In my previous blog post I talked about how to migrate data from existing on-prem SQL Server instances to Azure SQL Database. If you haven’t heard SQL Server 2008 end of support is coming this summer, so it’s a good time to evaluate moving to an Azure SQL Database.

If you decide to try Azure, chances are you will not be able to immediately move 100% of your on-prem databases and relevant applications in one go. You’ll probably come up with a migration plan that spans weeks, months or even years. During the migration phase you will be spinning up new instances of Azure SQL Database and turning off on-prem SQL Server instances, but for a little bit of time there will be overlap.

To help manage the cost during such transitions we offer the Azure Hybrid Benefit. You can convert 1 core of SQL Enterprise edition to get up to 4 vCores of Azure SQL Database at a reduced rate. For example, if you have 4 core licenses of SQL Enterprise edition, you can receive up to 16 vCores of Azure SQL Database.

If you want to learn more check out the Azure Hybrid Benefit FAQ and don’t forget, if you have any questions around migrating your .NET applications to Azure you can always ask for free assistance. If you have any questions about this post just leave us a comment below.