Announcing flexible provisioning for SQL Server on Linux Azure VMs (Public Preview)

What’s changing

We’re introducing a new script-based deployment experience for provisioning SQL Server on Linux Azure Virtual Machines (VMs). This experience replaces the earlier model that relied on pre-created SQL Server on Linux Marketplace images, which have been deprecated.

Pre-created SQL Server on Linux Marketplace images are no longer available for new provisioning through the Azure portal, the Azure SQL hub, Azure CLI, or PowerShell. Instead, SQL Server is now installed and configured during VM provisioning using a flexible, automated, script-based workflow.

The result is a more adaptable and supportable deployment model that keeps SQL Server on Linux Azure VMs fully supported, reduces image-maintenance overhead, and makes it easier to adopt the latest Linux distributions, VM families, and configuration options - all while giving you more control over your SQL Server setup.

Why the new model matters

• Greater flexibility and control — choose your Linux distribution, SQL Server version, edition, and even bring your own mssql.conf to tailor the configuration.
• Faster access to innovation — new Linux versions and Azure capabilities are picked up automatically, without waiting for a new baked image to be published.
• Automatic registration built in — every VM is registered with the SQL IaaS Agent extension by default, unlocking licensing flexibility, compliance, and richer visibility.
• A dynamic, guided UI — the portal enables or disables options based on supported operating system, SQL Server, and licensing combinations, so you only see valid choices.

Supported Linux distributions

The script-based deployment experience supports the following distributions, and future versions are picked up automatically as they become supported — no manual intervention required:

Automatic registration applies to both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu, across all their supported versions.

Automatic registration with the SQL IaaS Agent extension

SQL Server on Linux VMs deployed through this experience are automatically registered with the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension. Registration creates a SQL virtual machine resource in Azure (separate from the VM resource) and unlocks:

• Licensing flexibility — choose Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) or Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB), and switch between them anytime with no downtime.
• Compliance — a simplified way to meet Azure Hybrid Benefit product-term requirements without per-resource registration forms.
• Visibility and telemetry — clear license-type visibility, subscription-level tracking, and better operational insight from the Azure portal, CLI, or PowerShell.

Note: Automatic registration is enabled by default during deployment. You can unregister or re-register a VM after deployment through the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or PowerShell.

The end-to-end flow at a glance

Two ways to deploy

You can provision SQL Server on Linux through either of these Azure portal experiences. Both lead to the same guided SQL Server configuration:

1. Create a virtual machine tab - start from the standard Azure VM creation flow and add SQL Server.
2. Azure SQL hub (aka.ms/azuresqlhub) - start from a SQL-first experience with SQL Server on Azure VMs.

Experience 1: The “Create a virtual machine” tab

Use this flow if you prefer to start from the standard VM creation experience in the Azure portal.

1. In the Azure portal, go to Virtual machines (or Create a resource → Virtual machine) and select Create.
2. On the Basics tab, select your project details (subscription, resource group), instance details, and a supported Linux base image — RHEL 9, RHEL 10, Ubuntu 22.04, or Ubuntu 24.04. Choose your VM size, authentication, and inbound ports as usual.
3. Go to the Advanced tab and select the Install SQL Server checkbox. This enables SQL Server provisioning on the VM.
4. A new SQL Server settings tab becomes available. Open it to configure your SQL Server deployment:
   • SQL Server version — e.g., SQL Server 2025 or SQL Server 2022.
   • Edition — Enterprise, Standard, Developer, Express, and Evaluation editions (options adjust to the selected version).
   • Licensing model — Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG, default) or Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB).
   • Advanced configuration — Upload a custom mssql.conf file to set SQL connectivity, Azure Key Vault integration, and the tuned performance profile.
5. Select Review + create, review the configuration summary, and select Create.
6. Azure provisions the VM, then automatically installs and configures SQL Server and registers the VM with the SQL IaaS Agent extension.

Experience 2: Azure SQL hub

Use this flow if you prefer a SQL-first experience, where SQL Server on Linux is available as a first-class deployment option.

1. Go to the Azure SQL hub at aka.ms/azuresqlhub.
2. Under SQL Server, select SQL Server on Azure VMs, and then select + Create.
3. Select the operating system for your deployment. 

4. You’re seamlessly transitioned to the Create a virtual machine experience. Your operating system selection is automatically carried forward, and Install SQL Server is enabled on the Advanced tab.

5. Configure the remaining VM and SQL Server settings, including size, networking, disks, licensing, connectivity, Key Vault integration, tuned profile, or a custom mssql.conf.

6. Select Review + create, review the configuration summary, and then select Create.

7. Azure provisions the VM, installs and configures SQL Server through the same script-based deployment flow, and automatically registers the VM with the SQL IaaS Agent extension.

Managing licensing after deployment

Because your VM is registered with the SQL IaaS Agent extension, you can change the licensing model anytime — with no downtime and no restart of the VM or SQL Server service.

• Azure portal: Go to the SQL virtual machine resource → Settings → SQL Server configuration → Manage.
• Azure CLI

az sql vm update -n <VM_NAME> -g <RESOURCE_GROUP> --license-type AHUB

• Azure PowerShell:

Set-AzSqlVM -Name <VM_NAME> -ResourceGroupName <RESOURCE_GROUP> -LicenseType AHUB

Note: Switching between PAYG and AHB is immediate, incurs no additional cost, and does not restart the VM or the SQL Server service.

Wrapping up

The move to script-based deployment modernizes how you provision SQL Server on Linux Azure VMs. By replacing deprecated pre-created Marketplace images with a flexible, automated, script-based flow — and by registering every VM with the SQL IaaS Agent extension automatically — you get more choice, faster access to new Linux and SQL Server versions, and a cleaner path to licensing flexibility, compliance, and visibility.

Whether you start from the Create a virtual machine tab or the Azure SQL hub, you get the same guided experience across RHEL 9, RHEL 10, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, and future versions.

Ready to try it? Head to a Create a virtual machine option in the Azure portal.

We’d love your feedback — let us know how the new experience works for your workloads in the comments.