[sims] Whats your SIMS hardware spec

[Edu-IT]

Always been that way as far as I can remember!

So we've paid for something we don't need then it seems, on the recommendation of our reseller.

 

Edit: "First of all you’ll need to purchase the server license itself. You can choose between three options here*, depending on what you need to get done."

 

http://blog.micromail.com/2013/07/01/beginners-guide-to-sql-server-licensing/

Edited December 9, 2014 by Edu-IT

[localzuk]

Hmm... I may need to check that then, as we were told we only need the CALs!

[DMcCoy]

The server license is cheap with server+CAL, but is needed for each SQL server, while a SQL CAL allows access to multiple SQL servers. I started with CPU licensing because it was easier.

[Edu-IT]

Hmm... I may need to check that then, as we were told we only need the CALs!

Let me know what you find. Maybe a reseller here can confirm? @VeryPC_Colin

[windowsman]

8GB (just upgraded), Virtual

[matt40k]

Yup. If you have SQL CALs, you don't have to then license the SQL server too.

 

Well I never, I've had people buy Server license and forget the CALs, but I've never seen someone buy the CALs but not the Server license. Thought it was pretty clear

 

 

Buy SQL Server 2012-2014 | Microsoft

[vikpaw]

You have to licence the server. I always thought of that part as the physically buying the disk and putting the serial key in when you install it.

The client access is then on top, either by individual CALS or per core giving unlimited CALS.

I think sometimes people quote it all together, so it sounds like you've not bought the server part.

[VeryPC_Ed]

Hi Guys,

 

For SQL server you need to either buy the server on a per core license (minimum 4 cores - so 2 x 2 core licenses) or server + CAL method.

 

Also SQL cal's are not part of the desktop platform and are additional products - NOT based on FTE so you need to license on a 1:1 basis for the users accessing the SQL instance. (unless using per core licensing).

 

e.g

 

1 SQL Server and 100 users / 100 devices = 1 SQL Server License and 100 Cal's (Dev or User)

 

or

 

2 x SQL Server Per Core (No Cal's Required).

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

Edited December 10, 2014 by VeryPC_Ed
meant not based on FTE

[VeryPC_Colin_M]

Let me know what you find. Maybe a reseller here can confirm? @VeryPC_Colin

 

Ayup Dan, thanks for the shout out. Not something I'm trained on, however our Ed is and he'll be sure to offer his help soon.

 

ps - @VeryPC_Colin_M is me my man; I don't get notified on @VeryPC_colin (but I believe EduGeek recognises it as VeryPC and emails our marketing guys anyway) otherwise I'm lucky to spot the great work you're doing to spread the VeryPC joy amongst the community.

[localzuk]

Well I never, I've had people buy Server license and forget the CALs, but I've never seen someone buy the CALs but not the Server license. Thought it was pretty clear

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27936[/ATTACH]

 

Buy SQL Server 2012-2014 | Microsoft

 

I've always gone by the way it was licensed when I got here - never questioned it. I've been through about 5 different resellers over the last 8 years too and not a single one has mentioned it.

[Edu-IT]

Hi Guys,

 

For SQL server you need to either buy the server on a per core license (minimum 4 cores - so 2 x 2 core licenses) or server + CAL method.

 

Also SQL cal's are not part of the desktop platform and are additional products - NOT based on FTE so you need to license on a 1:1 basis for the users accessing the SQL instance. (unless using per core licensing).

 

e.g

 

1 SQL Server and 100 users / 100 devices = 1 SQL Server License and 100 Cal's (Dev or User)

 

or

 

2 x SQL Server Per Core (No Cal's Required).

 

Thanks,

 

Ed

I was told you buy enough CAL's to match the amount you purchased for the FTE, and Microsoft Accept this? Hmm?

[VeryPC_Ed]

I was told you buy enough CAL's to match the amount you purchased for the FTE, and Microsoft Accept this? Hmm?

 

I believe FTE count is only for Desktop Platform products only, the rest are bought as needed, same as why you buy x copies of Server 2012 R2, rather than FTE x Server Count.

 

This is what our disti has always said you need to be compliant - they could be wrong but that's how I understand it and what has been advised.

 

The issue with EES and many suppliers is that there is hardly any oversight from Microsoft and you can order what you want and not be compliant and a lot is open to interpretation.

 

We have seen people with Windows O/S and no CAL's etc.

 

The biggest thing that people don't realise is that you need a qualifying O/S for the Windows Client licenses to be valid as they are essentially upgrade licenses.

[localzuk]

I believe FTE count is only for Desktop Platform products only, the rest are bought as needed, same as why you buy x copies of Server 2012 R2, rather than FTE x Server Count.

 

This is what our disti has always said you need to be compliant - they could be wrong but that's how I understand it and what has been advised.

 

The issue with EES and many suppliers is that there is hardly any oversight from Microsoft and you can order what you want and not be compliant.

 

We have seen people with Windows O/S and no CAL's etc.

 

The biggest thing that people don't realise is that you need a qualifying O/S for the Windows Client licenses to be valid as they are essentially upgrade licenses.

 

Hmm... With the CALs, I've again been told that we only need to buy enough CALs for the FTE number! I was even corrected on it when I specified a larger number. We buy CALs for RDS and SQL and we've only ever bought as many as the FTE number.

[VeryPC_Ed]

Hmm... With the CALs, I've again been told that we only need to buy enough CALs for the FTE number! I was even corrected on it when I specified a larger number. We buy CALs for RDS and SQL and we've only ever bought as many as the FTE number.

 

I could be wrong but that's what our disti has always told us - I'll ask them to confirm again just to be sure (don't want to spread misinfo!).

 

Ed

[VeryPC_Ed]

Just got off the phone from our distributor and they say that if you are licensing using server and CAL, then you need to have the appropriate amount of CAL's as the quantity shouldn't be reported based on the FTE.

 

I asked if there was any unwritten rule and they said they hadn't heard of anything like that.

 

I'm asking another disti we deal with to make sure that this isn't just there interpretation but from what I can see in the documentation, the SQL Cal's are not companywide and not eligible for FTE count.

 

Ed

[VeryPC_Ed]

The plot thickens..

 

Spoke to another disti and they have contradicted what our original supplier has said

 

Going to look into this and update later when have some more info.

[localzuk]

Great, thanks @VeryPC_Ed. Microsoft licensing is a nightmare!!

[vikpaw]

Isn't the CAL for contemporaneous use. I'm sure we used to do a calculation based on how many people would be accessing at any one time , or maybe that was for another limitation.

[VeryPC_Ed]

Great, thanks @VeryPC_Ed. Microsoft licensing is a nightmare!!

 

I've had a quite lengthy email from our disti which had their Microsoft contacts response - just waiting to speak to our own Microsoft account manager to discuss their response before updating further !

[Arthur]

You don't need CALs with Per Core licensing.

 

www.aidanfinn.com/?p=11890

 

[VeryPC_Ed]

You don't need CALs with Per Core licensing.

 

www.aidanfinn.com/?p=11890

 

 

 

Hi Arthur,

 

This is correct, however the confusion is over SERVER + CAL model for SQL (under EES) rather than Per Core which is pretty straight forward.

 

Still waiting on a reply from someone at Microsoft as there is no customer/partner facing licensing team and we have to go through disti normally - not helpful when one says one thing and the other tells you another !!!

[newpersn]

everyone finished spamming my topic now.... I know its related but i didn't ask about licensing.

 

[VeryPC_Ed]

everyone finished spamming my topic now.... I know its related but i didn't ask about licensing.

 

 

Sorry newpersn..I seem to have abducted/kidnapped/infiltrated and ultimately derailed the thread totally from its original purpose

 

Going back on topic - the last few dedicated (physical) servers I have talked to people about supplying for SIMS have been quad core Xeon E3 or E5 with 8GB Min with some SSD (Intel S3500) storage.

 

I'll make another dedicated thread when i get a response on the licensing so I don't contaminate the thread further !!!

[DMcCoy]

everyone finished spamming my topic now.... I know its related but i didn't ask about licensing.

 

 

It's important because if you stick with SQL *express* it will only use 1GB RAM for the DB engine.

 

As for what you *need* to run SIMS depends on the number of clients. However there will be a point where throwing anything at it will not make it faster due to how efficient the queries are.

 

More than 8-16GB and a few SAS drives will be overkill (if you actually view the sql traces) although RAM is very cheap atm.

[localzuk]

I've had a quite lengthy email from our disti which had their Microsoft contacts response - just waiting to speak to our own Microsoft account manager to discuss their response before updating further !

 

Any update on this? I'd like to get it right when we do our next round of licensing later in the year.