IT Partner migrates your SQL Server to an Azure Virtual Machine by converting the source physical or virtual machine to a Hyper-V VHD, uploading the VHD to Azure Storage with current Azure PowerShell tooling, and deploying the SQL VM in Azure — a disk-image lift-and-shift that moves the whole server, not just the databases. Supported SQL Server editions and versions can run with pay-as-you-go SQL licensing or your existing SQL Server license. The service is $450 per project, runs 1 week, and is managed by Mike Mackey.
This service moves your SQL Server to an Azure Virtual Machine via a VHD image — a lift-and-shift of the entire server, preserving the operating system, SQL Server installation, and configuration exactly as they are. Azure Virtual Machines can host supported editions and versions of SQL Server for enterprise database applications in the cloud. For licensing, you can use pay-as-you-go SQL Server licensing included with the Azure VM image, bring your existing SQL Server licenses, or use free-licensed SQL Server Developer and Express editions for testing and lightweight workloads. The image-based method involves downtime while the image is created and transferred; for large environments or minimal-downtime requirements, alternatives such as IT Partner's replication-based migration are the right conversation. If you need a server upgrade, IT Partner can provide it as an additional service.
Confirm scope, stakeholders, the server in scope, the target Azure subscription and network, the SQL licensing model, the maintenance window, and required access.
Review the source SQL Server and Windows Server versions, disk layout, database inventory, dependencies, backup posture, and supportability for running on an Azure VM.
Convert the physical or virtual machine to a Hyper-V VHD, transfer the VHD to Azure Storage — over the network or by an agreed offline transfer method — and prepare the target Azure resources.
Deploy the Azure VM from the uploaded VHD with the agreed licensing model, configure connectivity, and configure high availability if required.
Validate that the SQL databases are available from the Azure VM without data loss, support application smoke testing, fix migration-related issues within scope, and deliver the closeout report.
IT Partner converts the source physical or virtual SQL Server machine to a Hyper-V VHD, uploads the VHD to Azure Storage with current Azure PowerShell tooling, deploys a new Azure VM from that VHD with the agreed SQL licensing model, configures high availability if required, and verifies the databases are available from the Azure VM. A project closeout report completes the engagement.
The service is $450 per project and runs 1 week, quoted fixed-price in writing before work begins. Azure consumption, SQL licensing, and any offline transfer service fees are billed by Microsoft separately.
It is a disk-image lift-and-shift: the whole server — operating system, SQL Server installation, configuration, and data — moves as one image and comes up unchanged as an Azure VM. It is the right choice when you want the server preserved exactly and can accept downtime during imaging and transfer. For minimal-downtime needs, IT Partner's replication-based migration service is the alternative.
Yes. The scope includes converting physical or virtual machines to Hyper-V VHDs, then deploying the SQL Server VM in Azure from those VHDs.
Supported SQL Server editions and versions that can run on Azure Virtual Machines — confirmed against Microsoft's supportability guidance during the review milestone. Free-licensed SQL Server Developer and Express editions can also be used for testing and lightweight workloads.
Yes. The SQL VM can run with pay-as-you-go SQL Server licensing included in the Azure image, or with your existing licenses where your licensing terms allow bring-your-own-license (Azure Hybrid Benefit). Microsoft supports switching a SQL Server VM's licensing model between pay-as-you-go and bring-your-own-license in place, so the initial choice is not locked in — though your license eligibility is yours to confirm.
Yes — the image-based method requires the source to be quiesced while the image is created, and the workload is down until the Azure VM is validated. The window depends on disk size, transfer speed, and validation time, and is agreed as a maintenance window before work begins.
IT Partner helps arrange offline transfer — such as shipping drives via the Azure Import/Export service or using the Azure Data Box family — when uploading over the network is prohibitively expensive or not feasible. This is assistance with arranging the transfer; Microsoft's service fees and shipping logistics are separate.
High availability can be configured if required as part of the engagement; the design depends on your requirements and is agreed during planning rather than defaulting to a single architecture.
No. Software version upgrades are not included — the image moves as-is. If a server upgrade is needed, IT Partner can provide it as an additional service, or the migration-with-upgrade service may fit better.
No. Backup scheduling is explicitly not included in this service. Backup planning, configuration, and operational scheduling can be arranged separately.
The acceptance criterion is that SQL databases are available from the Azure VM without data loss. IT Partner validates availability, supports application smoke testing, fixes migration-related issues within scope, and documents the evidence in the project closeout report.