Red Hat Enterprise Linux now supported for Microsoft SQL Server on Azure VMs with SQL IaaS Agent extension

Organizations running Microsoft SQL Server 2025 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) in Azure can now install and integrate with the SQL IaaS Agent extension (see SQL Server IaaS Agent Extension for Linux - SQL Server on Azure VMs), which enables full licensing flexibility for their SQL deployment. As of today, the extension supports three licensing options. When registering in lightweight mode, you can choose:

• PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go): Pay per usage. The pay-as-you-go model means that the per-second cost of running the Azure VM includes the cost of the SQL Server license.
• AHB (Azure Hybrid Benefit): Bring your own license. Azure Hybrid Benefit grants you the ability to allocate your SQL Server licenses to a VM that's running SQL Server.
• DR (Disaster Recovery): Free DR replica licensing. The HA/DR license type is used for the free HA/DR replica in Azure.

Better visibility and telemetry

Registration creates a SQL virtual machine resource in Azure (separate from the VM resource). This unlocks clear license-type visibility, subscription-level tracking, and improved operational insights. 

How to register SQL Server on RHEL with the SQL IaaS Agent extension

You perform the initial registration of the SQL IaaS Agent extension using the Azure CLI for a RHEL-based deployment. Once you've registered the extension, you can complete ongoing management (including license type changes) directly through the Azure Portal, which provides a streamlined and integrated management experience.

Command-line registration

Register your Azure subscription with the Microsoft.SqlVirtualMachine provider using either Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell. With Azure CLI:

az provider register --namespace 
Microsoft.SqlVirtualMachine

With Azure PowerShell:

Register-AzResourceProvider 
-ProviderNamespace 
Microsoft.SqlVirtualMachine

See Register with SQL IaaS Agent extension (Linux) - SQL Server on Azure VMs for more options on how to register. You can also choose to register using the Azure portal.

Why RHEL?

With support for SQL Server 2025 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, your organization can run mission-critical database workloads on a secure, high-performance Linux platform engineered for hybrid cloud, edge, and AI-driven environments. RHEL delivers a durable foundation for innovation with intelligent management capabilities, enhanced security designed to address emerging threats, container-native architecture, and support for modern hardware and software stacks. Together, Microsoft and Red Hat continue to provide an enterprise-grade SQL Server experience on Linux, built to meet the demands of today’s most complex and data-intensive workloads. Running SQL Server on RHEL in Azure, you now can:

• Register with the SQL IaaS Agent extension
• Activate Azure Hybrid Benefit
• Switch licensing models as needed

Explore what's new in SQL Server 2025, follow the quickstart guide, check it out on Red Hat Ecosystem Catalog, and deploy SQL Server 2025 on RHEL 10 in your environment.