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Home > Archive > MS SQL Server > March 2006 > How many Enterprise Licenses to Buy?
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How many Enterprise Licenses to Buy?
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| We are building up a clustered server configuration with two nodes. Each
node will be an HP ML580 or DL 580 with 4 processors per server. Do we need
to buy two Enterprise licenses (one for each 4-processor server) or 8
licenses (one for each processor on each server)? I am getting conflicting
information on this. Thanks for any info.
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| Tibor Karaszi 2006-02-28, 8:23 pm |
| How many instances are you going to run in the cluster? You license per active instances (unless you
will run several instances in the same node, i.e., the other node doesn't do any SQL Server
processing at all). And, if you license per processor, you need to multiply with the number of
processor sockets you use in the machine.
--
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www. solidqualitylearning
.com/
Blog: http:// solidqualitylearning
.com/blogs/tibor/
"DaveK" <DaveK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3A9EC00F-834F-4F8C-AAB7- 041A2354B95D@microso
ft.com...
> We are building up a clustered server configuration with two nodes. Each
> node will be an HP ML580 or DL 580 with 4 processors per server. Do we need
> to buy two Enterprise licenses (one for each 4-processor server) or 8
> licenses (one for each processor on each server)? I am getting conflicting
> information on this. Thanks for any info.
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| Geoff N. Hiten 2006-02-28, 8:23 pm |
| It depends.
First, check with your local Microsoft office. Make sure you have a person
knowledgable about SQL licensing in a clustered environment.
Here is the base page with links to the licensing information:
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/default.mspx#EEAA
Here is the FAQ page
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/faq.mspx
The relevant question and answer are here:
Q. How does licensing work for computers that run SQL Server 2005 in
failover scenarios?
A. Failover support, where servers are clustered together and set to
pick up processing duties if one computer should fail, is now available in
Workgroup, Standard, and Enterprise editions of SQL Server 2005. Under each
of these editions, keeping a passive server for failover purposes does not
require a license as long as the passive server has the same or fewer
processors than the active server (under the per processor scenario). For
details on which failover methods are available under each edition, visit
the SQL Server 2005 Features Comparison page.
Finally, SQL 2005 supports failover clustering on Standard Edition with up
to four processors on each host. If you do not need any other Enterprise
Edition features, you will save a considerable amount of money on licensing
by using Standare Edition. Oh, and look at the DL/ML 585 series wutl
Dual-Core processors. IMHO, the best bang for the bucks.
--
Geoff N. Hiten
Senior Database Administrator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
"DaveK" <DaveK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3A9EC00F-834F-4F8C-AAB7- 041A2354B95D@microso
ft.com...
> We are building up a clustered server configuration with two nodes. Each
> node will be an HP ML580 or DL 580 with 4 processors per server. Do we
> need
> to buy two Enterprise licenses (one for each 4-processor server) or 8
> licenses (one for each processor on each server)? I am getting
> conflicting
> information on this. Thanks for any info.
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| We will not be doing any processing on the non-active server. From the MS
web link posted by Tibor (thank you), it looks like we need only the Server
Plus Device CALs model. There will be no web access and I know exactly how
many users will get to it at all times. I had trouble finding where it says
we don't need a license for the passive failover option. Could you send me a
link? That sounds like what we need. Do I then need CALs for each user?
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| Geoff N. Hiten 2006-02-28, 8:23 pm |
| Search for "failover" in the FAQ page.
As for the licensing, since you don't have any internet access to the
server, choose whichever licensing model (per-processor or CAL) is cheaper.
That is why Microsoft has multiple licensing models.
--
Geoff N. Hiten
Senior Database Administrator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
"DaveK" <DaveK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BB370D4D-88FB-4ACC-B8E1- A82932038125@microso
ft.com...
> We will not be doing any processing on the non-active server. From the MS
> web link posted by Tibor (thank you), it looks like we need only the
> Server
> Plus Device CALs model. There will be no web access and I know exactly
> how
> many users will get to it at all times. I had trouble finding where it
> says
> we don't need a license for the passive failover option. Could you send
> me a
> link? That sounds like what we need. Do I then need CALs for each user?
>
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| Thank you. BTW, I did find the FAQ site on licensing. Thanks very much for
your help. I don't think our software supplier is asking us the right
questions, as they went straight for the per-processor option even though the
device CALs option is much better suited for our situation.
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| DaveK 2006-03-08, 11:23 am |
| If I already have device CALS for existing SQL servers, do I need to buy new
ones for a new SQL server I am installing or do I just buy the server
license? It looks like the device CAL is good for connections to any number
of different servers, so long as each server has a license.
When doing that install on a new server, do I have to tell it how many CALs
I bought or is it basically the honor system?
I have seen some folks wondering how to enter the number of CALs. If I add
more CALs, do I need to tell my instance of SQL server how many I added?
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| Geoff N. Hiten 2006-03-08, 8:23 pm |
| A Device CAL can connect to any number of SQL servers.
There is no technical enforcement measure for CAL enforcement built into SQL
Server. It is a good idea to set up a licensing server and funnel CAL
configuration through that so you have a single point of maintenance.
--
Geoff N. Hiten
Senior Database Administrator
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
"DaveK" <DaveK@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:DF76E12F-B60D-48B2-BFB6- 5A4364B46F95@microso
ft.com...
> If I already have device CALS for existing SQL servers, do I need to buy
> new
> ones for a new SQL server I am installing or do I just buy the server
> license? It looks like the device CAL is good for connections to any
> number
> of different servers, so long as each server has a license.
>
> When doing that install on a new server, do I have to tell it how many
> CALs
> I bought or is it basically the honor system?
>
> I have seen some folks wondering how to enter the number of CALs. If I
> add
> more CALs, do I need to tell my instance of SQL server how many I added?
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