Introduction
We are excited to announce that Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server on Windows is now in public preview for the US Government Virginia region. With Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server, U.S. government agencies and organizations can manage SQL Server instances outside of Azure from the Azure Government portal, in a secure and compliant manner.
Arc-enabled SQL Server resources in US Gov Virginia can be onboarded and viewed in the Azure Government portal just like any Azure resource, giving you a single pane of glass to monitor and organize your SQL Server estate in the Gov cloud.
Preview features of Azure Arc-Enabled SQL Server
Currently, in the US Government Virginia region, SQL Server registration provides the following features:
- Connect (onboard) a SQL Server instance to Azure Arc.
- SQL Server inventory which includes the following capabilities in the Azure portal:
- View the SQL Server instance as an Azure resource.
- View databases as an Azure resource.
- View the properties for each server. For example, you can view the version, edition, and database for each instance.
All other features, including Extended Security Updates (ESU), are not currently available.
How to Onboard Your SQL Server
Onboarding a SQL Server to Azure Arc in the Government cloud is a two-step process that you can initiate from the Azure (US Gov) portal.
Step 1: Connect hybrid machines with Azure Arc-enabled servers
Step 2: Connect your SQL Server to Azure Arc on a server already enabled by Azure Arc
Limitations
The following SQL Server features are not currently available in any US Government region:
- Failover cluster instance (FCI)
- Availability group (AG)
- SQL Server services like SSIS, SSRS, or Power BI Report Server
Future Plans and Roadmap
This public preview is a major first step in bringing Azure Arc’s hybrid data management to Azure Government, and more enhancements are on the way. We will be enabling features like Arc-based billing (PAYG) and ESU purchasing along with feature parity with public cloud in future.
Conclusion
The availability of Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server in the US Gov Virginia region marks an important milestone for hybrid data management in Government. If you’re an Azure Government user managing SQL Server instances, we invite you to try out this public preview. And please, share your feedback with us through the community forum or your Microsoft representatives.
Learn More:
SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc in US Government Preview
SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc
Update August 14, 2025
Arc enabled SQL Server in US Government Virginia is now generally available with support for licensing and ESU. Please see SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc in US Government
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