Selecting Windows Standard or Enterprise for vSphere Management Components

[TheVMinator]

When do I need to use Windows 2008 Enterprise and can I get by with Windows 2008 Standard for my management components?  For example, on the following list, which actually need an Enterprise version?

VM with Windows 2008 for vCenter Server (not using vCSA)

VM for the SQL server that vCenter Server will connect to (It will be a separate server.  Can it get by with 2008 Standard)

VM for the SQL Server that VMWare Update Manager will connect to (it will be a separate server)

VM for Single Sign on.  (It will be separate from vCenter Server)

VM for the SQL server that SRM will connect to (It will be on a separate VM from the SRM component itself).

Which of these need Enterprise licenses or where is it recommended?  Environment = 100 hosts, 1500 VMs

Thanks!

[RParker]

If you look at the technical details for Windows 2008, there are VERY few reasons you NEED enterprise.. Standard is fine.

In fact the ONLY reason to use Enterprise (for Windows 2003) was *IF* you needed more than 4GB of RAM.. that's ALL changed.

Windows 2008 Std and ent are identical with respect to limitations on disk, RAM, CPU, etc... the ONLY difference is Enterprise can be part of a cluster, Standard cannot.. there are other differences, but none that are crucial to running in VM ware.

Bottom line is for ALL of these things on the list Windows 2008 Standard will be good for EVERYTNIG.  Where does it say you need to have enterprise?

[vGuy]

Since you will be running these workloads on a VM you should also consider how Microsoft's licensing work in virtual environments. For example, you can run upto 4 instances of Windows with a single server enterprise license whereas with standard license you're permitted to run 2 instances.

http://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/about-licensing/virtualization.aspx

[TheVMinator]

OK thanks for the input.  It wasn't clear from the link though.  So I get an Enteprise 2008 Windows Server license.  I can then boot up 4 VMs on any host in any cluster on that license?  Or they have to be on the same physical host?  It seems only to apply to powered on VMs from the link.

Then with Standard I can boot up only 2 VMs with one license on any host or any cluster?  So in other words I can get double the number of VMs online with an Enterprise license?

[a_p_]

Microsoft calls this "peak" licensing, which means that the license is bound to the hardware (the ESXi host). This means an Enterprise license allows you to deploy 4 Windows instances on a sinlge host. Windows Server Standard btw. only allows a single instance and also does not allow vMotion. In addition, a Windows instance may only be moved to another host every 90 days.

The above refers to Windows 2008 and older. With Windows 2012 things changed. There's no Enterprise license anymore and the Standard license allows 2 instances (on the same host of course).

André

[TheVMinator]

Are you sure about this?  I've been in environments where DRS is used to vmotion W2k8 Standard servers regularly, and they have been regularly moved from server to server, from cluster to cluster, with vmotion, cold migration, and in every manner.

Did you mean to say that Windows 2008 Standard licensing does not allow you to vmotion a VM?  I've never heard of this and am having trouble digesting that thought immediately...

[a_p_]

Yes, and believe me, when I heard this first - from a Microsoft licensing person - I didn't want to trust my ears. There are a couple of MS documents which describe this, e.g. Licensing Microsoft Server Products for Use in Virtual Environments

In general, you can reassign software licenses for server products, but not on a short-term basis (that is, not within 90 days of the last assignment). However, you can reassign licenses sooner if you retire the licensed server due to permanent hardware failure. ...

André

[jdptechnc]

TheVMinator wrote:

Are you sure about this?  I've been in environments where DRS is used to vmotion W2k8 Standard servers regularly, and they have been regularly moved from server to server, from cluster to cluster, with vmotion, cold migration, and in every manner.

Did you mean to say that Windows 2008 Standard licensing does not allow you to vmotion a VM?  I've never heard of this and am having trouble digesting that thought immediately...

If your hosts are licensed for Datacenter edition, you are entitled to unlimited instances of any edition of Windows on that host and can (as I understand it) vMotion as much as you want as long as the other hosts are also licensed for Datacenter edition.  If not, you are limited as noted above to 90 days before moving a VM, and limited to the number of VMs you can run per host.

As you increase the number VMs per host, it can become cost neutral or even better, as Dtacenter edition is licensed per physical CPU with unlimited guest instances permitted.

[TheVMinator]

OK - I found this also that confirms what you are saying:

http://communities.vmware.com/groups/licensing/blog/2012/01/06/microsoft-server-licensing-implicatio...

I'm not sure what to say.  Before reading this I thought there was still good reason to keep various VMware management servers on Windows Servers and not make the effort to move appliances and databases to linux as soon as there was a linux alternative. 

[vGuy]

shouldn't it be fine if the destination host has enough licenses to apply to the vMotion'd VM?

"For Windows Server software, except in a few cases (see “Assignment of Licenses” above), licenses may only be reassigned to new hardware after 90 days. This, however, does not restrict the dynamic movement of virtual OSEs between licensed servers. As long as the servers are licensed and each server individually does not run more instances than the number for which it is licensed, you are free to use VMware vMotion and System Center Virtual Machine Manager to move virtualized instances between licensed servers at will."

[a_p_]

That's probably possible, but assuming you have 10 VMs on 5 hosts, would you want to purchase 50 Standard licenses for the worst case scenario (all VMs on one host)? Or think of the same scenario with Enterprise licensing. Due to the requirement of "peak" licensing you'd need 13 Enterprise licenses for each host to cover the 50 VMs!

Depending on the environment it is most likely the least expensive option to have Datacenter licenses if you want to fully comply with MS's EULA.

André

[vGuy]

Indeed, Datacenter edition seems to be the least expensive option. Although looks like in an environment with low consolidation ratio we will still end up buying more than what's needed. The peak licensing requirement is new to me as well, thanks for sharing .