What's New in Windows Server 2003 R2 Licensing
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On This Page
 | Licensing in Virtualized Environments |
| Changes in Use Rights for Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions |
| Expanded Use Rights for Specific Editions to Support Virtualization Scenarios |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Licensing in Virtualized Environments
Through the Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI), a cross-company effort to address customers’ desire to be more cost efficient, proactive, and responsive to business requirements, Microsoft is making it easier to take advantage of the benefits of server virtualization technology. Organizations that virtualize computing environments can increase operational efficiency through server consolidation, application re-hosting, disaster recovery, and software test and development.
With the help of customers, partners, and industry analysts, Microsoft has developed new licensing and use rights to better enable customers to reap the benefits of virtualization and to accommodate advances in technology. These use rights take effect with Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions.
Changes in Use Rights for Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions
Running the software versus installing and using the software
Previous server license requirements for Windows Server 2003 products were based on the number of installations of the product on a server. License requirements for the software are now based on the number of instances of server software that you “run” on a server. Each software license now specifies the number of instances of software that you may run on a particular server at a time, rather than the number of copies of the software that you may install and use on that server.
Creating and storing instances
Previous use rights for Window Server 2003 products allowed only one installed copy per license. You were required to license each additional copy separately. Now, use rights for Windows Server 2003 R2 allow you to create and store any number of instances of the software on any of your servers or storage media. This right to store many instances provides additional flexibility and makes it easier for you to run those instances on any of your licensed servers. This is a benefit for virtualization scenarios in particular where you might want to create and store instances of the software in virtual machines but run only a subset of them on a server at any time. Please note that you must properly license each server on which you run these stored instances.
Using software designed for other platforms
Previous retail software license terms for Windows Server 2003 products did not allow for migration from a 64-bit platform to a 32-bit platform or vice versa. Use rights were specific to the platform type that was licensed. Now, a license for a platform-specific version of Windows Server 2003 R2 permits you to use (in place of what you have licensed) the software for the other platform. The software must be the same version and edition. For example, under a license for Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition, you may run Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition in place of Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition. In some virtualization scenarios, customers may need to run a 32-bit version of the software in the virtual machines to support legacy applications.
Expanded Use Rights for Specific Editions to Support Virtualization Scenarios
Microsoft is also expanding use rights for Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition. These expanded use rights are summarized below. They apply only to the specific editions described. They do not apply to previous versions of these products.
Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition Use Rights
Microsoft has added two important licensing benefits to Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition. First, under a single license on a server, you may run up to four instances of the server software in virtual operating system environments on that server (only one instance per virtual operating system environment). Second, if you are licensed for Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition, you may run an instance of Standard Edition in place of Enterprise Edition in any of those virtual operating system environments. Customers will find key benefits in licensing Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition as their virtualization platform but may still need to run Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition within the virtual machines. Microsoft has enabled this scenario as a significant benefit to licensing Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition.
Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition Use Rights
Run Unlimited Virtualization Instances of Windows Server
Starting October 1, 2006, customers have the use rights to run an unlimited number of virtualized instances of Windows Server on processors licensed with new Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition licenses. The use rights also allow the choice of running Windows Server 2003 R2 (or previous version) Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition and Datacenter Edition 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.
In December 2005, Microsoft has also added two important licensing benefits to Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition. First, under the Datacenter Edition license, in addition to running one instance of the software in a physical operating system environment per hardware partition on a licensed server, you may run one instance of the software in a virtual operating system environment per licensed processor on that server. This was changed for servers purchased starting October 1, 2006 to allow unlimited virtualized instances of Windows Server. Second, if you are licensed for Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition, you may run an instance of Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition, respectively, in place of Datacenter Edition in any of those virtual operating system environments. For more information about Datacenter Edition visit the Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition home page.
Client Access Licenses and External Connectors for Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions
With the launch of Windows Server 2003 R2, we have made an exception to requiring that your Client Access Licenses (CALs) and External Connectors for Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services, and Windows Server 2003 Rights Management Services be upgraded to access Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions. We have not created new CALs specific to Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions. In other words, Windows Server 2003 CALs and External Connectors may access Windows Server 2003 R2 Editions. We recommend that you purchase Software Assurance for your servers and CALs in order to use the latest Windows Server release and to take advantage of the many benefits of the Microsoft Software Assurance program.
For further information about retail software license terms, visit the Find Retail Software License Terms page. For information about volume licensing software use terms, visit the Volume Licensing Resources page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does “running an instance” of software mean?
A. “Running an instance” of software means that you load it into memory and execute one or more of its instructions. Once running, an instance is considered to be running (whether or not its instructions continue to execute) until it is removed from memory. For definitions of related terms, visit the Find Retail Software License Terms page.
Q. Do I need to notify Microsoft if I have changed platforms?
A. No. You do not need to inform Microsoft that you have changed platforms.
Q. Can I run Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition in place of Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition in the physical operating system environment?
A. No. The use terms specify that the right to run Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition in place of Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition is explicitly for within the virtual operating system environment.
Q. Can I run Windows NT Server 4.0 or Windows 2000 Server as one of the four virtual instances granted in Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition?
A. Yes. You may run earlier versions of the Windows Server operating system, but not later versions, by exercising your downgrade rights in the software license terms. You will need to use your existing media to run Windows NT Server 4.0 and Windows 2000 Server.
Q. I have a Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition license assigned to my server. What if I want to add a fifth instance of the server software in a virtual operating system environment?
A. With a license for Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition, you may run up to four instances of the software in virtual operating system environments. If you want to run a fifth instance in a virtual operating system environment, you must acquire and assign an additional license to that server. It may be more economical to license the server with Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition or “step up” your Enterprise Edition license to Datacenter Edition.
Q. If I am licensed for Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition and am allowed four instances in virtual operating environments and I only need two instances on the licensed server, can I use the other two instances on a different server?
A. No. All instances granted under a license must be run on the licensed server. You must assign a license to a particular server. You may reassign licenses according to the software license terms.
Q. I purchased licenses via OEMs with my server hardware. Can I reassign the licenses I purchased from OEMs?
A. You may not re-assign any licenses acquired in the OEM channel. OEM licenses purchased with hardware are permanently assigned to the server with which they were purchased.