Microsoft has officially confirmed that several older Azure virtual machine (VM) series will be retired on November 15, 2028. This retirement affects commonly used VM families such as F, Fs, Fsv2, Lsv2, G, Av2, Amv2, and B-series v1, and has important implications for both development and production workloads.
If your Azure subscription still runs on these VM families, action is required before the retirement deadline. This guide explains exactly which VM sizes are affected, what happens if you do nothing, and how to migrate safely without data loss or downtime.
Azure VM Series Retirement Date
- Official retirement date: November 15, 2028
- Scope: Older hardware-based VM families
- Impact: Retired VMs will no longer start, redeploy, or be supported
- Data safety: Managed disks remain intact, but compute access stops
Microsoft is retiring these VM series as part of its long-term move to newer infrastructure powered by AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors, which offer better performance, efficiency, and reliability.
Complete List of Azure VM Series Retiring in 2028
The following Azure VM families are scheduled for retirement:
| VM Category | Retiring Series |
|---|---|
| Compute-optimized | F, Fs, Fsv2 |
| Storage-optimized | Lsv2 |
| Memory-optimized | G, Gs |
| General-purpose | Av2, Amv2 |
| Burstable | B-series v1 |
If your workloads run on any of the above series, you must migrate them to supported alternatives before 2028.
Are B1s and B2s Azure VMs Affected?
This is one of the most common points of confusion.
- Standard B1s (v1 generation): Affected and retiring
- Standard B2s / B2ms (v2 generation): Not retiring at this time
If your VM size shows B2s or B2ms, you are already using the newer B-series v2 platform and are not impacted by the 2028 retirement.
However, any classic B-series v1 VM (such as B1s) must be migrated.
Is Your Azure VM at Risk? How to Check in 30 Seconds
You can quickly verify whether your VM is affected:
- Open the Azure Portal
- Go to Virtual Machines
- Select a VM
- Check the Size field
If the size belongs to a retiring series (F, Fs, Lsv2, G, Av2, Amv2, or B-series v1), the VM must be migrated.
What Happens After November 15, 2028 If You Do Nothing?
If a VM reaches its retirement date without migration:
- The VM cannot be started or redeployed
- Azure may deallocate the compute resources
- Production workloads may experience downtime
- Managed disks remain intact, but the VM itself becomes unusable
- Microsoft support will no longer assist with issues on retired sizes
This behavior is consistent with previous Azure hardware retirements: storage survives, compute does not.
Best Azure VM Replacements for Retiring Series
Microsoft recommends migrating to newer VM families with similar performance characteristics.
| Retiring Series | Recommended Replacement |
|---|---|
| F / Fs / Fsv2 | Fasv6, Fsv6, Dsv5 |
| Lsv2 | Lsv3 |
| G / Gs | Esv5, Ev5 |
| Av2 / Amv2 | Dsv5, Dasv5 |
| B-series v1 | Bsv2, Bpsv2, Basv2 |
For small Linux or Windows workloads previously running on B1s, the Bsv2 family offers the closest pricing and behavior.
Azure VM Migration Strategy: Dev to Production
A structured migration approach minimizes risk and downtime.
1. Assessment
- Identify all affected VMs
- Review CPU, memory, and disk usage
- Check availability zone and region constraints
2. Choose the Target VM Size
- Use Azure’s VM size selector
- Ensure quota availability for the new family
3. Backup and Snapshots
- Take snapshots of OS and data disks
- Verify snapshot completion before proceeding
4. Dev / Test Migration
- Stop a non-production VM
- Resize to the new VM family
- Validate application, networking, and monitoring
5. Production Migration
- Schedule maintenance downtime
- Resize or redeploy the production VM
- Perform post-migration validation
6. Cleanup
- Deallocate or delete legacy VMs only after full confirmation
- Keep snapshots until stability is verified
Will Public IPs, SSH Keys, or Credentials Change?
- Static public IPs: Remain unchanged during resize
- Dynamic public IPs: May change after stop/start — convert to static first
- SSH keys / Windows credentials: Remain unchanged when resizing
- NIC configuration: Preserved during in-place resize
If you create a new VM instead of resizing, IPs and credentials depend on how the new VM is configured.
How to Keep Your Disk Data Safe During Migration
- Resizing an existing VM preserves all attached managed disks
- When creating a new VM:
- Detach disks from the old VM
- Attach them to the new VM
- Ensure Gen 1 / Gen 2 compatibility
- Always confirm disk snapshots before deleting old resources
FAQs:
1. What is Azure VM Series Retirement 2028?
Azure VM Series Retirement 2028 refers to Microsoft’s plan to retire several older Azure virtual machine families on November 15, 2028, after which those VM sizes will no longer be supported or startable.
2. Which Azure VM series are retiring in 2028?
The VM series retiring in 2028 include F, Fs, Fsv2, Lsv2, G, Gs, Av2, Amv2, and B-series v1. These families are based on older hardware generations.
3. Is Azure B2s affected by the 2028 VM retirement?
No. Azure B2s and B2ms (B-series v2) are not affected by the 2028 retirement. Only B-series v1, such as B1s, is included in the retirement list.
4. What happens if I don’t migrate my Azure VM before 2028?
If you do not migrate before November 15, 2028, the affected VM will no longer start or redeploy. Compute access stops, but managed disks and data remain intact.
5. Will my Azure VM data be deleted after retirement?
No. Azure does not delete managed disks automatically. While the VM becomes unusable, OS and data disks remain available and can be attached to a supported VM.
6. Do public IP addresses or SSH keys change during migration?
When resizing an existing VM, SSH keys and credentials remain unchanged. Static public IPs stay the same, but dynamic IPs may change unless converted to static before migration.
7. What are the best replacement VM sizes for retired Azure VMs?
Microsoft supports migration to newer VM families such as Dsv5, Dasv5, Esv5, Ev5, Lsv3, and Bsv2, depending on workload type and performance requirements.
If you are running B2s or other v2-generation VMs, you are not affected yet. However, B1s and other v1 VM families are confirmed for retirement in 2028, and delaying migration increases operational risk.
Start planning early to ensure uninterrupted service, improved performance, and a smooth transition to Azure’s modern VM infrastructure.
