compares relative performance of Azure VMs. It could...more
Azure Update Manager Orchestrates Server Updates
Updated: October 2, 2023
Azure Update Manager, now generally available, can manage updates for Windows Server and Linux server...more
Azure is Microsoft’s Focus for Server Management Services
Updated: June 18, 2023
Server management, even for on-premises, will increasingly require Azure services in the future. Azure Arc...more
Microsoft’s Server OS Strategy Pushes Customers to Azure
Updated: May 31, 2023
Changes in Microsoft’s server OS offerings are pushing customers to adopt Azure services and subscription-based...more
Comparing Azure Managed Disk Storage Offerings
Updated: May 31, 2023
Azure Managed Disks provide attached storage for Azure VMs with several options to meet size,...more
Azure VMs on ARM-Based Processors Available in Preview
Updated: May 31, 2023
A limited preview of Azure VMs using ARM-based processors could offer greater performance at a...more
Azure Automanage Improves Customization and OS Support
Updated: May 31, 2023
Azure Automanage is a service for configuring and deploying common management tasks for Azure VMs...more