Azure SQL Database
An Azure relational database service.
Soft-deleted Azure SQL logical server cannot be restored - deletedServers API returns the record but restore fails with SubscriptionDoesNotHaveServer
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Cameron Fullilove
0
Reputation points
Summary
I accidentally deleted an Azure SQL logical server and cannot restore it, despite the soft-deleted record existing and being well inside its retention window.
Environment
- Server: actually-split-db-server
- Region: UK South
- Resource group: actually-split (still exists, uksouth)
- Subscription: e154b660-...-cc8110b67f56 (full ID available privately on request)
- Deletion time: 2026-08-03T20:25:41.067Z
- Retention window expires: approx 2026-08-10T20:25Z
The contradiction
GET /subscriptions/{sub}/providers/Microsoft.Sql/deletedServers returns the record:
{
"id": ".../providers/Microsoft.Sql/locations/UK South/deletedServers/actually-split-db-server",
"properties": {
"deletionTime": "2026-08-03T20:25:41.067Z",
"originalId": ".../resourceGroups/actually-split/providers/Microsoft.Sql/servers/actually-split-db-server",
"version": "12.0"
}
}
But every restore attempt fails with SubscriptionDoesNotHaveServer:
Subscription '...' does not have the server 'actually-split-db-server'.
Please make sure that the subscription and server name are entered correctly.
What I have tried
1. Azure portal — SQL logical servers → Restore. Failed.
Correlation ID: b14bac1d-2da1-4b70-96be-580f8902fa8c (2026-08-03T21:15:53Z)
2. Azure CLI
az sql server restore -g actually-split -n actually-split-db-server -l uksouth
Async operation ID: b2304762-9cd3-4e2b-991a-2cf78c6447c9
x-ms-request-id: 332141de-021c-4cbe-90cd-274a8daa7ceb
x-ms-correlation-request-id: faeaf1ca-73a0-4986-a32a-0dfb30987f1d
ARM accepted the request (202) and started a long-running operation. The async operation then returned "status":"Failed" with SubscriptionDoesNotHaveServer.
3. PowerShell — Restore-AzSqlServer with both "UK South" and "uksouth". Same error.
What I have ruled out
- Resource group exists and is in uksouth.
- Correct region — the async operation URL confirms the request routed to
/resourceGroups/actually-split/providers/Microsoft.Sql/locations/uksouth/serverAzureAsyncOperation/... - No Entra-only-authentication policy assigned (the documented restore blocker). Only
SecurityCenterBuiltIn / ASC Defaultis present on the subscription. - Azure CLI is current —
az sql server restoreis present and accepts the command. - No server with this name has been re-created since deletion.
-
az sql server showreturnsResourceNotFoundfor the name.
Question
Is there a way to make the restore succeed, or does this need the SQL product team to recover the server manually?
The retention window expires around 10 August, so this is time-sensitive. I am the subscription owner and I authorise the recovery attempt. Business justification: this was the primary production database for my application and no other copy of the data exists.
Azure SQL Database
Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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Manish Deshpande 8,295 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator2026-08-03T22:13:04.2833333+00:00 Hello
Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A. We’re looking into the issue and will get back to you as soon as possible
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Ganesh Chelluri 205 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator2026-08-04T04:00:51.94+00:00 Hi @Cameron Fullilove ,
A record in deletedServers doesn't mean the server is restorable. Self-service restore only works if soft delete retention was enabled on the server before deletion, and it's off by default for servers under two years old. That's why ARM accepts the call and then fails with SubscriptionDoesNotHaveServer - nothing you change in portal/CLI/PowerShell will get past it.
Recovery from here is best-effort from our side and time bound, so let's move now. Please don't recreate a server with the same name - that ends any chance of recovery. I'm messaging you privately - send me the full subscription ID, exact server name, region, deletion time in UTC, the database names you need, and the subscription owner's written approval. Also check if LTR was ever configured on those databases;
if yes, those backups survive the deletion and can be restored to a new server, which is the fastest path.
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Ganesh Chelluri 205 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-08-09T03:45:12.7233333+00:00 Hi @Cameron Fullilove ,
We haven’t received a response. Please let us know if you need any additional information or assistance from my side.
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