Preparing for the Retirement of Azure Basic SKU Public IP Addresses
Microsoft has officially announced the retirement of the Azure Basic SKU for Public IP addresses in Azure, effective September 30, 2025.
If your organization is still using Basic SKU Public IPs, it’s essential to begin planning your migration to the Standard SKU now to avoid service disruptions and take advantage of improved features.
The Need to Know
Will your environment be impacted by the end of Azure Basic SKU Public IP Addresses?
Typically this is going to apply to clients running virtual machines in Azure, but there can be other reasons to have Public IP addresses in Azure without having a virtual machine there.
What is the potential impact of this change?
After September 30, 2025, the existing Basic SKU IPs will be decommissioned, which, according to Microsoft ‘may lead to outages and service disruptions’ if not upgraded.
The ongoing pricing for the Standard SKU is slightly higher than the Basic SKU, worth noting for budget planning.
What are the benefits of Upgrading to Standard SKU?
The Standard SKU offers several key benefits over the Basic SKU:
- Zone-redundancy for higher availability
- Enhanced security with support for Azure Firewall and DDoS Protection
- Improved performance and scalability
- Global reach with cross-region, load balancing support
These enhancements make the Standard SKU the preferred choice for modern, resilient cloud architectures.
How long will it take to replace Basic SKU Public IP Addresses in Azure?
It depends on the number of public IP addresses in use. You can estimate 30 minutes per IP address for downtime.
You don’t want to leave it until the last minute as there could be unforeseen issues. Depending on your configuration you may or may not need to do all public IP addresses at the same time.
How to upgrade to the Standard SKU
Microsoft provides comprehensive guidance for upgrading from Basic to Standard SKU. Here is a high-level overview of the process:
- Identify Basic SKU IPs
Use Azure CLI, PowerShell, or Azure Resource Graph to locate all Basic SKU Public IPs in your environment. - Plan the Migration
Assess dependencies and plan for any necessary downtime. Some services may require reconfiguration. - Provision or Upgrade to Standard SKU IPs
Create new Standard SKU Public IPs or upgrade existing Basic SKU Public IPs and associate them with your resources. - Test and Validate
Ensure all services function correctly with the new SKUs. - Decommission Basic IPs
Once validated, if new Standard SKU Public IPs were created, delete the old Basic SKU Public IPs.
Resources for Self-Guided Migration
If you prefer to manage this migration internally, these Microsoft resources include step-by-step instructions, best practices, and automation options.
Leverage an Experienced Partner
Migrating network infrastructure can be complicated, especially in environments with high availability or compliance requirements. Enlisting an experienced technology partner to assess your current environment, develop a tailored migration plan, can position your firm for a smooth transition with minimal disruption.
Contact Kraft Kennedy to continue the conversation.