How do I license MS Server 2016 standard and assign cores?

[lonelytourist]

One way is to not virtualize it :-D

Are you suggesting that virtualized SQL server is typically not getting close to the equivalent power of a bare-metal CPU core because of overprovisioning or is there something else I'm missing?

 

[LnxBil]

Are you suggesting that virtualized SQL server is typically not getting close to the equivalent power of a bare-metal CPU core because of overprovisioning or is there something else I'm missing?

No, I'm just talking about licensing, not performance. Often it is cheaper to buy dedicated hardware than virtualizing due to the "can run on any processor" rule and the vast processor or core licensing requirements.

 

[Milkwyrm]

Or. Just forget about Microsoft server licensing all together https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/quickstart-install-connect-ubuntu?view=sql-server-2017

 

[Jannoke]

https://www.altaro.com/hyper-v-backup/webinars/demystifying-windows-server-2016-licensing.php

Q: Does Hyperthreading affect the core-based licensing in Windows Server 2016?
The requirement is that each PHYSICAL core be licensed. Hyperthreading does not equal more physical cores, so it does not affect the number of licenses you need to purchase in any way.

It seems that HT is not a core in terms of microsoft. So you don't have to license HT cores.

 

[Sasha Sandow]

You need to license all the physical core on server.

I just need to say, if I had to license all physical cores in Server 2016 running as a guest OS, then you are saying I would need to licensing all physical cores over 5X since I am running multiple MS Servers (Guest OSs) under a single physical server running Proxmox.

 

[Toxik]

Licensing Windows Server for use with virtualization technologies:

If Windows Server is deployed on a server is running a hypervisor on bare metal (directly on
top of the server hardware), such as VMware’s ESX/ESXi, then Windows Server will not be deployed as a host OS in
the physical OSE. However, the guest OS instances deployed and running in virtual OSEs on the server still must be
appropriately licensed. This means licenses must be assigned to the server for all the physical cores on the server
(subject to a minimum of eight per processor and 16 per server).

So for a server with 1 CPU socket and 16 physical cores I need to by 16 core licenses. Licenses are sold as "2 core", so I need 8x "2 core" license?

Standard edition will allow up to two instances on
each fully licensed server (plus a third instance in the physical OSE, if it is used solely to host and manage virtual OSEs)
and Datacenter edition will allow an unlimited number of instances on each fully licensed server.

So when running on Proxmox PVE hypervisor the license enables me to run:

• Server Standard: 2 Windows Server VMs
• Datacenter: Unlimited number of Windows Server VMs

Then add user or client CALs (e.g. 30 user CALs). These CALs are valid for all my Windows server VMs?

 

[elurex]

So for a server with 1 CPU socket and 16 physical cores I need to by 16 core licenses. Licenses are sold as "2 core", so I need 8x "2 core" license?


So when running on Proxmox PVE hypervisor the license enables me to run:

• Server Standard: 2 Windows Server VMs
• Datacenter: Unlimited number of Windows Server VMs

Then add user or client CALs (e.g. 30 user CALs). These CALs are valid for all my Windows server VMs?

Server Standard: 2 Windows Server VMs <--- this is wrong, MS only allow you to do this if your hypervisor is using HyperV

 

[alexskysilk]

Server Standard: 2 Windows Server VMs <--- this is wrong, MS only allow you to do this if your hypervisor is using HyperV

Thats... sort of true but there is a way around- this will apply if you PAY for the host server Windows OS even if you're not using it. How to prove that is another question which my Microsoft rep was never able to really answer unless you have a SPLA.

In other words- have a SPLA or dont use windows

 

[Toxik]

Server Standard: 2 Windows Server VMs <--- this is wrong, MS only allow you to do this if your hypervisor is using HyperV

Wow, that sucks again for Proxmox users
I wish less things were dependent on Windows.

 

[elurex]

In other words- have a SPLA or dont use windows

100% correct... please beware of any Windows System virtualization , its licensing is very tricky and varies alot between os and packages!. Right now it is almost impossible to virtualize windows 10 due to VDA requirements.

 

[Toxik]

Right now it is almost impossible to virtualize windows 10 due to VDA requirements.

That's why I'm currently adding a workstation PC to the rack, that does some lower priority server tasks. Just because it's not allowed to run Windows 10 Pro in a VM and the whole workstation is cheaper than a Server 2019 license

 

[elurex]

same here... I did a lot of V2P just for windows 10