Windows Server 2012 R2

Windows Server 2012 R2 will continue to have the same licensing model as Windows Server 2012, with two editions available in volume licensing: Standard edition and Datacenter edition. Editions are differentiated by virtualization rights only (two OSEs for Standard, and unlimited OSEs for Datacenter). A single license covers up to two physical processors.

Client Access Licenses (CALs) are required for each user or device accessed. The Windows Server 2012 related CALs provide entitlement to access and use Windows 2012 R2 functionality.

Both Standard and Datacenter editions provide the same set of features; the differentiator is the number of Virtual Operating System Environments (VOSE). A Standard edition license entitles up to two VOSEs on up to two processors (subject to the VOSE use rights outlined in the Product Terms document for Volume Licensing or End User License Agreement for other channels). A Datacenter edition license entitles an unlimited number of VOSEs on up to two processors.

There are a variety of new features in Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter and Standard editions. Here are just a few examples:

Because there is feature parity between Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard and Datacenter editions, your decision will be based on your virtualization strategy, as virtualization rights are the only differentiator between the editions. If your strategy calls for a highly virtualized environment, Datacenter edition will provide you with optimum flexibility because it allows for unlimited virtualization. This edition gives you the elasticity to add and move virtual OSEs across Datacenter licensed servers without needing to track the virtual OSE count on that server. If you don’t plan to have a highly virtualized environment, Standard edition is the right product for your needs. If you purchase Standard edition today but find you need to expand the virtualization capacity of your licensed server, you can do one of the following:

With the Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard edition licensing model, you can grow your virtualization environment by either buying a step-up license to Datacenter edition if you have Software Assurance, or by simply buying additional Standard edition licenses and assigning them to the same physical server. The server must have the appropriate number of licenses assigned to it to ensure coverage of all of the virtual OSEs that are running at any given time. For example, if you have a two-processor server and want to run a total of four VOSEs, you can purchase two Standard edition licenses and assign them to the same server. Additional examples are shown in the following table.

No. of Standard edition                         Total no. of VOSEs

licenses on single server                          

  

  1                                                           2

  

  2                                                           4

  

  3                                                           6

  

  4                                                           8