Licensing
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Q. How do I license SQL Server 2008?
A.
In general, there are three options for licensing SQL Server in a production environment:
Processor License. Under this model, a license is required for each physical or virtual processor that is accessed by an operating system environment running SQL Server software. This license does not require any device or user client access licenses (CALs).
Server plus Device CALs. Under this model, a server license is required for each operating system environment running an instance of SQL Server software, as well as a CAL for each client device that accesses a server running SQL Server.
Server plus User CALs. Under this model, a server license is required for each operating system environment running an instance of SQL Server software, as well as a CAL for each user that accesses a server running SQL Server software.
Q. How do SQL CALs work and what are the licensing requirements?
A.
SQL Server 2008 now offers two types of CALs. The first is called SQL CAL, and the second one is called Workgroup CAL.
SQL CAL. Any SQL CAL can be used against any licensed SQL Server regardless of the platform (32 bit, 64 bit, and IA64).
Workgroup CAL. Workgroup CALs can only be used against a licensed SQL Workgroup Server.
Note:
Q. What exactly is a processor license and how does it work?
A.
A processor license gives you the right to install any number of copies of SQL Server 2008 in a single physical or virtual operating system environment, as long as you have purchased processor licenses for all of the physical processors on that computer. If you have made a processor inaccessible to all operating system copies on which the SQL Server software is set up to run, you do not need a software license for that processor.
In addition to the installation rights for the actual server software, processor licenses also grant any number of devices or users the right to access and use the server software running on those processors. These access rights are available to all devices or users, regardless of whether they are inside the organization (intranet scenarios) or outside the organization (intranet or extranet scenarios). With a processor license, there is no need to purchase separate server licenses, CALs, or Internet connector licenses.
Q. Do I have to acquire licenses for all of the processors in a server?
A.
You have to acquire licenses only for processors that are accessible to any copy of the operating system upon which SQL Server 2008 is installed. In a virtualized environment, processor licenses are required for every processor that is accessed by a virtual machine. Please see the virtualization licensing brief and virtualization white paper for more information on how to license under a virtualized environment.
Q. What is the difference between device client access licenses (CALs) and user CALs?
A.
A device CAL allows a device and all the users on that device to gain access to licensed server software. A user CAL enables a specific user to gain access to licensed server software from any number of devices. In other words, a user CAL covers a particular user's access to the server software from work computers and laptops, as well as from home computers, handheld computers, Internet kiosks, and other devices. A device CAL covers access by multiple users to server software from a single, shared device.
Q. Which licensing model should I choose—the server plus device CAL, the server plus user CAL, or the processor license?
A.
It depends on the specific situation, but here are some general guidelines:
For externally focused server applications. Processor licensing is a better choice for externally focused server applications, such as Internet and extranet scenarios. It is often difficult to count devices or users in these scenarios, so hardware-based pricing is more straightforward.
For mixed-use servers. For mixed-use servers that will be accessed from both inside and outside the organization's firewall, processor licensing is generally favorable. Because the processor licenses are probably needed for external users, there would be no need to purchase access separately for internal users through CALs.
For environments inside the firewall. For environments inside the firewall where client-to-server processor ratios are relatively low, the server plus device CAL licensing model will likely be the more cost-effective choice if there are multiple users per device (for example, in a call center), while the server plus user CAL licensing model will likely be more cost-effective if there are multiple devices per user. For environments inside the firewall where client-to-server processor ratios are high, the processor licensing model will likely be more cost-effective.
Q. How can I migrate between a user CAL and a device CAL after the transitory launch period?
A.
If you have enrolled in Software Assurance (SA) or in an Enterprise Agreement (EA), you can switch from one model to the other—from device-based to user-based or from user-based to device-based CALs—upon renewal of your SA or EA. If you are not enrolled in SA or an EA, you need to acquire new CALs if you want to move to the next version of a product.
Q. If I switch from the device CAL licensing model to the user CAL licensing model, will I receive credit or a refund for any extra CALs that were acquired?
A.
No credit or refund is issued upon switching to the user CAL licensing model.
Q. Can I use a combination of device and user CALs at the same time?
A.
In general, if you are purchasing individual CALs through retail, original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Open License, or Select License programs, you can purchase all device CALs, all user CALs, or a combination of device and user CALs. However, to ease management and tracking, you should buy either all device CALs or all user CALs.
Q. Do you offer concurrent CALs?
A.
No. SQL Server 2008 is only available by means of a server plus device CAL, server plus user CAL, or a processor license.
Q. How do I license SQL Server 2008 for my virtual environments?
A.
For Standard, Workgroup, and Enterprise, if you decide to license on a per processor basis, you must buy a SQL Server license for each virtual processor. For Enterprise Edition, you can also choose to license all physical processors in a box. This gives you rights to run SQL Server on any number of virtual processors running on the same physical server. If you use Server/CAL based licensing, for Standard and Workgroup editions, you must obtain SQL Server licenses for each Virtual Operating System Environment on which you run instances of SQL Server. However, for the Enterprise edition, if you have a Server license for the physical Server, you may run any number of SQL Server instances in any Virtual Operating System Environment that you run on that same physical server.
If you are using hardware partitioning on a multi-processor server, you can use any number of virtualized instances for SQL Server Enterprise Edition as long as all processors in that hardware partition are licensed. For example, if you have a partition of 10 physical processors on a 32-processor server, purchasing 10 processor licenses of SQL Server 2008 gives you the rights to run any number of SQL Server instances on physical or virtual environments on that partition.
Q. Are there any feature packs available for SQL Server 2008?
A.
Yes. A Feature Pack is a collection of stand-alone install packages that provide additional value for SQL Server 2008.
It contains 15 new components and includes the latest versions of:
Redistributable components for SQL Server 2008
Add-on providers for SQL Server 2008
Backward compatibility components for SQL Server 2008
Q. If I have software assurance, am I eligible for a free upgrade to SQL Server 2008?
A.
If your software assurance coverage ends on August 1, 2008, or after this date, you are eligible for a free upgrade to SQL Server 2008.
Q. Do I have to buy separate server plus device CALs or server plus user CALs in addition to processor licenses?
A.
No. Processor licenses grant you the right to install SQL Server 2008 on any computer for which you have acquired the appropriate number of processor licenses. You need a separate processor license for each processor on the server. Separate server plus device CALs or server plus user CALs are not required.
Q. Can I run a mixed environment with SQL Server 2008 processor licenses and server plus device CALs or server plus user CALs?
A.
This is feasible in some scenarios, and there is no restriction prohibiting it. For example, if an organization's Internet servers are segregated from the computers that are used to support its internal users, the organization could license its Internet servers through processor licenses while choosing to purchase separate server plus device CALs or server plus user CALs for its internal servers and CALs for each of its internal users or users' devices.
You should never purchase CALs to enable users to access a server that is already licensed through processor licenses because those processor licenses grant the right for all users to access the server. Likewise, you should never purchase processor licenses for a server that will be accessed exclusively by users for whom CALs have already been purchased.
It is possible that a particular server will be accessed by both internal users (for whom CALs have been purchased) and by an undetermined number of external users whose access would be covered by processor licensing. In such a case, a separate server plus device CAL or server plus user CAL would not be needed for that server because the processor licensing already grants the right to install SQL Server 2005 on that server.
Q. If I want to switch from the SQL Server 2008 server plus CAL licensing model to the processor licensing model or from the processor licensing model to the server plus CAL licensing model, do I have to buy new licenses?
A.
Yes, you will have to buy the new license for the licensing model you are switching to. Generally, switching from server plus device CALs or server plus user CALs to processor licenses makes sense only when you need to allow Internet and extranet access or when the number of users is expected to grow significantly (making per-processor licensing more cost-effective). You can, however, reuse your previously purchased licenses for another deployment of SQL Server within your organization.
Unlike SQL Server version 7.0 and other previous versions that enabled a one-time conversion from "per-server" (now per processor) to "per-seat CAL" (now device CAL) licensing at no cost, the per processor licensing model and server/CAL licensing model differ in price and benefit, so the one-time switch is not offered for SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008.
Q. How do I license SQL Server 2008 CALs in a multiplexed environment?
A.
In most cases, Microsoft requires a CAL for every device that accesses or uses the services of SQL Server 2008. If you are unsure whether a CAL is required, you should contact your Microsoft sales representative or account manager. Inquires can be directed to the Microsoft Sales and Partner Information line by calling (800) 426-9400.
Q. How does licensing work for computers that run SQL Server 2008 in failover scenarios?
A.
Failover support, where servers are clustered together and set to pick up processing duties if one computer should fail, is available in Standard and Enterprise editions of SQL Server 2008. 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). In the event of a failover, a 30-day grace period is allowed to restore and run SQL Server on the original active server.
Q. If I am doing log shipping in an active/passive failover configuration, how should I license the backup server?
A.
In this scenario, the passive server does not require a license, unless the passive server has more processors than the active server, and the active server is licensed under the per processor model.
Q. How does licensing work with the multi-instance feature in SQL Server 2008?
A.
You can run multiple instances of SQL Server 2008 on a single computer. Multiple instances are used by organizations that have several applications running on a server but want them to run in isolation so that any problem in one instance will not affect the other instances. In SQL Server 2008, you can run multiple instances with the Workgroup, Standard, and Enterprise editions when they are licensed server/CAL or on a per-processor basis. Please read the SQL Server 2008 Licensing Overview for more information.
Q. In a system with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology enabled, do I have to pay for each logical processor?
A.
Under the per processor licensing model, SQL Server 2008 requires a license for each physical processor only.
Q. Can I use processor licenses to commercially host applications running on Microsoft Windows Server System products?
A.
Microsoft does offer processor licenses for Windows Server System products through its Commercial Licensing program. Licenses (including processor licenses, server plus device CALs, and server plus user CALs) acquired through retail or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) channels, or through Microsoft Volume Licensing programs, cannot be rented, leased, or lent to third parties, or used to provide commercial hosting services.
Q. Do I need a separate license to run the SQL Server tools and analysis services?
A.
No, a separate license is not required. However, any device that has SQL Server tools or technologies installed must have a valid SQL Server license.
Q. What is SQL Server 2008 Developer edition and how is it licensed?
A.
SQL Server 2008 Developer edition is SQL Server 2008 Enterprise licensed per developer and must be used for designing, developing, and testing purposes only. There is no limit on the number of installations as long as those instances are used only by the licensed developer/tester.
Q. What is Microsoft SQL Server Runtime?
A.
SQL Server Runtime is a license that allows an independent software vendor (ISV) to embed the complete SQL Server code into its solution for use only by the ISV's application. The customer of the ISV is restricted from using this SQL Server product to run other applications or to develop new applications, databases, or tables.
Q. How do I downgrade to SQL Server 2005?
A.
If you require SQL Server 2005 for existing solutions, you can still acquire additional licenses by taking advantage of the SQL Server 2008 "downgrade rights." The downgrade rights enable you to purchase server plus device CALs, server plus user CALs, or processor licenses for SQL Server 2008 and install and use the previous version for a reasonable period of time.
