Tracking Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server

• Azure Hybrid Benefit could reduce costs for customers using SQL Server–based offerings in Azure.
• Tracking is required to ensure license compliance and fully exploit the benefits.
• Azure tracking tools rely on customer knowledge of the on-premises licenses that they own.

Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB) enables customers to apply on-premises Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance (SA) to certain Azure workloads. However, it is up to customers to configure the Azure resources where the rights from on-premises licenses are applied and to track AHB usage to ensure licensing compliance. Microsoft licensing audits could find customers liable (and responsible for back-charges) for using AHB without possessing the required on-premises licenses (with SA) even if the licenses were later purchased for reconciliation.

Mapping licenses to Azure deployments can be further complicated when determining who owns licenses within the organization and whether particular teams or departments use their entitled AHB rights. For example, a team could encroach on other teams’ potential rights to apply AHB by using the benefit with more Azure SQL resources than its licenses permit.