W11 Pro license and VM migration
- Thread starter bellaireroad
- Start date
If the VM stays the same, moving the VM between nodes does not affect any licensing agreement. As long as the PC (virtual or dedicated) stays the same, the underlaying hardware or hypervisor does not matter.
Hi,
Best regards,
not true, Windows licensing is based on the node CPU core at least for Windows Server.
Best regards,
So... you're both kinda right and kinda wrong.
It depends on the TYPE of license and how you bought it.
RETAIL licenses are not tied to an underlying Windows server license, and therefore can be moved with the VM.
OEM licenses ARE tied to an underlying Windows server.
VL licenses are.... maybe. If your license is attached to your O365 entitlement AND you have an E3/E5 license it is reassignable, which means you can "reactivate" it on a different hypervisor. Other VL agreements are subject to the terms stipulated in the original agreement.
Here's the thing tho; RETAIL licenses are only meant to be installed on hardware. Their "legality" is really iffy. of specific note is this entry in the EULA:
How this applies to a windows desktop license in a clustered environment is REALLY a gray area. but here is the good news- unless you're operating in an environment with 1000s of endpoints, no one cares- just do what you're gonna do and in the unlikely event of a forced audit you can just say "sorry" and license appropriately.
Yeah, this is what I was wondering. It's a W11 Pro VM, Windows Server is not involved. Was wondering what would happen when the VM is eventually migrated. It's always going to be on the same VM, but on another machine. Not so much worried about an audit....more with a popup that says " bad boy, you owe us 150 dollars"
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It shouldn’t see a difference in hardware, particularly if using a generic CPU type, so wouldn’t know. You still need licensing to use it in a VM, e.g. Business Premium.
As usual with licensing in general - it depends. If you are an enterprise with an existing agreement - check your agreement. You may need volume licenses, software assurance, and if you are remotely accessing or using Office in VM/VDI style, you may need additional client access licenses (CAL). Also depends on how many people or devices CAN (not do or will) access the instance, either simultaneously or separately.
For most home use cases, the personal/retail license suffices, although if unsure, apply for a Microsoft Developer account, you then get a license to most software for free for dev/test/learning purposes.
For most home use cases, the personal/retail license suffices, although if unsure, apply for a Microsoft Developer account, you then get a license to most software for free for dev/test/learning purposes.
