About SQL Server

SQL Server 2019 is offered in two main commercial editions to accommodate the unique feature, performance and price requirements of organizations and individuals:

  • Enterprise Edition is ideal for applications requiring mission critical in-memory performance, security and high availability.
  • Standard Edition delivers fully featured database capabilities for mid-tier applications and data marts.

The editions are offered in a straightforward, tiered model that creates greater consistency across the product editions, features and licensing. Enterprise Edition includes all the capabilities available in SQL Server 2019.

Through a consistent programming interface across all editions, it is easier than ever for developers and partners to build and upgrade applications that take advantage of advanced performance, security, and data mart or data warehouse features – regardless of scale, from Express to Enterprise.

SQL Server Offerings

SQL Server is offered in two main editions to accommodate the unique feature, performance and price requirements of organizations and individuals:

  • Enterprise Edition is ideal for applications requiring mission critical in-memory performance, security and high availability.
  • Standard Edition delivers fully featured database capabilities for mid-tier applications and data marts.

SQL Big Data Nodes are licenses assigned to worker nodes in big data environments, and are licensed under Enterprise Edition use rights.

 

SQL Server edition

Server + Client Access License (CAL)3

Per Core license2

Enterprise1

Standard

Big Data Nodes
1. Customers who require a massively parallel processing data warehouse have access to a parallel data warehouse through their Enterprise Edition core licenses with Software Assurance. Parallel data warehouse is part of the Microsoft Analytics Platform System.
2. Editions sold in the per-core licensing model and Big Data Nodes are sold as 2 core packs.
3. Client access licenses (CALs) are required for every user or device accessing a server in the Server + CAL licensing model. See the Product Terms for details.

FAQ

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SQL Server 2019 brings Big Data Clusters to the SQL offering. Big Data Clusters make it easier for customers to manage a big data environment. Software Assurance customers are eligible for a grant of SQL Server Big Data Node Licenses for use with licenses assigned to their Master Nodes.  SQL Server 2019 also brings expanded fail-over rights to Software Assurance customers supporting disaster recovery and high availability. For details refer to the Product Terms site.

There are two main editions: Enterprise and Standard.

  • Enterprise for mission-critical applications and data warehousing
  • Standard for core database capabilities, reporting, and analytics

Enterprise and Standard are the two main editions. The Web Edition is offered only to hosters through the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA). Developer and Express editions continue to be distributed without changes in licensing or pricing. We also offer the Analytics Platform System appliance, which includes SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse software as a component.

SQL Server provides a variety of virtualization and cloud benefits that help you save money on database licensing and retain flexibility in your database deployments. With SQL Server, you can:

  • License individual virtual machines (VM), and when licensing per core, buy core licenses only for the virtual cores assigned to the VM.
  • License for high VM density by buying Enterprise Edition core licenses and Software Assurance for all the physical cores on the server (or server farm) and deploying an unlimited number of VMs on the licensed hardware. Without Software Assurance, VM density is limited to one VM per Enterprise Edition core license.
  • License for VM mobility across private and public clouds. VM license mobility is a Software Assurance benefit. Without Software Assurance, licenses can be moved from one server to another only once every 90 days.
  • Benefit from fail-over rights extended to your cloud deployments on Azure or to other public clouds if you use License Mobility through Software Assurance.
  • Apply your license to the Azure Hybrid Benefit for SQL Server. For more details, see the Azure Hybrid Benefit page.

No. Enterprise Edition is no longer available in the Server + CAL licensing model for SQL Server.

Yes. All existing licenses of the Enterprise Edition in the Server + CAL licensing model with Software Assurance can be upgraded to the latest version of SQL Server, and Software Assurance can be maintained to provide access to future software updates. These licenses will continue under the Server + CAL licensing model.

Existing Enterprise Edition licenses in the Server + CAL licensing model that are upgraded to the current version of SQL Server and beyond are limited to server deployments with 20 or fewer cores. This 20-core limit applies only to SQL Server Enterprise Edition Server licenses in the Server + CAL model and still requires the appropriate number/versions of SQL Server CALs for access.