Microsoft licensing and support

[atessiot]

I'm loocking for an official microsoft paper about Microsoft licensing and support.

I was told that he has had an email from his managers that indicates that microsoft does NOT support VM OSes. If I remind well, there was a VMware's announcement about it ...

The second question is about 2003 Enterprise licensing :

When we use the four W2K3 standart licenses include in the W2k3 enterprise on an ESX, we lose the win2k3 enterprise license but can we install a VMware server on a W2k3 enterprise and then use the four W2K3 standart licenses include in this W2k3 enterprise ?

[oreeh]

There's a FAQ on the MS website somewhere covering this.

The Use Rights document contains some answers as well.

Basically:

If you license 1 W2K3 Enterprise R2 server you are entitled to run 4 VMs on top of the server where you licensed it. These VMs can be Web, Standard or Enterprise.

You have the additional right to run the licensed EE Server as the virtualization base for your VMs - provided that this server does nothing else.

[admin]

See http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ms_support_statement.pdf

[psharpley]

For the second part of your question see: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/calculator.mspx with additional info at the end.

[mike81]

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/highlights/virtualization/faq.mspx

Q.[/b] If Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, is used as the host

environment, am I granted four virtual licenses? What if VMWare is the host?

A.[/b] Licensing does not depend on which virtualization technology is used.

With a license for Windows Server 2003 R2, Enterprise Edition, you can

run one instance of the software in a physical operating system

environment and up to four instances in virtual operating system

environments. With VMWare GSX Server, this means you can run one

physical instance plus four virtual instances. With VMWare ESX Server,

it means you can run four virtual instances because there is no need for

a physical instance.

There is a pdf from MS about their licensing called: "Microsoft Licensing Product Use Rights" Don't have a link to it but can send it to you" Just send me priv msg with your email address.

Cheers,

Mike

[atessiot]

Thanks to all, this is clear now

[mike81]

Any points for replies ?

See http://www.vmware.com/community/help.jspa#earnrp