What is Windows Hybrid Use Benefit?
Microsoft has a relatively unknown benefit called Hybrid Use Benefit (HUB). If you already own Windows Servers with Software Assurance, you can use it to run workloads in Azure on Windows without paying for Windows in Azure. For those that license Windows Servers utilizing the Data Center version, you can continue to use that Windows Server to run on-premises workloads, as well as different workloads in Azure with the same license. This allows you to double the functionality of each Windows Server Data Center license!
A few important facts:
- Both versions of Windows Server - Standard and Datacenter - license with Software Assurance are eligible for the Hybrid Use Benefit
- A Windows Server Standard Edition license cannot be used simultaneously in on-premises deployments while utilizing Hybrid Use Benefit in Azure
- Windows Server Datacenter licenses can utilize the Hybrid Use Benefit and continue to be deployed in parallel on-premises
- All uses of HUB must be done by importing a customer's image file into Azure
For Azure deployments of HUB, each eligible license has an entitlement to run Windows Server VM's at the lower non-Windows VM rates. Through leveraging HUB, some deployments in Azure can offer end-customers a savings up to 50%.
Hybrid Use Benefit Sample - Full Time
Example scenario with customer running two D2v2 VMs using the Hybrid Use Benefit.
**Second Azure instance is included with Windows Server Standard Edition Software Assurance, EA level
