Discounts for Long-Running Azure SQL Data Workloads

• Two exclusive purchasing options can be used to reduce costs for all types of long-running SQL workloads in Azure.
• The options may prove particularly beneficial when migrating from existing deployments of SQL Server on-premises.
• Both options have limitations and restrictions, and upfront planning and a financial commitment are required.

Two buying methods offer discounts that can potentially reduce the costs for constantly running Azure database-related services if applied for an extended period. The methods offer substantial discounts over standard Azure pay-as-you-go (PAYG) consumption fees and can be applied individually or combined. These are applicable to Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance, which are PaaS database offerings that rely on SQL Server technology but are deployed in a model where customers do not need to maintain or update the SQL technologies—or underlying OS—used to deliver the service. (SQL Managed Instance is best when migrating existing SQL Server databases, while Azure SQL Database is suited to new deployments and encompasses a range of Microsoft-hosted relational database services based on SQL Server.) The majority of this report refers to Azure SQL Database for simplicity, but the two benefits described in this report apply to both database services. Both discounts are exclusively for Azure services and are not available for any other hosting providers including Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).