Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 Pricing and Licensing
This page lists U.S. pricing and licensing details for Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003.
Estimated Retail Pricing
The Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 licensing model consists of a Windows Server operating system license for each server in the cluster (commonly referred to as head nodes or compute nodes). Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 consists of Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition and Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack. Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 is available through OEMs and the volume licensing channel, which includes academic and government programs. This page provides guidance on Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 pricing and points you to our Volume License Web site and partner sites for more information.
| Product Offering | U.S. Price* | Description |
|
Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 |
$469** |
Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition and Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack. Licensed on a Per Server basis for the head node and each compute node in the cluster. |
* Prices on this page are stated in U.S. dollars and reflect pricing for purchases within the United States and Canada. The prices listed are estimated prices; reseller pricing may vary. To find the Microsoft Web site for your country/region, visit the Worldwide sites page.
** This product is only available through volume licensing programs and OEMs. It is not available via the retail channel. Contact your Windows Server System product reseller or OEM for more information on how to purchase.
Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 Pricing and Licensing: Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to commonly asked questions about pricing and licensing for Windows Compute Cluster Server (CCS) 2003.
| Q. | How do I license CCS? | ||||||
| A. | CCS is licensed by acquiring a license for each node (server) in the cluster and for the head node (server). For example, a four-node cluster would need four licenses for CCS. An eight-node cluster would need eight licenses for CCS. This is assuming that one of the servers in the four- or eight-node cluster referenced above is acting as the head node. | ||||||
| Q. | Do I need client access licenses (CALs) for Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003? | ||||||
| A. | No, you do not need CALs for Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003. CCS is licensed as a server license with no incremental CALs. Every node on the cluster and the head node need a Server License. | ||||||
| Q. | Are there any licensing restrictions on CCS? | ||||||
| A. | Yes. You may not use Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition (CCE) as a general purpose server, database server, e-mail server, print server, or file server. Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 is restricted only to running High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications. HPC applications solve complex computational problems using several servers as a group, also called a cluster, to solve a single computational problem or a single set of closely related computational problems. Applications that run on a single server are not considered HPC applications. Applications that are distributed across multiple servers may not be considered HPC applications, unless they are working on a set of closely related computational problems. | ||||||
| Q. | What are High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications? | ||||||
| A. | HPC applications use several servers as a group, also called a cluster, to solve a single computational problem or a single set of closely related computational problems. Applications that run on a single server are not considered HPC applications. Applications that are distributed across multiple servers are not considered HPC applications, unless they are working on a set of closely related computational problems. | ||||||
| Q. | I’d like to have a small cluster, but share the head node as a general purpose server for my company. Can I do this with Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003-based clusters? | ||||||
| A. | Yes, but you would need to install a licensed copy of Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 Edition or Enterprise x64 Edition on the head node instead of Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition. You would then install the Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack on the head node as usual and you would need to purchase Windows Server user or device CALs, to access the server for non-computational use. | ||||||
| Q. | I am not running a Windows Server environment, but want to use CCS to set up a cluster. How do I license end users submitting jobs to the cluster since they need to have an Active Directory directory service account in order to access the cluster? | ||||||
| A. | You can install Active Directory on the head node only for the purposes of accessing the cluster and for computational use, as outlined in the license terms or Product Use Rights. Any other use is prohibited. For example, you determine that you want to begin using Active Directory or another functionality of Windows Server for non-computational use (e-mail, file and print, or other services). At that point, you would need to be using Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 Edition or Enterprise x64 Edition (either on the head node or another separate server) and your users would need user or device CALs. | ||||||
| Q. | I’m already running licensed copies of Windows Server 2003 Standard x64 edition on a cluster. Can I just purchase the Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack? | ||||||
| A. | Yes the Microsoft Compute Cluster Pack is available separately, and is on the Volume License Price list. | ||||||
| Q. | I’d like to purchase CCS and take my existing cluster with Standard Edition and reassign those licenses to other servers for more general server usage. Can I do that? | ||||||
| A. | Depending on which channel you acquired the licenses, you may be able to re-assign them to other servers, and reconfigure a new cluster with CCS.
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