Proper Microsoft licensing for Windows 11 Pro VMs on a 3-node Proxmox cluster?

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Spaetzle

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Dec 5, 2024
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Hi everyone,

I hope this is the right place to ask, even though it’s not strictly a Proxmox-specific technical issue.

I’m currently running a 3-node Proxmox VE cluster (16 AMD EPYC cores per node) and plan to spin up a few Windows 11 Pro VMs. As is often the case, I’m getting quite confused by Microsoft’s licensing maze.

I know that standard OEM licenses don't cover virtualization/VDI scenarios. I was hoping retail licenses would allow running individual VMs on a hypervisor, but from what I understand, that isn't compliant either without the appropriate virtualization rights.

Are there any fellow Proxmox users running Windows 11 Pro VMs who could point me in the right direction? Which licenses or volume licensing agreements (e.g., VDA, Windows Enterprise E3/E5 per user, or CSP options) are actually required to run this fully compliant?

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

Bernd
 
There is a virtualization license, annual subscription. I don’t recall the name offhand because another option is 365 Business Premium for the user, which is what we’ve used for clients, as they wanted the apps anyway.
 
Hi,

I did some more research on my own. Unfortunately, Microsoft’s licensing rules aren’t exactly straightforward. However, I found an interesting document from a provider: https://www.licensingschool.co.uk/w...tual-Desktops-Licensing-Guide-13-May-2026.pdf

According to this, the "easily" accessible access licenses (M365 Business Premium) unfortunately cannot be used on a Proxmox host.

Which licenses are suitable actually seems to heavily depend on how the users' devices are set up (a distinction likely needs to be made between Windows clients and Mac/Linux).

Users with M365 Business Premium would probably need a "Windows 11 Enterprise E3" upgrade, while users on other operating systems require "Windows VDA E3".

In my opinion, if you want to be completely on the safe side, you should double-check with a CSP and get the usage rights confirmed in writing.

Best regards
 
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