Adding error 8169

MashaMSFT · MashaMSFT · commit d8d67e62bd86 · 2025-10-14T10:55:41.000-07:00
Clarifying SQL VM note

Changes based on feedback

changes based on feedback

a few fixes

updating password length requirements
diff --git a/azure-sql/includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md b/azure-sql/includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+author: MashaMSFT
+ms.author: mathoma
+ms.date: 10/07/2025
+ms.service: sql
+ms.topic: include
+---
+> [!WARNING]
+> SQL Server isn't currently supported on VM sizes that deploy with an uninitialized ephemeral disk. Deployments in the Azure portal can fail, and SQL Server can fail to start. Either use a different VM size, or place `tempdb` on non-ephemeral storage both when you deploy the SQL Server image through the Azure portal, and when you install SQL Server manually. To learn more, review [VM deployment and SQL Server failures](/troubleshoot/sql/azure-sql/sql-deployment-fails-drive-not-ready).
diff --git a/azure-sql/managed-instance/frequently-asked-questions-faq.yml b/azure-sql/managed-instance/frequently-asked-questions-faq.yml
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ sections:
           | --- | --- |
           | Maximum password age | 42 days |
           | Minimum password age | One day |
-          | Minimum password length | 10 characters |
+          | Minimum password length | 14 characters |
           | Password must meet complexity requirements | Enabled |
 
       - question: Is it possible to disable password complexity and expiration in SQL Managed Instance at the login level?
diff --git a/azure-sql/toc.yml b/azure-sql/toc.yml
@@ -506,6 +506,8 @@
         href: database/business-continuity-high-availability-disaster-recover-hadr-overview.md
       - name: High availability
         href: database/high-availability-sla-local-zone-redundancy.md
+      - name: Reliability
+        href: /azure/reliability/reliability-sql-database?toc=/azure/azure-sql/toc.json
       - name: HA/DR checklist
         href: database/high-availability-disaster-recovery-checklist.md
       - name: Automated backups
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/create-sql-vm-portal.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/create-sql-vm-portal.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ The Developer edition is used in this article because it's a full-featured, free
 > [!NOTE]  
 > SQL Server 2025 Preview introduces separate Enterprise Developer and Standard Developer editions of SQL Server.
 
-Licensing costs for SQL Server are incorporated into the per-second pricing of the VM you create and varies by edition and cores. However, SQL Server Developer edition is free for development and testing but not production. Also, SQL Express is free for lightweight workloads (less than 1 GB of memory, less than 10 GB of storage). You can also bring-your-own-license (BYOL) and pay only for the VM. Those image names are prefixed with {BYOL}. For more information on these options, see [Pricing guidance for SQL Server Azure VMs](pricing-guidance.md).
+Licensing costs for SQL Server are incorporated into the per-second pricing of the VM you create and varies by edition and cores. However, SQL Server Developer edition is free for development and testing but not production. Also, SQL Express is free for lightweight workloads (less than 1 GB of memory, less than 10 GB of storage). You can also allocate your SQL Server license to your SQL Server on Azure VM with the [Azure Hybrid Benefit](sql-server-on-azure-vm-iaas-what-is-overview.md#azure-hybrid-benefit) and pay only for the VM. For more information on these options, see [Pricing guidance for SQL Server Azure VMs](pricing-guidance.md).
 
 To choose an image, follow these steps:
 
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ To choose an image, follow these steps:
 
 ## Basic settings
 
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
+
 The **Basics** tab allows you to select the subscription, resource group, and instance details.
 
 Using a new resource group is helpful if you're just testing or learning about SQL Server deployments in Azure. After you finish with your test, delete the resource group to automatically delete the VM and all resources associated with that resource group. For more information about resource groups, see [Azure Resource Manager Overview](/azure/active-directory-b2c/overview).
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/doc-changes-updates-release-notes-whats-new.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/doc-changes-updates-release-notes-whats-new.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ When you deploy an Azure virtual machine (VM) with SQL Server installed on it, e
 
 For updates made in previous years, see the [What's new archive](doc-changes-updates-release-notes-whats-new-archive.md). 
 
-[!INCLUDE [entra-id](../../includes/entra-id.md)]
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
 
 
 ## Preview
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ The following table lists features of SQL Server on Azure VMs that have been mad
 
 Learn about significant changes to the SQL Server on Azure VMs documentation. For previous years, see the [What's new archive](doc-changes-updates-release-notes-whats-new-archive.md).
 
-> [!CAUTION]
-> SQL Server isn't supported on VM sizes that deploy with an uninitialized ephemeral disk. To learn more, review [VM deployment and SQL Server failures](/troubleshoot/sql/azure-sql/sql-deployment-fails-drive-not-ready). 
-
 ### September 2025
 
 | Changes | Details |
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-checklist.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-checklist.md
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ If you plan to manually install SQL Server on an Azure VM, follow these essentia
 
 ## VM size
 
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
+
 The checklist in this section covers the [VM size best practices](performance-guidelines-best-practices-vm-size.md) for SQL Server on Azure VMs.
 
 [!INCLUDE [vm size best practices](../../includes/virtual-machines-best-practices-vm-size.md)]
 
-> [!CAUTION]
-> SQL Server isn't supported on VM sizes that deploy with an uninitialized ephemeral disk. To learn more, review [VM deployment and SQL Server failures](/troubleshoot/sql/azure-sql/sql-deployment-fails-drive-not-ready). 
 
 ## Storage
 
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-vm-size.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/performance-guidelines-best-practices-vm-size.md
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ There's typically a trade-off between optimizing for costs and optimizing for pe
 
 For comprehensive details, see the other articles in this series: [Checklist](performance-guidelines-best-practices-checklist.md), [Storage](performance-guidelines-best-practices-storage.md), [Security](security-considerations-best-practices.md), [HADR configuration](hadr-cluster-best-practices.md), [Collect baseline](performance-guidelines-best-practices-collect-baseline.md).
 
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
+
 ## Checklist
 
 Review the following checklist for a brief overview of the VM size best practices that the rest of the article covers in greater detail:
@@ -45,9 +47,6 @@ SQL Server data warehouse and mission critical environments will often need to s
 
 Use the SQL Server VM marketplace images with the storage configuration in the portal. This makes it easier to properly create the storage pools necessary to get the size, IOPS, and throughput necessary for your workloads. It's important to choose SQL Server VMs that support premium storage performance. See the [storage](performance-guidelines-best-practices-storage.md) article to learn more.
 
-> [!CAUTION]
-> SQL Server isn't supported on VM sizes that deploy with an uninitialized ephemeral disk. To learn more, review [VM deployment and SQL Server failures](/troubleshoot/sql/azure-sql/sql-deployment-fails-drive-not-ready). 
-
 ## Supportability
 
 Consider the following limitations when installing SQL Server to Azure VMs: 
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/pricing-guidance.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/pricing-guidance.md
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ To use the Azure Hybrid Benefit with a SQL Server VM, you must have a license fo
 | Azure Hybrid Benefit | Description |
 |-----|-----|
 | **Cost savings** | With the [Azure Hybrid Benefit](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/hybrid-benefit/), you get a discount on the allocation of SQL Server licenses to SQL Server Database Engine. For more information, see [Switch licensing model](licensing-model-azure-hybrid-benefit-ahb-change.md). |
-| **Free passive secondary replica** | Another benefit of bringing your own license is the [free licensing for one passive secondary replica](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/licensing-faq/) for high availability and one passive secondary for disaster recovery per SQL Server. This cuts the licensing cost of a highly available SQL Server deployment (for example, using Always On availability groups) by more than half. |
+| **Free passive secondary replica** | Another benefit of allocating your license is the [free licensing for one passive secondary replica](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/licensing-faq/) for high availability and one passive secondary for disaster recovery per SQL Server. This cuts the licensing cost of a highly available SQL Server deployment (for example, using Always On availability groups) by more than half. |
 
 > [!NOTE]  
 > As of November 2022, it's possible to use free licensing for one passive secondary replica for high availability and one passive secondary replica for disaster recovery when using [pay-as-you-go licensing as well as the Azure Hybrid Benefit](https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2022/11/16/new-sql-server-on-azure-virtual-machines-and-azure-sql-managed-instance-dr-benefits/).
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-automate-management.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-automate-management.md
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ tags: azure-resource-manager
 > * [Windows](sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-automate-management.md)
 > * [Linux](../linux/sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-linux.md)
 
-
 The SQL Server IaaS Agent extension (SqlIaasExtension) runs on SQL Server on Azure Windows Virtual Machines (VMs) to automate management and administration tasks. 
 
 This article provides an overview of the extension. To install the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension to SQL Server on Azure VMs, see the articles for [Automatic registration](sql-agent-extension-automatic-registration-all-vms.md), [Register single VMs](sql-agent-extension-manually-register-single-vm.md),  or [Register VMs in bulk](sql-agent-extension-manually-register-vms-bulk.md). 
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ To learn more about the SQL Server on Azure VM deployment and management experie
 - [Automate Management with the SQL Server IaaS Agent extension ](/shows/data-exposed/azure-sql-vm-automate-management-with-the-sql-server-iaas-agent-extension-ep-2?WT.mc_id=dataexposed-c9-niner-mighub)
 - [New and Improved SQL on Azure VM deployment and management experience](/shows/data-exposed/new-and-improved-sql-on-azure-vm-deployment-and-management-experience?WT.mc_id=dataexposed-c9-niner-mighub).
 
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
 
 ## Overview
 
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-server-on-azure-vm-iaas-what-is-overview.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-server-on-azure-vm-iaas-what-is-overview.md
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ To learn more, see the overview of [Always On availability groups](availability-
 
 To get started, see the tutorials for [availability groups](availability-group-manually-configure-prerequisites-tutorial-multi-subnet.md) or [preparing your VM for a failover cluster instance](failover-cluster-instance-prepare-vm.md).
 
-## Licensing
+## SQL VM images
 
 To get started, choose a SQL Server virtual machine image with your required version, edition, and operating system. The following sections provide direct links to the Azure portal for the SQL Server virtual machine gallery images. Change the licensing model of a pay-per-usage SQL Server VM to use your own license. For more information, see [How to change the licensing model for a SQL Server VM](licensing-model-azure-hybrid-benefit-ahb-change.md).
 
@@ -109,6 +109,21 @@ For more information about deploying SQL Server VMs using PowerShell, view [How
 > [!IMPORTANT]  
 > Older images might be outdated. Remember to apply all SQL Server and Windows updates before using them for production.
 
+## Azure Hybrid Benefit
+
+Azure Hybrid Benefit grants you the ability to allocate your SQL Server license to your SQL Server on Azure VM. With Azure Hybrid Benefit, you get a discount on the allocation of SQL Server licenses to the SQL Server instance but must still pay for the cost of the underlying cloud compute (that is, the base rate), storage, and backups. You must also pay for I/O associated with their use of the services (as applicable).
+
+To estimate the cost of Pay-as-you-go licensing and see cost savings with the Azure Hybrid benefit use the [Pricing calculator](https://azure.microsoft.com/pricing/calculator/).
+
+According to the Microsoft [Product Terms](https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/terms/productoffering/MicrosoftAzureServices/EAEAS): "Customers must indicate that they're using Azure SQL Database (SQL Managed Instance, Elastic Pool, and Single Database), Azure Data Factory, SQL Server Integration Services, or SQL Server Virtual Machines under Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server when configuring workloads on Azure."
+
+To indicate the use of Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server on Azure VM and be compliant, you have two options:
+
+- Provision a virtual machine by using a pay-as-you-go SQL Server image from Azure Marketplace and [activate the Azure Hybrid Benefit](licensing-model-azure-hybrid-benefit-ahb-change.md#change-license-model).
+- Self-install SQL Server on Azure VM, manually [register with the SQL IaaS Agent Extension](sql-agent-extension-manually-register-single-vm.md), and activate Azure Hybrid Benefit.
+
+The license type of SQL Server can be configured when the VM is provisioned or anytime afterward. Switching between license models incurs no downtime, doesn't restart the VM or the SQL Server service, doesn't add any additional costs, and is effective immediately. In fact, activating Azure Hybrid Benefit *reduces* cost.
+
 ## Customer experience improvement program (CEIP)
 
 The Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) is enabled by default. This periodically sends reports to Microsoft to help improve SQL Server. There's no management task required with CEIP unless you want to disable it after provisioning. You can customize or disable the CEIP by connecting to the VM with remote desktop. Then run the **SQL Server Error and Usage Reporting** utility. Follow the instructions to disable reporting. For more information about data collection, see the [SQL Server Privacy Statement](/sql/sql-server/sql-server-privacy).
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-vm-create-portal-quickstart.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/sql-vm-create-portal-quickstart.md
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ If you don't have an Azure subscription, create a [free account](https://azure.m
 
 The instructions for basic details vary between deploying a conventional SQL Server on Azure VM and [SQL Server on an Azure confidential VM](sql-vm-create-confidential-vm-how-to.md).
 
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
+
 ### [Conventional VM](#tab/conventional-vm)
 
 To deploy a conventional SQL Server on Azure VM, on the **Basics** tab, provide the following information:
diff --git a/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/storage-configuration.md b/azure-sql/virtual-machines/windows/storage-configuration.md
@@ -19,16 +19,18 @@ This article teaches you how to configure your storage for your SQL Server on Az
 
 SQL Server VMs deployed through Azure Marketplace images automatically follow default [Storage best practices](performance-guidelines-best-practices-storage.md) that can be modified during deployment. Some of these configuration settings can be changed after deployment.
 
-> [!NOTE]  
-> This article is only applicable to SQL Server on Azure VMs using Premium Storage, not [Premium SSD v2 storage](storage-configuration-premium-ssd-v2.md).
+[!INCLUDE [sql-vm-deplyment-failure](../../includes/sql-vm-deplyment-failure.md)]
 
 ## Prerequisites
 
 To use the automated storage configuration settings, your virtual machine requires the following characteristics:
 
 - Provisioned with a [SQL Server gallery image](sql-server-on-azure-vm-iaas-what-is-overview.md#licensing).
 - Uses the [Resource Manager deployment model](/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/deployment-models).
-- Uses [premium SSDs](/azure/virtual-machines/disks-types).
+- Uses [premium SSDs](/azure/virtual-machines/disks-types#premium-ssds).
+
+> [!NOTE]  
+> This article is only applicable to SQL Server on Azure VMs using Premium Storage, not [Premium SSD v2 storage](storage-configuration-premium-ssd-v2.md).
 
 ## New VMs
 
diff --git a/docs/relational-databases/track-changes/known-issues-and-errors-change-data-capture.md b/docs/relational-databases/track-changes/known-issues-and-errors-change-data-capture.md
