windows 2012 license for virtual machine

[miladx16]

hi

i have question about the windows licensing on vmware vsphere

does it make diffrence buy windows license for my vm?

i have 60 windows operating system on my cluster

i dont know how i can reduce the cost

all of them have diffrent hardware configuration

[abhilashhb]

You would license Windows machines as if they were running on physical hosts.

You can talk to Microsoft guys and see if you can achieve any cost reduction.

[a_p_]

Microsoft offers different license versions. Depending on the number of your hosts (and CPU sockets in the hosts) it might be worth thinking of getting Windows Datacenter Licenses. Windows Datacenter Licenses are purchased per socket (in packs of 2) and you can run as many Windows Server workloads on the host as you want. Please ensure you get the correct license type for your needs (e.g. Volume Licenses). For details take a look at https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/briefs/virtual-licensing.aspx.

André

[Paltelkalpesh]

As per the new MS licensed policy.

1. MS win2012 Std- All physical processor need to be licensed, each license cover up two physical processor, you may run two VM.

2. MS wind2012 data center- All physical processor need to be licensed, each license cover up two physical processor, you may run any number of VM.

[klkl2]

What do you think about new SPLA Cloud Platform Suite Licensing?

http://www.mrlicensing.com/archives/1195

They are very cheap but I'm not sure if there is any way to use them on vSphere.

[King_Robert]

it is best to go for windows 2012 data center license. the two Physical processor will count as one DC license and you can create any number of VMs.

but there is a condition, All these VMs should be on the same Physical host for which you have taken the win2k12 Data center server license

[Aussupport]

"You would license Windows machines as if they were running on physical hosts." So no need to have  Datacentre Licence to run many VM's on VMware , if you got individual licence? is this correct? AS

[vfk]

Data centre license is the way to go.