Microsoft defines its Azure instance lifecycle, without any info about timing
Microsoft has introduced a four-phase lifecycle for Azure virtual machines to guide customers through infrastructure transitions. The phases are Current, Extended, End of Life, and Retired, each with specific support and availability conditions. However, the company has not disclosed specific timelines or durations for how long instances remain in each phase.
- ▪Microsoft defines four lifecycle phases for Azure VMs: Current, Extended, End of Life, and Retired.
- ▪Instances in the Extended phase may face usage quotas and changes to pricing or purchasing options.
- ▪Retired instances are unsupported and deallocated, meaning they lack IP addresses but retain data.
- ▪Microsoft states it will provide advance notice when older VM series enter the End of Life stage.
- ▪The company has not confirmed if the new lifecycle is tied to its previous six-year hardware retirement schedule.
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| Publication time | Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:22:09 +0200 |
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(function() { let windowUrl = window.location.href; windowUrl = windowUrl.substring(windowUrl.indexOf('?') + 1); let messageElement = document.querySelector('.shareableMessage'); if (windowUrl && windowUrl.includes('code') && windowUrl.includes('expires')) { messageElement.style.display = 'block'; } })(); off-prem Microsoft defines its Azure instance lifecycle, without any info about timing Redmond explains how VMs die, but not when you can expect that to happen Simon Sharwood Simon Sharwood APAC Editor Published wed 7 Oct 2026 // 03:22 UTC READ MORE Microsoft extends the Outlook naughty step with two more file types 11 hours ago Classic Outlook clings to stale search results as Microsoft works on a fix 12 hours ago Windows 11 market share creeps upwards as cost of staying on Windows 10…
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