Answer 8 questions to determine whether Bring Your Own Licence (BYOL) or pay-as-you-go Azure licensing is more cost-effective.
85%
Max AHUB Savings
8
Questions
3 min
To Complete
Question 1 of 8Microsoft Azure Advisory
Question 1 of 8
💻
Do you have Windows Server licences with active Software Assurance?
Active SA is required for Azure Hybrid Benefit. Without SA, BYOL is not available.
Yes — all Windows Server under active SA
Some — partial SA coverage
Expired — SA lapsed, considering renewal
No SA — perpetual licences without SA
Question 2 of 8
💾
Do you have SQL Server licences with active Software Assurance?
SQL Server AHUB provides the largest savings in Azure — up to 85% vs pay-as-you-go.
Yes — SQL Server Enterprise/Standard under active SA
Some editions covered by SA
SA expired or coverage unclear
No SQL SA — or no on-premises SQL
Question 3 of 8
⚙️
How many Windows Server and SQL Server VMs are you running or planning in Azure?
Higher VM counts amplify the savings from AHUB. Even small per-VM savings scale significantly.
1-10 VMs
10-50 VMs
50-200 VMs
200+ VMs
AHUB savings can exceed $1M/year
Question 4 of 8
🔄
Are your on-premises licences currently in use, or are workloads migrating?
If workloads are migrating to Azure, you may be able to reassign on-premises licences to AHUB without buying new ones.
Migrating — on-premises licences becoming available
Best BYOL scenario
Hybrid — some licences can be reassigned
Both needed — on-premises and Azure simultaneously
Not sure — have not mapped licence availability
Question 5 of 8
📅
What is your expected Azure commitment duration?
Longer commitments favour BYOL + RI combinations. Short-term or variable workloads may favour PAYG.
3+ years — long-term Azure commitment
3-year RI + AHUB = maximum savings
1-3 years — medium-term plan
Under 1 year — still evaluating
Uncertain — no committed timeline
Question 6 of 8
💰
Have you calculated the cost of maintaining SA vs buying Azure licences?
SA costs ~25% of licence value annually. If your SA cost exceeds the AHUB savings, PAYG may be cheaper.
Yes — SA cost vs AHUB savings analysed
Partially — rough comparison done
No — have not compared
Not aware of this trade-off
Question 7 of 8
🌐
Are you considering multi-cloud (Azure + AWS/GCP)?
AHUB only applies in Azure. Multi-cloud strategies require separate licensing for Windows/SQL in other clouds.
Azure only — single cloud strategy
Azure primary with minor multi-cloud
Significant multi-cloud planned
Multi-cloud with Windows/SQL in AWS or GCP
BYOL does not apply outside Azure for most products
Question 8 of 8
📊
Do you currently apply AHUB to your existing Azure VMs?
Many organisations have eligible licences but have not applied AHUB to their Azure VMs.
Yes — all eligible VMs using AHUB
Some — partially applied
No — AHUB not yet applied
Not sure — have not checked
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