Optimization & Licensing Assessment for Windows Server & SQL Server

Microsoft licensing is one of the most overlooked and most expensive parts of running Windows Server and SQL Server. The Optimization and Licensing Assessment (OLA) from Amber is a no-cost, AWS-funded assessment that gives you a clear, data-backed view of how to run those workloads on AWS at the lowest possible cost.

According to AWS, customers who migrate Microsoft workloads to AWS can reduce Windows Server licensing costs by up to 77% and SQL Server by up to 45% on average, through rightsizing, core reduction, SQL Server consolidation, and flexible licensing options. The OLA quantifies those savings for your specific environment.

The engagement runs in three stages:

Assess. Using AWS and partner tooling, Amber collects real utilization data from your Windows Server and SQL Server environment: cores, instances, editions, licensing entitlements, and dependencies, over a representative period.

Architect. Amber's specialists analyze the data and model your deployment options on AWS, comparing license-included and BYOL scenarios, Dedicated Hosts, rightsizing, and SQL Server consolidation. You receive a detailed report with an executive summary, a licensing summary, optimized cost estimates, and a total cost of ownership analysis.

Act. When you decide to move forward, Amber's AWS experts lead the migration and modernization, applying Cloud Native and serverless best practices, and evaluate AWS funding to support the project.

The result is a clear, obligation-free picture of your total cost of ownership on AWS and a concrete roadmap to get there.