November 19, 2015 at 2:09 pm
The goal is to achieve high availability and DR with resonable licensing costs. Here are the scenarios I am planning to implement for one of my core application.
Scenario -1
SQL failover clustering instance (FCI) (Active –Passive) along with Always on AG.
Here “Primary instance” is clustered and it will be in “Data center – A” which will provide high availabliltiy . The secondary instance with less processor cores will be in data center –B for DR purpose
For example :
Lets assume sql Clustered instances have 8 cores each ( 8 cores for active,8 cores for passive)
Secondary instance have 4 cores.
With software assurance Microsoft ,we get 1 free passive.
Do I just need to license 8 cores for active instance in “Data center – A”and 4 cores for secondary instace in data center – B ?
Scenario -2
Always on AG
Here “Primary instance” and “secondary instance – A” will be in “Data center – A” for high avialbility. “Secondary instance - B” will in “Data center – B” for diaster recovery.
For example :
Lets assume - “Primary instance” have 8 cores
“secondary instance – A” in “Data center – A” have 6 cores
“Secondary instance - B” in “Data center – B” have 4 cores.
With software assurance Microsoft ,we get 1 free passive.
I am planning NOT to use “secondary instance – A” or “Secondary isntance - B” for sql work load or for read queries so can I choose any one of the secondaries as passive and license only 1 secondary?
November 19, 2015 at 5:12 pm
I'm certainly no SQL licensing expert, but I do know that failover clustering is (as of SQL 2014) a part of software assurance, not the base SQL license. For failover clusters, you have to license the cores on the primary node, but I don't believe you have to license the secondary node. If you have a load balanced cluster, you have to license the cores on all the machines.
November 20, 2015 at 1:30 am
As with anything licensing, you should speak to Microsoft directly or your Microsoft reseller, and always ensure you get the final in email to cover your backs, as licensing is a tricky one and you get different answers depending who you speak too.
But from the 2014 licensing document
The active server license (s) must be covered with SA,
and allow for one passive secondary SQL Server, with up
to the same amount of compute as the licensed active
server, only.
So if Server A and Server B both have 8 cores, and Server C has 4 then only license ServerA and C
If Server A has 8, Server B has 6, Server C has 4, again license ServerA and C
As your passive secondary (B) has less than or equal to your primary (A) and C is less than both, thus this is the smallest licensing cost.
http://zelenadata.cz/images/stories/SQL_Server_2014_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf
November 20, 2015 at 1:50 am
If you have SA licence mobility then you are only required to licence cores on the active server.
So if you have 8 cares in your active and 8 cores in your passive you will only need 4 * 2 core packs
Without SA mobility licencing MS allows one failover to the passive node every 90 days
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