SQL 2008 Licensing

[Richie1972]

I suppose this should really go in the Licensing section, but I wanted to make sure that those who have SIMS and have already upgraded would see it.

Our SIMS server is a Hyper-V guest with 4 CPUs assigned (sat on a physical server with 2x Quad Core CPUs). It also has 6GB RAM.

If SQL was going on the physical server I'd only need 2 licenses (one for each physical CPU). However, as the Hyper-V guest is, obviously, virtual, I have to class each assigned virtual CPU as an actual CPU.

With SQL 2008 STD R2 being just shy of £1000 per processor, there is no way the school will pay £4000, so I was wondering if there was a way of limiting SQL to only use 2 CPUs, thus meaning I would only need to buy 2 licenses.

Does anyone know if this is possible and, if so, has anyone done this?

[TronXP]

I am pretty sure it is how many physical CPUs in the server. So if the physical server has 2 processors then it is 2x£1000. Microsoft Volume Licensing - Multicore Processor Licensing

[Richie1972]

That does only mention physical servers, but as our SIMS server is a Hyper-V virtual server, would it count the virtual processors or the phyisical server processors?

[Soulfish]

When SQL is being used in a virtual server your correct that the per processor license means you need to license each virtual processor you give the device. One way I have seen to get around this is if Hyper-V is able to present the 4 virtual CPUs as 1 virtual CPU with 4 cores. Then you'd only need 1 processor license, and make use of the multicore licensing linked to above.

 

I know you can do this with Xen and VMWare but I've never tried with Hyper-V unfortunately!

[Soulfish]

The licensing doc to read is http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/e/6/1e68f92c-f334-4517-b610-e4dee946ef91/2008%20SQL%20Licensing%20Overview%20final.docx which has a quick explanation about virtual processors and licensing. Because Windows Server is seeing each virtual processor as a separate socket you need the per processor licenses. When your able to combine the virtual processors into one virtual socket with multiple cores then you only need the single processor license

[matt40k]

...How many licenses do you have? Might be worth getting individual CALs if Hyper-V is truely that bad.

[TronXP]

Win for virtualization =-/

[Arthur]

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Licensing Quick Reference Guide

See page 3 for more info regarding virtual CPUs.

[Richie1972]

Ok, looks like Hyper-V doesn't do virtual multi-core CPUs, so each CPU on the virtual server is treated as a separate CPU

So, back to the other option: if there is a way to tell SQL 2008 R2 Standard to only use 2 CPUs does that mean I only need 2 licences or do I need 4?

[djm968]

Would SQL 2008 Per Server Licensing and individual CALS not be a more cost effective option? How many users/devices need to connect to SIMS?

 

 

Server licensing will also depend on how you have your VMs configured. If you are using VMs for passive failover for example the standby sever does not need a license.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/licensing-faq.aspx#

Edited July 15, 2010 by djm968
Update

[Richie1972]

Ok, looking at the licencing details, it would appear that you have to licence every processor on your Hyper-V guest, even if it were possible to limit SQL to only two CPUs.

So, there is no way we can go with SQL 2008 R2 Standard (£4000). Looks like we'll be using SQL Server 2008 R2 Workgroup edition (£2000 for 4 CPUs) - unfortunately that version will only work with 2 CPUs, so we'll have to be paying for 2 CPUs that it won't use

[Arthur]

Ok, looks like Hyper-V doesn't do virtual multi-core CPUs, so each CPU on the virtual server is treated as a separate CPU

It does, but I think you need to use SCVMM 2008 R2 to create the VMs.

 

http://alipka.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/hyper-v-and-per-processor-licensing-in-vm/

Edited July 15, 2010 by Arthur

[localzuk]

Can you not simply limit the number of virtual CPUs you are assigning to the server? ie. In the VM settings, set it to have 2 CPUs not 4?

[Richie1972]

i could do that, but it would cut performance in half.

Having looked at the Computer Properties in the host and the guest, it's possible that it thinks that there is a single 4-core cpu in the guest.

Physical Host shows:

Processor: Intel® Xeon® CPU E5430 @ 2.66GHz (2 processors) - it has 2 quad core xeons

 

Hyper-V Guest:

Processor: Intel® Xeon® CPU E5430 @ 2.66GHz - it doesn't mention a number of processors, so does that mean it treats it as a single quad core cpu?

 

To add to this, another server (physical) has a single quad core and reports the same (4 cores, 4 logical processors) - so, by that reasoning, a physical and virtual server should be the same for licencing (if we assume that, as it appears, specifying 4 cores of a quad core for a hyper-v guest makes a single quad core cpu)

Edited July 15, 2010 by Richie1972

[Richie1972]

Further reading of the licencing in Powered by Google Docs seems to support this, as it states that a Virtual CPU = 1 CORE, so if I have a quad core cpu in the physical host and 4 virtual cpus in the Hyper-V guest, it is only ONE cpu

[matt40k]

Would SQL 2008 Per Server Licensing and individual CALS not be a more cost effective option? How many users/devices need to connect to SIMS?

 

Yes, how many users\devices would be connected anyway?

[Richie1972]

Enough to make the per processor option the best way - somewhere around 50-100 users

[djm968]

Well that depends on your current Microsoft Licensing model

 

SQL 2008 School Agreement MVLS Pricing (approx)

 

SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard - License - Schools £115.20

SQL Client 2008 R2 Device CAL - Schools £21.60

 

I make that just under £1200 for 50 devices or £2280 for 100 devices connecting to the SQL server and you can have as many Sockets, processors or cores in the VM as you like!

 

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard | Microsoft | Products | ... discounted software for education establishments

[Richie1972]

Schools agreement is yearly payment, Select Agreement is one off.

So, if I am right about the licensing on Hyper-V (which, from checking settings on physical and virtual servers, appears to be correct):

1xSQL 2008 R2 Standard licence (1 CPU with 4 cores - which is how the Hyper-V client sees the CPU)=£942 one off payment

and as many clients as I want

[michael2k6]

You can limit the amount of cores used by SQL in the properties of the SQL Server Management studio.

It's in the properties of the database engine for the instance you're running. I dont know whether simply limiting it there though means you need less licenses or whether it's completely irrelevant - but just to answer an earlier question.

 

Mic@Serco

[djm968]

Somebody stopme! or correct me if i'm wrong but I see at as this!

1 x SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard - License - SELECT £144.00 (one off payment) and as many clients as you want at £27

 

This certainly seems to be the licensing model many local authorities are recommending.

Edited July 15, 2010 by djm968
Update

[Richie1972]

Michael2K6: Yes, I thought there was a way to do that and, also yes, I'm not sure if it makes a difference to licencing (it should, if it's being restricted to 2 CPUs).

I think, however, I may be right in my previous post about a Hyper-V guest having 4 virtual processors derived from a physical host with quad core CPUs being equal to the Hyper-V guest having a single quad core CPU - the MS docs seem to imply this

[michael2k6]

Richie_OLSJ, i think you may be right. That would certainly make sense. I'm still not willing to commit to it being correct though lol.

[Richie1972]

1 x SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard - License - SELECT £144.00 (one off payment) and as many clients as you want at £27

 

Ok, looking at the Select pricing the £144 is for SQL 2008 R2 std which requires CALs, so what is the £27?

 

If the £27 is for this: http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/C0009917 then that says it's just a single user CAL

Edited July 16, 2010 by Richie1972

[Arthur]

Ok, looking at the Select pricing the £144 is for SQL 2008 R2 std which requires CALs, so what is the £27?

The £27 is the price for each CAL which would be required for every user (or device) accessing the SQL Server. It would therefore cost £2,844 if you had 100 users (£144 + (100 * £27)).