Windows Server Licensing

1. Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server:
   • Azure Hybrid Benefit (AHB) allows you to use your existing on-premises Windows Server licenses (whether Standard or Datacenter edition) to reduce the cost of running Windows Server VMs in Azure.
   • The benefit applies to both Standard and Datacenter editions of Windows Server, so Standard edition licenses can absolutely be used in Azure, as long as you have the appropriate number of licenses.
2. License Assignment in Azure:
   • While the Datacenter edition is typically the default for VM creation in Azure, you can use Windows Server Standard licenses by applying the Azure Hybrid Benefit and assigning them correctly.
   • You will need to assign your licenses using the Azure Hybrid Benefit feature and ensure that you're correctly assigning licenses to your VMs based on the number of cores.
3. Core Licensing for Standard Edition:
   • The minimum requirement for Windows Server Standard licenses in Azure is that you need to license at least 8 cores per VM. This is a per-VM license requirement, and each VM must be licensed based on its vCPU count (which corresponds to the number of cores).
   • Windows Server Standard is typically licensed for up to 2 virtual processors per license, so for each VM you need to have enough Standard licenses to cover the total number of cores on that VM (including any "buffer" if the VM has a higher number of cores).
   Example: If you have a VM with 4 vCPUs, you'd need 2 licenses (each license covers 2 cores). If the VM has 8 vCPUs, you'd need 4 licenses to cover the 8 cores.
4. How to Apply Azure Hybrid Benefit:
   • When you create the VM in the Azure portal, you can select Azure Hybrid Benefit as an option during the VM creation process.
   • Ensure that you choose the Standard edition when configuring the VM if you intend to apply your Windows Server Standard licenses.
   Steps to apply AHB:
   • In the Azure portal, go to the VM creation wizard.
   • Under the Windows OS section, select Windows Server and ensure that Azure Hybrid Benefit is enabled.
   • This will apply your existing Windows Server licenses to the VM and reduce your overall costs.
5. VM Size Considerations:
   • You need to ensure that the number of cores you are licensing matches the number of vCPUs you are provisioning in the Azure VM size.
   • The Datacenter version typically provides more flexibility for running multiple VMs on a single host, but if you're licensing Windows Server Standard, you need to carefully match the licenses to the specific cores you are using.

Summary:

Yes, you can apply Windows Server Standard licenses through Azure Hybrid Benefit to cover VM cores in Azure, even if the images available in the Azure portal are primarily for the Datacenter edition. You just need to ensure that you're assigning the appropriate number of licenses for the number of vCPUs (cores) your VM will use.

Make sure to apply the Azure Hybrid Benefit during VM creation and allocate licenses based on the vCPU count, adhering to the minimum 8 cores per VM licensing requirement for Windows Server Standard.