Notice: The Azure VMware Solution license-included service (reserved instance and pay-as-you-go SKUs) will be retired on August 30, 2027; affected customers move to portable Broadcom VCF licenses and an AVS VCF BYOL SKU. The AV36P and AV52 node types are retired on June 30, 2029 and must be migrated to newer AVS node types by then.
What is Azure VMware Solution?
Azure VMware Solution (AVS) is a Microsoft-operated first-party service that provides VMware private clouds with vSphere, vSAN, and NSX on dedicated bare-metal hosts in Azure. Existing VMware workloads can be migrated to the cloud without modification and run alongside Azure services such as ExpressRoute, Backup, or Monitor.
Microsoft handles deployment, patching, and lifecycle management of the VMware infrastructure (ESXi, vCenter, NSX, vSAN); customers remain responsible for operating and configuring their workloads and network segments. Newly deployed private clouds currently run on vSphere 8.0 with NSX 4.2 and HCX for migration.
Important for planning: since October 2025, Broadcom has changed VMware licensing. Microsoft no longer sells new AVS hosts with a VMware license included by default; customers now need their own portable VCF subscription purchased directly from Broadcom. Existing pay-as-you-go contracts with license included, as well as Reserved Instances purchased before October 15, 2025, continue under the previous model for a limited transition period. The AVS product itself and how it works are unaffected.
Core Features
- Private cloud clusters built from dedicated bare-metal hosts (e.g. AV36, AV36P, AV52, AV64) running VMware vSphere, vSAN, and NSX
- Generation 2 architecture (AV64) with vSphere hosts directly attached to Azure Virtual Networks
- vCenter Server for familiar environment management
- VMware HCX for live, cold, and bulk migration of existing workloads
- Connectivity to Azure services via ExpressRoute, Global Reach, and Virtual WAN
- vSAN data-at-rest encryption enabled by default
Typical Use Cases
Datacenter extension: Extending the on-premises datacenter to the cloud for burst capacity or disaster recovery without changing the existing VMware architecture.
Datacenter migration: Complete migration of a VMware datacenter to Azure, for example when hardware lifecycles or facility contracts expire.
Application modernization: Gradually modernizing VMware workloads with Azure PaaS services while the existing vSphere environment keeps running.
Benefits
- Familiar VMware tools and processes (vCenter, vSphere Client) remain unchanged
- Existing VMs typically migrate without workload modifications
- Direct network access to Azure services without complex network redesign
- Infrastructure operated and patched by Microsoft
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Azure VMware Solution cost?
AVS is billed on a pay-per-use basis per host and hour (covering compute, storage, and networking per host), with optional discounts through multi-year Reserved Instance commitments. Current prices are available via the Azure pricing calculator; a minimum of three hosts per cluster is required.
Do I keep my VMware licenses?
It depends on the contract model. Since October 2025, Microsoft no longer sells new AVS hosts with a VMware license included by default; new deployments require a separate VCF subscription purchased directly from Broadcom. Existing pay-as-you-go contracts with license included, as well as older Reserved Instances, continue under the previous model for a limited time.
How does migration work?
VMware HCX is included with the service and enables live migration of VMs with no or minimal downtime. Bulk migrations using cold or warm migration are also possible.
Can I use Azure services with VMware VMs?
Yes, AVS private clouds are connected to Azure Virtual Networks. VMs can directly use Azure services such as Azure SQL, Blob Storage, or Azure Monitor.
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure VMware Solution: migration planning, HCX configuration, licensing guidance around the Broadcom transition, Azure integration, and operations optimization.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
