Microsoft defines four-stage lifecycle for Azure virtual machines

Microsoft has introduced a four-stage lifecycle policy for Azure virtual machines, standardizing how availability, purchasing and support change as a VM size series approaches retirement.

Current, Extended, End of Life and Retired form a common status framework for infrastructure teams. Current series are recommended for new workloads and expansion. Extended series remain fully supported for existing workloads, but quota restrictions can appear, while purchasing options and pricing may change.

Microsoft said the policy initially covers its General Purpose, Memory Optimized, Compute Optimized and Storage Optimized VM families. Current series receive standard maintenance and support and are generally broadly available across Azure regions. Pay-as-you-go pricing and Azure Savings Plans are available, and Reserved VM Instances may also be offered.

For infrastructure teams planning capacity on Microsoft Azure, the important shift comes before retirement. Microsoft advises customers weighing a new deployment or future growth on an Extended series to evaluate a Current series instead.

A series enters End of Life after Microsoft formally announces its retirement. Until the retirement date, existing customers can continue using it in supported regions within existing quota, subject to capacity. New deployments and quota increases may be restricted. Standard maintenance and support continue during this stage. Microsoft said existing Azure VM service-level agreements remain in force, including when workload-placement changes cause minor performance variations.

At End of Life, pay-as-you-go pricing and Azure Savings Plans remain available, but Reserved Instances may no longer be offered. Microsoft said customers should expect changes in pricing and availability while planning a move to a Current or Extended series.

Retirement is the cutoff. A retired series can no longer be created, resized into, run or purchased. Microsoft deallocates remaining VMs, which then stop incurring charges, and ends support and SLA coverage for the series.

Microsoft distinguishes capacity growth restrictions from retirement: a capacity restriction alone does not constitute a retirement announcement. The company also describes the lifecycle framework as general guidance that can have product-specific, regional or operational exceptions.

Microsoft directs customers to Azure Advisor and Azure Service Health to identify upcoming retirements, affected resources and recommended modernization actions. The policy does not set a universal minimum notice period for lifecycle transitions or retirement announcements.