SQL Licensing

[DevilsAdvocate]

Hi all,

 

The licensing for SQL has got me slightly confused. Could anyone help me figure out how many licenses i need in order to cover the following servers -

 

3 x 4 Core

1 x 16 Core

1 - Single Core (VM)

 

Thanks in advance

[Boredguy]

The minimum number of core licenses you can purchase per machine is 4.

 

So my napkin calculation would be 16 x SQLSvrStdCore 7NQ-00051 on EES (since each licence covers 2 cores) Oh and that's yearly payment on EES =/

 

For us the SIMS Server with 8 Virtual Cores is setting us back around £100 per core per year, but at least it's SA.

[DevilsAdvocate]

So for the above the breakdown is -

 

3 x 4 Core (6 Licenses)

1 x 16 Core (8 License)

1 x Single Core (VM - 2 License)

 

Total - 16

 

Correct? SQL Seems wasted on the Single Core VM.

Edited January 13, 2015 by DevilsAdvocate

[Boredguy]

Yep that's how I worked it out based on the MS licensing guide for SQL.

 

Does seem overkill, but hey it's MS licensing

[john]

Have you spoken to a licensing specialist as SQL can be licensed via various methods its not like Windows where its quite simple as you can do Core, CPU, User, VM etc... so well worth talking to someone like one of our sponsors and getting them to go through the options. I know when I last looked at it in a school it wasn't as bad as your making it sound. When you do it on VMs rules are slightly different but I don't think you should need that many unless its changed again to be even more evil.

[Boredguy]

My information was previously confirmed by our MS licensing supplier (as in told number of vCores assigned and they went off to do the maths... which turned out to match the MS Documentation) back in June when I was putting the order in for our EES renewal, and I reread the MS SQL license document that is online earlier and it still says the same thing. Minimum is 4 Core order regardless of number of vCores assigned (so that's 2 licenses)

 

You can go down the Server+CAL route, but I don't think there was much savings there, but you never know the price could have dropped in the last 6 months.