licensing question: Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition

[jurajfox]

As discussed before you get unlimited virtualization rights with Datacenter:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/news/bulletins/datacenterhighavail.mspx

So basically you get a huge 8 socket box, stick ESX on it and also license Windows 2003 Datacenter for this machine and you don't have to buy anymore Windows licenses for any VMs running on this box.

Has this worked out for anyone, from a financial point of view?

It seems that the basic Windows 2003 Datacenter edition only cost around $3k. I've also heard from our rep that it's licensed per processor.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/pricing.mspx

[canadait]

Hi,

Remember you are still dealing with dumb sales people

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/overview/datacenter.mspx#E4D

And I quote: (read last sentence)

"Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition licenses now include unlimited virtualization rights, meaning customers can run an unlimited number of virtualized instances of Windows Server on processors licensed with Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition without having to purchase additional licenses. The use rights also allow the choice of running Windows Server 2003 R2 (or previous version) Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition, and Datacenter Edition as the host operating system and in the virtual instances. In addition to Windows Server and Microsoft Virtual Server, the use rights apply to any virtualization technology or host operating system, although they may need to be acquired, licensed and supported separately from third-parties. "

You don't need to have windows on the host os!

[TomHowarth]

now that really is a useful bit of information thank you very very much for that one :smileygrin:

[Jasemccarty]

I honestly thought that we hammered out all of this before the official date of Oct 1, 06.

Nice to see that they are letting SQL 2005 SP2 (and previous versions with downgrade rights) play along as well.

Good times when it comes to licensing.

[TomHowarth]

nuances are the killer in licensing disagreements, EULA's are as clear as a missisippi mud pie. In my opinion it is better to ask if you are unsure, as an ex-lawyer, all I will say is that the Law changes on a Case to case basis, what was current yesterday may not be the case tomorrow. during my three years at Uni, a certain peice of criminal case law changes 4 times.

[oreeh]

EULA's are as clear as a missisippi mud pie

This is my motd !

[TomHowarth]

you leave off that's copywrited :smileygrin:

[oreeh]

probably due to my bad english...

maybe I should have written "This is the motd !"

[TomHowarth]

hmmmmmmmmmmm, symantics and nauances. you are learning, lol

[DeeJay]

I'm sure this is already general knowledge (and probably on this thread) but just to be sure - you're also allowed to run multiple VM instances of Windows 2003r2 Enterprise with a single license.

So, if Datacentre is too expensive, you could always use Enterprise.

So, to run a Windows cluster, you just need 1 enterprise license (as long as 3 of the 4 nodes are virtual)

I believe it's 5 instances per enterprise license, though I never know whether one of those has to be physical.

[mjtaylor]

its four instances per enterprise license.. i actually figured you could either run a single physical instance or four virtual ones with that license - i didnt think there was any provision for mixing and matching.

[Jasemccarty]

For Enterprise Edition, you can run either of the two configurations:

1) Windows 2003 EE as Host OS - with a virtualization technology on top of it, and 4 guest instances of Windows 2003 EE (or other Windows OS's through downgrade rights).

*Note the Host OS can only be used for the purpose of running the virtualization technology. You can't run SQL too, or other apps/services on the host, only the virtualization technology.

2) VMware ESX, Linux with VMware Server/Xen/etc, and 4 guest instances of Windows 2003 EE (or other Windows OS's through downgrade rights).

The link I posted at the top of this thread will show you how many EE licenses are needed when you want to run more than 4 guests using the EE licensing.

Maybe it takes being from Mississippi originally to sometimes see through the Mud Pie.

[Paul_B1]

A bit off topic, but does anyone know of any plans to do the same thing with XP/Vista as far as licensing? Could help a lot with the VDI push. Just curious.

[ejewett]

The unlimited virtualization rights with Datacenter Edition applies to all virtualization technologies, including ESX.

See, http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/news/bulletins/datacenterhighavail.mspx.

"[b]Licensing does not depend on which virtualization technology is used.[/b] With all processors in a server licensed for Windows Server 2003 R2, Datacenter Edition, you can run one instance of the software in a physical operating system environment and an unlimited number of instances in virtual operating system environments. With VMWare GSX Server or SWsoft Virtuosso, this means you can run one physical instance plus unlimited virtual instances. With VMWare ESX Server, it means you can run unlimited virtual instances[/b] because there is no need for a physical instance."

[timmy22]

What's the deal on CAL licensing for Datacenter? I'm getting conflicting responses from Microsoft Licensing, and have heard the following today based upon a 2 physical processor senario:

1. I can install unlimited numbers of Datacenter VM's, Enterprise VM's, or Standard VM's, and because I purchased the Datacenter by processor for two processors I don't have to buy any CAL's for any of the VM's.

2. Same as #1, but I do have to buy CAL's for any Enterprise or Standard VM's I deploy.

3. I have to buy one set of CAL's for Datacenter for each device on my network. So I can have 50 VM's (doesn't matter which flavour), and if I have 50 desktops, I only have to buy 50 CAL's and it covers everything in the VM environment.

I'd appreciate anyone's experience or link to document where CAL's are clarified.

Thanks,

-tim

[jurajfox]

well CALs are comepletely separate whether you're using VMs or not... you need to get CALs for you applications and servers.

[ejewett]

Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition, Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition have the same Client Access Licenses (CALs) and same requirements.

Licensing Datacenter by the processor still requires the same Windows Server 2003 R2 CALs that you probably already have for all of your employees. There is not a new CAL requirement for deploying Datacenter, but it does not remove the requirement to have CALs either.

[jurajfox]

Exactly...so what you have to do can be separated into two parts:

1) License your servers.

This is where the advantages of virtualization come into play.

2) License your clients.

Whether you use virtualization or not is irrelevant in this scenario.

What adds a bit of confusion is that sometimes you can buy a server license with a bunch of CALs.... like Windows 2003 Standard with 25CALs.

-Juraj