Better on Azure

The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server

and SQL Server workloads
Contents
Introduction Why Azure? 3

Chapter 1 Achieve unmatched security and compliance 4

Chapter 2 Be agile with intelligent databases 5

Chapter 3 Use hybrid scenarios for a competitive AI advantage 7

Chapter 4 Save on costs and maximise IT investments 9

Chapter 5 Lean on a global network 11

Conclusion Limitless innovation with Azure 12

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 2
Introduction

Why Azure for Windows Server and

SQL Server workloads in the cloud?
To many businesses, cloud technology represents an opportunity
to meet their needs head-on, especially regarding cost savings,
IT support, compliance and security. It also offers a chance to retire
ageing hardware and software as end-of-support for those solutions
approaches. But that’s just the beginning.

For companies looking to differentiate their brands in a competitive

market, migrating to the cloud gives them the freedom and flexibility
to innovate products and services that delight, engage and surprise
their customers.

Moving your Windows Servers and SQL Server workloads to the cloud
provides access to easily integrated cloud-native services that help
streamline processes and optimise costs. Armed with these tools and
resources, you can use your data to extract valuable insights, optimise
workloads and innovate confidently using the newest cloud and AI
technology advancements.

Five key reasons for migrating your Windows Server and SQL
Server workloads to Azure:

1 End-to-end security that’s easy to implement and manage, including

broad compliance capabilities.

2 Improved agility supported by intelligent databases.

3 Connected hybrid solutions designed from the ground up to

seamlessly bridge on-premises and cloud environments.

4 Numerous cost advantages help maximise investments, with several

benefits available only on Azure.

5 Expanded access to global, regional and Virtual Machine (VM) networks

to support for disaster redundancy and compliance.

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 3
Chapter 1

Achieve unmatched security

and compliance
To protect your data and maintain customer trust, managing compliance and security with Azure Sentinel
staying at the forefront of security technology and and Microsoft Defender solutions. Customers who move
regulations is essential. Enterprises have already chosen to Azure have access to Azure Sentinel, a cloud-native
Windows Server and SQL Server for their proven security information and event management (SIEM)
security and compliance capabilities. Today, many solution. It requires no on-premises infrastructure,
organisations are discovering that the code-to-cloud which helps reduce the complexity of running
approach further simplifies the implementation of a an enterprise SIEM.
comprehensive, modern security posture. Find the
latest support requirements for your legacy workloads Azure Security Centre is a unified infrastructure security
and consider migrating to the cloud to take advantage management system that strengthens your security
of its many benefits and capabilities. posture by providing advanced threat protection across
your hybrid workloads in the cloud and on-premises.
Azure delivers multiple layers of security, including It offers security recommendations for VMs, storage,
the secure foundation of physical data centres, networking, databases, identity, application services
operational best practices and engineering processes and IoT, all from a single integrated dashboard.
that follow industry-standard guidelines. Microsoft
employs over 3,500 cybersecurity professionals and Finally, Microsoft Defender for Cloud is a cloud-native
invests USD 1 billion annually to protect against, security app that protects against threats and helps
detect and respond to threats anytime, anywhere. manage risk in hybrid- and multicloud environments.
Defender allows you to integrate real-time security,
insights and incident responses to improve your

90+ compliance certifications, the

most comprehensive set of
any cloud service provider
overall security posture across hybrid and multicloud
environments.

Azure versus AWS

A unified platform for security best practices

90% Early adopters of Azure Sentinel
have reported up to 90%
reduction in alert fatigue.
Enterprises are embracing the cloud as a foundational

57%
intelligence, agility and scalable technology. Plus, users Customers can get mission-critical
who migrate their Windows Server and SQL Server to performance for SQL Server on
Azure get all the benefits of a hybrid cloud environment Azure Virtual Machines up to 57%
while also receiving three additional years of Extended faster.1
Security Updates at no cost.

Protecting your assets in the cloud includes using 54% lower cost than AWS EC2 on a price-
performance basis, with Azure Hybrid
built-in security features and AI tools that increase your Benefit and a three-year commitment.1
visibility of potential threats. To strengthen security
across your entire cloud infrastructure, focus on
1
GigaOM | SQL Transaction Processing and Analytic Performance Price Performance Testing

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 4
Chapter 2

Be agile with intelligent databases

Data-driven businesses must function at the speed of
information, and enterprises with the right foundation
will find themselves better able to innovate and
maintain agility in their fast-moving industries. Nothing
will slow down operations more than friction at key
points in your infrastructure.
With all the major
The Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform (MIDP) is an
improvements to SQL every
integrated cloud platform spanning data governance,
analytics and databases to help remove this friction.
year that we utilise, and I’m
MIDP offers layers of business and data intelligence sure there’ll be a lot more,
that make your insights more on-point, giving your we definitely want to stick
organisation greater agility to respond to any situation with Azure SQL Database
when it happens.
and with Hyperscale.”
You can also take advantage of AI to monitor and Matt Nisnevich
secure your workloads. The intelligent security and Sr. Developer & DevOps Engineer, RevenueWell
performance features in Azure SQL Database mean
consistent and predictable workload performance,
which means better performance, greater agility and
a comprehensive data solution that connects analytics,
apps and governance.

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 5
Chapter 2

RevenueWell drastically increases scalability

20–30%
to fuel innovation
RevenueWell’s all-in-one dental marketing platform
enables their customers to attract new patients, build
Moving to the Hyperscale service tier with
better relationships with current patients and improve
premium series hardware delivered 20–30%
productivity by automating time-consuming tasks.
faster query performance and accelerated
RevenueWell’s ability to develop, test and
Faced with rapid business growth, RevenueWell needed
deploy solutions.
a scalable solution that could keep mission-critical
workloads online at all times and enable them to adopt
the latest technologies easily.

After moving to Azure SQL Database and modernising its infrastructure, RevenueWell saw a dramatic decrease
in maintenance, as well as an enhanced ability to scale their workloads as needed. This new flexibility enabled
significant business growth, with RevenueWell doubling its customer base in only 18 months.

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 6
Chapter 3

Use hybrid scenarios for

a competitive AI advantage
Flexibility, scalability and speed are the hallmarks
of modern cloud infrastructure and applications.
The move to hybrid cloud environments has been a
paradigm shift in how businesses drive organisational
change, and Microsoft Azure is at the forefront of
this transformation.

Migrating to the cloud is an essential step on the

journey to modernisation, but there are additional
steps to optimising resources and achieving higher
performance. Compliance, high-performance
workloads and multi-user apps demand different
approaches, infrastructures and investments of
time and money.

Microsoft offers a comprehensive set of hybrid

solutions to meet the demands of global commerce. Meanwhile, Azure Stack HCI lets you use virtualised
With Azure Stack, you can build and run cloud-native applications on-premises in a familiar way and enjoy
applications with Azure services in your local data easy access to off-the-shelf Azure management services
centres or disconnected locations. such as backup and disaster recovery.

This scalability extends into security and identity

management with Microsoft Entra ID. Entra ID is a
cloud-based platform that provides users with a single
sign-on experience across cloud, mobile and on-
premises applications, securing data from unauthorised
access without compromising productivity.
In the past, rolling out a new
| Available in 92 countries Azure Stack lets you build
version of an application across
and run cloud-native applications with Azure services
our ships was really painful,
in your local data centres or in disconnected locations.
but this solution can provide
|A
 zure enables you to build extremely fast private
a strong reduction in the
connections between Azure and local infrastructure,
time required to roll out new allowing both to and through access using Azure
software to multiple ships.” ExpressRoute at bandwidths up to 100 Gbps.

Stefano Zunino |A
 zure Arc is a hybrid and multicloud management
IT Architectures and Solutions Director, solution that allows you to build applications and
Carnival Corporation services and run them across data centres, at the
edge and in multicloud environments.

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 7
Chapter 3

Carnival Corporation migrates Windows In the past, rolling out new versions of an application
Server and SQL Server workloads to Azure across all of its ships was a painful process. Thanks to its
for more flexibility at sea unified hybrid cloud platform with Azure, the team can
deploy the same code on shore and at sea using Azure
Ships depend on satellite connectivity to operate,
Kubernetes Service (AKS) containers. This change has
making it critical to have resilient, highly available
significantly reduced the time it takes to roll out new
applications. With new advancements in satellite
software to multiple ships.
communications, the maritime and environmental
compliance team at Carnival Corporation wanted
With access to flexible cloud-native capabilities,
a hybrid solution that could bring cloud-native
the Carnival Corporation team is focusing less on
capabilities on-premises to ships and give them a
monitoring and management and more on high-value
consistent operations and management platform to
tasks – like finding new ways to delight passengers.
manage both workloads in Azure and at the edge.

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 8
Chapter 4

Save on costs and

maximise IT investments
While innovation has supplanted cost savings as the
primary driver of cloud migration for many businesses,
moving to the cloud needs to make sense for your
bottom line.i

When you migrate to Azure, using an existing on-

premises Windows Server or SQL Server licence helps
maximise investments and save costs. The Azure
Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server and SQL Server is a
pricing benefit for customers with Software Assurance
licences. Eligible customers can save up to 40% on
Azure Virtual Machines (Iaas), and up to 55% on Azure
SQL Database (PaaS) and SQL Server on Azure Virtual
Machines (IaaS) with Azure Hybrid Benefit.

Combining these benefits with Azure reservation pricing

offers greater visibility into your one-year or three-year
resource needs. In return, those savings are passed onto
you as discounts of up to 72% compared to pay-as-
We’ve calculated an initial you-go pricing for select Azure services.

savings of 15% by migrating

Additionally, Microsoft Cost Management lets
to Azure.” you monitor spending in Azure and offers
tailored recommendations for cost optimisation.
Paulo Costa
AI functionalities provide deeper key insights,
Infrastructure Monitoring and
Collaboration Manager, CTT forecasting and reports to help you maximise your
cloud investments. These savings help your bottom
line and free up your budget to innovate with cloud
services, create new business value and compete
more effectively in your industry.

i
Actual savings may vary based on region, instance type or usage.

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 9
Chapter 4

Correios de Portugal seizes more control

of costs and emissions with Azure
As postal services face challenges globally, CTT
continues to reinvent itself to remain a trusted service
provider for its customers. However, years of growth
had saddled the company with a costly patchwork of
on-premises digital systems. Eventually, CTT decided to
migrate and modernise its workloads in the cloud with
Microsoft Azure.

The company migrated Windows Server and Linux

workloads to Azure, which runs on Azure Virtual
Machines and uses Azure SQL to support its database
requirements. By migrating workloads to the cloud, the
company can easily scale to support new developments
and more efficiently manage peak loads. Meanwhile,
effortlessly adding and removing resources helps the
company manage costs and emissions.

With a boost from Azure, the company is using

automation to turn off servers nightly, reducing its
carbon footprint and costs. The company also saves
on licensing costs by taking advantage of Azure Hybrid
Benefit for its Windows Server and SQL workloads.

By migrating to Azure, we’re reducing our technical debt

and gaining a trusted managed services provider. A bonus
of the cloud is that the more you optimise your workloads,
the more you stand to gain.”
Rui Pedro Saraiva
Chief Information Officer, CTT
Correios de Portugal

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 10
Chapter 5

Lean on a global network

Ideally, your teams would be free to focus on
building better applications instead of worrying
about performance or compliance. Azure has more
global regions than any other cloud provider, offering
high availability, disaster recovery and backup on a
global network, giving teams more capacity to create
enhanced applications.

Home Trust boosts performance and acceler-

ates time to market with Azure VMWare
The Canadian financial services institution exited its
cloud-hosted solution running VMware and is now
100% in Microsoft Azure to tap into significant ease of
management, seamless scalability and cost savings. In
less than half a year, it exited the existing cloud-hosted
solution, moving more than 750 VMs split between
running Windows Server and SUSE Linux to run
on Azure infrastructure with Azure VMware Solution.

Let go of the legacy

Home Trust, CTT, Carnival Corporation and RevenueWell
each had their own specific reasons for letting go of
their legacy infrastructure. Whether your organisation
needs enhanced security and compliance in a hybrid
environment, improved agility or global scalability,
Buying a big server and migrating to the cloud is the first critical step in building
sticking it in a data centre a modern AI-ready framework.
doesn’t make sense for us
By running your Windows Server and SQL Server on
anymore. We have incredible
Azure, you can shift from a reactionary model – in which
opportunities ahead as we innovation is moved to the back burner when hardware
move at an accelerated pace issues arise – to a more progressive model in which
with Azure.” innovation has an unobstructed (and protected) path
to success. Discover how migrating and modernising
Doug Caldwell
on Azure can propel you forward with the proper
Vice President of IT Infrastructure,
safeguards for fast and futuristic innovation.
Home Trust

Explore Azure Migrate and Modernise

Better on Azure The benefits of using Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server workloads 11
Conclusion

Limitless innovation with Azure

Migrate on your terms and integrate cloud-native services to help streamline costs, easily manage processes
and move your AI innovation strategy forward.

| Stronger security and compliance: Intelligent | Maximise IT investments. No other cloud provider
security and broad compliance capabilities help you offers the kind of cost-saving benefits of Azure, which
protect your data and build trust with customers. can make or break your organisation’s plans for
integrating new technology.
| Enhanced performance and resiliency to change:
Managed services, a global network and reduced | Global network availability. The Azure global
administrative burden help elevate performance and network provides the fastest connectivity from your
redirect focus to value-building innovation, even in a data centre to the cloud, improving performance and
constantly changing landscape. letting you quickly deploy applications to users.

| End-to-end hybrid efficiency. Only Azure provides a

complete solution for hybrid workloads that provides
end-to-end scalability and performance.

Get expert help and guidance on your

cloud adoption journey through Azure
Migrate and Modernise.
Contact Sales

Inspire and design using the

Microsoft Cloud Adoption
Framework for Azure

© 2023 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is provided

‘as-is’. Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and
other internet website references, may change without notice. You bear the
risk of using it. This document does not provide you with any legal rights to
any intellectual property in any Microsoft product. You may copy and use this
document for your internal, reference purposes.