How to license SQL Server

How to license SQL Server

 

There are two ways to license SQL Server: through a server license or by purchasing individual client licenses. A server license entitles you to unlimited use of the SQL Server software on that server. To purchase a server license, contact your Microsoft representative. On the other hand, individual client licenses must be purchased for each user accessing the SQL Server. These licenses can be purchased through the Microsoft Online Store.

When licensing SQL Server, it is important to consider the number of users accessing the server and the type of access they will need. For example, if you have a large number of users who will need concurrent access to the server, you may want to purchase a server license. However, if you have a smaller number of users who will only need occasional access, individual client licenses may be a more cost-effective option.

It is also important to consider the type of access your users will need. For example, if your users only access data on the SQL Server, they will only need read-only access. However, if your users will need to be able to update data on the server, they will need read/write access. Read/write access requires a more expensive client license.

Enterprise Edition

There are two ways to license SQL Server: Enterprise Edition. The first is through a Per Processor licensing model, and the second is through a Server/CAL licensing model.

Per Processor licensing requires you purchase a separate license for each processor on the server where SQL Server is installed. For example, if you have four processors on the server, you will need to purchase four licenses. This option is best for organizations that have a large number of users who need access to SQL Server.

Server/CAL licensing requires you to purchase a license for each server where SQL Server is installed and then purchase Client Access Licenses (CALs) for each user or device accessing the server. This option is best for organizations that have a limited number of users who need access to SQL Server.

If you are unsure which licensing option is best for your organization; please consult with a licensed Microsoft partner.

 

Standard Edition

There are two main ways to license SQL Server: Standard Edition. The first is purchasing a Per Core or Server/CAL license, and the second is using the free Express Edition.

If you purchase a Per Core or Server/CAL license, you will need to determine how many cores or servers you need to license. The number of cores or servers will depend on the edition of SQL Server that you have installed and the number of users that will be accessing the database.

Once you have determined the number of cores or servers needed, you can purchase the appropriate licenses from Microsoft or an authorized reseller. If you are licensing SQL Server through a volume licensing agreement, you will need to purchase the licenses in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

If you are using the free Express Edition, you will not need to purchase any licenses. However, you may need to register the product if you plan on using it for production purposes.

Once you have purchased the licenses, you will need to install them on the server. The process for installing licenses will vary depending on the edition of SQL Server you have installed.

Once the licenses are installed, you need to configure the SQL Server software to use them. The configuration process will also vary depending on the edition of SQL Server that you have installed.

After configuring the licenses, you can use SQL Server Standard Edition in production environments.

Developer edition

SQL Server Developer edition is the free version of SQL Server, but it

has the same features as the other editions. You can use it for development and testing purposes only. You need to buy a license if you want to use it in a production environment.

You can buy a SQL Server Developer edition license from Microsoft or a reseller. The price depends on the edition and the number of cores. For more information, see the pricing page on the Microsoft website.

Once you have bought a license, you need to activate it. To do this, go to the Activation page on the Microsoft website and enter your product key. Once you have activated your license, you can use SQL Server in a production environment.

If you want to try SQL Server before you buy it, you can download the free Express edition from the Microsoft website. This edition has some limitations, but it's enough for most small applications.

 

Enterprise per core

If you're licensing SQL Server Enterprise Edition per core, you'll need to purchase a minimum of 4 core licenses for each physical server. You can add additional 2-core packs as needed to cover all the cores in your server(s). For example, if you have an 8-core server, you would need to purchase four initial core licenses plus two additional 2-core packs (for a total of 8 core licenses).

You can use either Standard or Datacenter edition cores to license your server, but all cores within a server must be of the same edition.

When licensing SQL Server Enterprise Edition per core, you'll also need to purchase client access licenses (CALs) for each user or device accessing the server. CALs are not required for users who only need access to data through an application that uses middleware such as web servers.

If you have questions about licensing SQL Server Enterprise per core, check out the Microsoft SQL Server licensing website or contact a Microsoft licensing specialist.

Standard per core

When licensing SQL Server, the Standard edition allows for licensing on a per-core basis. Therefore, you can license as many cores as you need to support your SQL Server deployment. The number of cores needed will depend on the size and complexity of your database and application workloads. To determine the number of cores needed, you can use the Core Factor tool available from Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-2016-licensing-guide).

To license SQL Server Standard on a per-core basis, you will need to purchase a minimum of 4 core licenses. Each additional two core licenses will entitle you to license an additional server instance. For example, if you have a 4-core server, you will need to purchase 8-core licenses to be able to license 2 SQL Server instances. If you have a 16-core server, you will need to purchase 32 core licenses to be able to license 4 SQL Server instances.

When licensing SQL Server on a per-core basis, you can use the Core Licensing Calculator available from Microsoft (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-2016-licensing-guide) to help determine the number of core licenses needed.

Thank you for choosing to license SQL Server on a per-core basis. Doing so ensures that your SQL Server deployment can scale as needed to support your business growth.

Standard Server Cal

There are two options for licensing SQL Server: server cal or core based. Here we will focus on server cal licensing. With this type of license, each user or device that accesses the server requires a separate license. This can be purchased as either a Per Server license or a Per Core license.

If you have aPer Server license, you must purchase a separate license for each physical processor on the server. If you have a Per Core license, you must purchase a minimum of 4 licenses (covers up to 16 cores) and add additional licenses in blocks of 2 cores. For example, if your server has 24 cores, you will need to purchase 6 Per Core licenses (4 + 2).

You can purchase SQL Server licenses from Microsoft or through an authorized reseller. You can also license SQL Server through the Enterprise Agreement volume licensing program if you have Software Assurance.

Once you have purchased the necessary licenses, you will need to assign them to the server. This can be done using the License Wizard in the SQL Server Management Studio.

 

To license SQL Server using the License Wizard:

• Connect to the server using SQL Server Management Studio.

• Expand the server node, right-click on the instance you wish to license, and select Properties.

• Select the Licensing page.

• Select the type of license you wish to assign from the drop-down menu (Per Server or Per Core).

• If you are licensing using a Per Server license, enter the number of licenses you have purchased in the number of licenses field. If you are licensing using a Per Core license, enter the number of cores you have licensed in the number of licensed cores field.

• Click OK to save your changes.

You should now see the license information under the License Type column in the SQL Server Management Studio. Please contact Microsoft or an authorized reseller if you have questions about licensing SQL Server.

Virtualization & Containers

Now that we've covered some of the basics of licensing SQL Server let's move on to more advanced topics, such as virtualization and containers.

As you may know, virtualization is the process of running multiple virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical server. This can be a great way to improve server utilization and reduce costs.

However, when it comes to licensing SQL Server for use in a virtual environment, there are some important things to keep in mind. First of all, you need to have a license for each VM that is running SQL Server. Additionally, if you are using Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor, you need to purchase additional licenses called "Software Assurance" (SA).

SA gives you the right to "downgrade" your SQL Server licenses to previous versions and use certain features that are only available in the latest version of SQL Server. For more information on SA, check out this page on Microsoft's website.

Another option for licensing SQL Server is to use containers. Containers are a relatively new technology that allows you to package up an application (including all of its dependencies) into a self-contained unit. As a result, containers make it easy to deploy and run applications in environments they may not otherwise be able to run.

For example, you could use containers to run SQL Server on a Linux server, which is not typically possible. However, keep in mind that you still need to license SQL Server correctly when using containers.

When licensing SQL Server, you need to consider the number of VMs or containers you are using and whether or not you have SA coverage. By understanding these factors, you can ensure that you are correctly licensing SQL Server for your environment.

Software Assurance

There are two ways to license SQL Server: using a License Mobility within Software Assurance subscription or buying Standard edition and then upgrading.

With a License Mobility within Software Assurance subscription, you can move your SQL Server licenses to another server while maintaining access to all of the benefits of your Software Assurance coverage. This is ideal if you need to move your SQL Server installation for business continuity or disaster recovery purposes.

To license SQL Server using a License Mobility within Software Assurance subscription, you'll need an active subscription for each server that will be running SQL Server. You can then use the Microsoft Licensing mobility program to register your servers and move your licenses between them.

Once you've registered your servers, you can move your SQL Server licenses to any of them at any time. You'll need to ensure that the total number of SQL Server licenses in use doesn't exceed the number of licenses you have under your subscription.

If you need to move your SQL Server installation to a new server, you can do so without re-purchasing your licenses or renewing your subscription. This makes it easy to keep yourSQL Server installation up and running, even in the event of a hardware failure.

To learn more about how to license SQL Server using a License Mobility within Software Assurance subscription,  check out the Microsoft Licensing website.