SQL Server 2008 R2 – Licensing, Changes, New editions

 

 

So a few weeks back I said that SQL Server 2008 R2 would have a new edition, with a new edition comes a revamp in the overall licensing

 

Couple of basic points before we begin, as a few emails have come through on this and a little bit of confusion

 

Note 1: SQL Server Standard and Enterprise 2008 R2 can be licensed in either Server/CAL mode or Per Processor mode your choice

Note 2: SQL Server Datacenter is offered in Per Processor mode only

 

I know that sometimes its easy to confuse license rights for the different modes, so let me cover that below, by mode/edition, then next post will concentrate on migration/transition for SA customers and next steps…..

 

In a nutshell

SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter is licensed Per Proc only, count and license all the physical procs in box = unlimited number of running instance of SQL Datacentre in any number of OS environments = unlimited virtualization, you also have the ability to move these instances in accordance with Server Application Mobility rights – discussed in a previous blog post and you can run Standard or Enterprise in place of DC in any OSE

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise is licensed Per Proc or Per Server/CALs, Server Application Mobility Rights exist and are outlined in the PUR, you can run an instance of Standard in place of Enteprise in any of the OSEs – Yippeeeee!!!

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard is licensed Per Proc or Per Server/CALs, currently no Server Application Mobility Rights

 

 

Now to the official – Info from the PUR below

 

Datacenter

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter– Licensed in Per Processor Mode – License ALL Physical Procs

You must count and license all of the physical processors

You may run the server software in one physical and any number of virtual operating system environments without regard to the number of physical and virtual processors used.

You may run on the licensed server instances of Enterprise or Standard in place of Datacenter in any of the operating system environments.

 

Enterprise

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise – Licensed in Per Processor Mode – 2 choices on counting licenses

Option 1:

If you license all of the physical processors on the licensed server

You may run any number of instances in up to four operating systems environments for each Enterprise license you assign to the server.

You may run on the licensed server instances of Standard in place of Enterprise in any of these operating system environments

 

Option 2

If you don’t want to license all the physical procs in the box, you can license on procs used, as below, to provide you proc count for Enterprise edition, remember for Standard or WG or Small business your only option is “procs used”

 

Under this option, the total number of software licenses required for a server equals the sum of the software licenses required under (A) and (B) below. 

(A)          To run instances of the server software in the physical operating system environment on a server, you need a software license for each physical processor that the physical operating system environment uses.

(B)          To run instances of the server software in virtual operating system environments on a server, you need a software license for each virtual processor¹ that each of those virtual operating system environments uses.  If a virtual operating system environment uses a fraction of a virtual processor, the fraction counts as a full virtual processor.

 

I covered a long time ago the counting process for SQL, this info is now in the April PUR, as below

 

A virtual processor is a processor in a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system. 

Virtual operating system environments use virtual processors. 

Solely for licensing purposes, a virtual processor is considered to have the same number of threads and cores as each physical processor on the underlying physical hardware system. So, for any given virtual operating system environment on a server on which each physical processor provides X logical processors, the number of licenses required is the sum of a) and b) below:

a)      one license for every X logical processors that virtual operating system environment uses

b)      one license if the number of logical processors it uses is not a whole number multiple of X

 

“X,” as used above, equals the number of cores, or where relevant, the number of threads in each physical processor.

 

 

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise – Licensed in Server/CAL Mode

You have the following right for each server to which you assign a software license. 

You may run, at any one time, any number of instances of the server software in up to four operating system environments (physical or virtual) on that server. 

You may run on the licensed server an instance of Standard in place of Enterprise in any of these operating system environments.

 

Standard

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard – Licensed in Per Proc Mode – Based on Procs used as above

You may run, at any one time, any number of instances of the server software in physical and virtual operating system environments on the licensed server. 

However, the total number of physical and virtual processors used by those operating system environments cannot exceed the number of software licenses assigned to that server

 

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard or Workgroup – Licensed in Server/CAL Mode

For each server software license you assign, you may run any number of instances of the server software in one physical or virtual operating system environment on the licensed server at a time.

 

 

Don’t forget, Fail-over rights still exist and have been extended from 2000 to now include Small Business, Workgroup and Standard

Enterprise has had fail-over rights for a long time

 

For SQL Server 2008 Small Business*, SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard* and SQL Server 2008 R2 Workgroup*:

Fail-over Rights.  For any operating system environment in which you run instances of the server software, you may run up to the same number of passive fail-over instances in a separate operating system environment for temporary support.  You may run the passive fail-over instances on a server other than the licensed server.

 

 

Note: SQL Datacentre is only available for servers with two or more processors, Customers may not run instances of the server software on a server with less than two processors

Note: You may not enroll more than 25 instances of any version or edition of SQL Server software with the Control Point Utility in the server software at any one time

World Wide Partner Conference – Open for Registration

 

WPC 2010 taking place in Washington DC, is officially open for registration

 

More details about my licensing sessions and Labs to come…………………….

Get back to me with any hot topics you would like to see covered

LadyLicensing is back – More Focus

 

Well guys I have finally reached my USA destination and started my new role in World Wide Licensing, this role puts me at the heart of Program/Product Licensing readiness from a global prospective so in that respect its time for me to offer a clear focus on the blog

Firstly blog posts will continue and also “up to date” & “hot off the press” info will still be posted, but, I will also focus on the comments and requests I get directly from you guys and take those comments and that feedback to the people who make the changes , then make sure we do some clear signposting so you can find the content you need and at the right time, this will also be a major consideration for me

The first query I want to cover is from Sebastien and its a common one that most people ask for clarity on……………….

Edited for general consumption!

I’m working in a IT company and we recently hired a new employee.

We talked about licensing and I have a different understanding about CAL calculations.

Would you help me to win the bet-of-my-life ?

 

Here is the context:

A user needs to access 4 different Windows 2008 R2 servers within the our domain.

1x Standard edition, let’s say for an Active Directory server

2x Enterprise edition servers, setup as a cluster

1x Datacenter Edition, for an Hyper-V.

 

Do I need to Buy?

Answer A: 1 Windows server CAL

Answer B : 3 Windows Server CALs, one per Server edition

 

The answer is….

Windows Server CALs are just Windows CALs, they are not edition specific, so you cannot buy Windows DC CALs, they are only version specific.

You can use 1x Windows CAL xxx Version, licensed per User or per Device to connect to ANY server within you or your legal affiliates domain

The CAL needs to be equal or higher in Version to the Server it is accessing, so you cannot use a Windows 2003 CAL to access a Windows 2008 Server, but you can use a Windows 2008 Server CAL to access a Windows 2003 Server

 

Were to find this info on MS.Com

This info is posted within the PUR as below under “Servers”

Servers – Operating Systems – server license + CAL + optional external connector

Some News and Some cool links to ECI/EAP

 

So, its been a while since I have managed to blog, apologies on that, I have been very busy in the USA and presenting at Partner 101

 

I will soon take up my new Microsoft position in the USA based in Seattle and thats very exciting

 

Fear not, LadyLicensing will still be online……………even in the US

 

 

The UK team have created some cool videos on ECI and EAP

 

Check them out HERE

Update – Extension to Open Value Subscription Up to Date Discount

 

 

Starting Jan 1st 2010, we will run a promotion for our SMB customers both commerical and government to extend theOpen Value Subscription Up to Date <UTD> to N-2 products up until 30th June 2010

 

In addition to the up-to-date discount of up to 50 percent savings on the first annual payment for estimated retail prices of existing desktop platform product licenses of the current (N) version (Office Professional 2007, Office Professional Plus 2007, Office Small Business 2007, Office Standard 2007, and Windows 7 Professional) or previous (N-1) version (Office Professional 2003, Office Small Business 2003, Office Standard 2003, and Windows Vista Business)

Customers who sign a new Open Value Subscription or Open Value Subscription for Government agreement will also receive the up-to-date discount on N-2 versions of existing desktop platform licenses (Office Professional XP, Office Small Business XP, Office Standard XP, and Window XP Professional).

 

Products Included in promotion

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, Microsoft Office Small Business 2007, and the Windows 7 Professional operating system  

 

Open Value includes Software Assurance and is a non-perpetual offering 

 

Little bit of info on Software Assurance

Microsoft Software Assurance for Volume Licensing provides upgrades, new versions of software, and technical support to customers. Software Assurance benefits vary with each Volume Licensing program. In addition, server licenses come with benefits that are different from those for desktop licenses. Software Assurance is included for every license acquired through Open Value Subscription and Open Value Subscription for Government.  

 

Make sure you meet the eligibility Requirements

Customers who sign a new Open Value Subscription or Open Value Subscription for Government agreement and have an existing license for one of the following products:

Microsoft Office Professional 2003 (N-1)

Microsoft Office Professional 2007 (N)

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 (N)

Microsoft Office Professional XP (N-2)

Microsoft Office Small Business 2003 (N-1)

Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 (N)

Microsoft Office Small Business XP (N-2)

Microsoft Office Standard 2003 (N-1)

Microsoft Office Standard 2007 (N)

Microsoft Office Standard XP (N-2)

Windows 7 Professional (N)

Windows Vista Business operating system (N-1)

Windows XP Professional operating system (N-2)

 

 

And remember:

Every 2007 Microsoft Office system license covered by Software Assurance includes rights to the same edition of Microsoft Office 2010 upon its release. 

Some Excellent new resources on TechNet

 

Thanks to the Windows guys for these excellent technical cheat sheets on TechNet  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee939270.aspx

 

These articles are designed to give more in depth technical information on a specific issue. These have been created based on the most common support calls received.

How to troubleshoot the Key Management Service (KMS)

As part of deployment, many enterprise customers set up the Key Management Service (KMS) to enable activation of Windows in their environment. It is a simple process to set up the KMS host…and the KMS clients discover and attempt to activate on their own. But what happens if it doesn’t work? What do you do next?

How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows

This document is aimed at helping all who need to know 1) how Windows Volume License product keys are organized, and 2) how to choose the right one, based on the individual organization’s deployment.

This list will be updated and added to, so any topics you would like to see covered……………drop me a note

Issues with Volume Licensing Service Centre – RESOLVED

 

The problems on the backend tool appear to be resolved…………..!!!

 

You should be able to log in, download product and retrieve your VL product keys