2005 Licensing Question...

For our new single-cpu SQL Server 2005 database system, we have a pool of
exactly 25 workstations that might need to access to the database.  The DB
connection will be through ODBC DSNs created on each workstation.

There will NEVER be more than five of those workstations connected to the DB
at any one time.  Guaranteed.  There are about 75 actual possible logins
that may be used, but there will NEVER be more than five people connected at
once.  75 login accounts, 25 workstations, no more than 5 concurrent logins
ever.

So how does this work; 5 licenses or 25 licenses?  We are getting
conflicting answers, even from our MS channel partner coodinator.

Any thoughts or links will be greatly appreciated.

James

I thought you used to be able to specify x many concurrent connections but I
don't see that in this document and it puzzles me as well.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/default.mspx


But if you really will only ever have 5 users why not go with SQL Express
for free?  Will the db always be less than 4GB?

--
Andrew J. Kelly  SQL MVP


"James Hunter Ross" <james.ross@oneilsoft.com> wrote in message
news:eeE6vaEVGHA.5148@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> For our new single-cpu SQL Server 2005 database system, we have a pool of
> exactly 25 workstations that might need to access to the database.  The DB
> connection will be through ODBC DSNs created on each workstation.
>
> There will NEVER be more than five of those workstations connected to the
> DB at any one time.  Guaranteed.  There are about 75 actual possible
> logins that may be used, but there will NEVER be more than five people
> connected at once.  75 login accounts, 25 workstations, no more than 5
> concurrent logins ever.
>
> So how does this work; 5 licenses or 25 licenses?  We are getting
> conflicting answers, even from our MS channel partner coodinator.
>
> Any thoughts or links will be greatly appreciated.
>
> James
>

Thanks Andrew,

The numbers that I used were rhetorical.  It seems that MS is technically
vague in some respects.  They refer to "inside the firewall" for certain
licensing types, and if your SQL supports a Web site you need "per
processor" licensing.

We have small customers that might use our Web product to allows their
customer to alter the database, place orders,etc., but there are exactly TWO
web user.  Not two concurrent, two EVER.  This is very different from
typical internet applications; were essentially using the internet as a WAN
and the browser as a client.  A per processor license is very expensive to
support one or two web users.

I'll need to consult MS on this I think.

James



"Andrew J. Kelly" < sqlmvpnooospam@shadh
awk.com> wrote in message
news:O$JnaCGVGHA.4792@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>I thought you used to be able to specify x many concurrent connections but
>I don't see that in this document and it puzzles me as well.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/default.mspx
>
>
> But if you really will only ever have 5 users why not go with SQL Express
> for free?  Will the db always be less than 4GB?
>
> --
> Andrew J. Kelly  SQL MVP
>
>
> "James Hunter Ross" <james.ross@oneilsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:eeE6vaEVGHA.5148@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl... 
>
>