SQL 2014 per Core Licensing

  • I've had a search for this answer but can't find a document that says what I need.

    With the new restriction that each VM has to have a minimum of 4 cores assigned to it, regardless of how many vCPUs it has assigned, I stumbled onto Brents Blog http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2014/04/sql-server-2014-licensing-changes/ which talks about "making sense to license the entire host".

    Am I able to install ESXi on a host, for example that has a dual core processor, License the physical machine for SQL per physical core and then run as many versions of Windows + SQL on top as I like (ignoring the performance issues this will cause)

    OR

    as it is running on a virtual platform, I can't license the entire host and I'd need to buy 4 core licenses for each version of Windows + SQL I have running on my 2 core machine, so for 2 Windows + SQL on a 2 core machine, I would have to buy 8 core licenses?

    I find Microsofts licensing model confusing!

    Any links or advice is appreciated.

    Thanks

    --Wayne


    Wayne

    Did you get access denied? Great the security works.

  • I've just found my answer 🙁

    This is possible, but not cost effective as I'd need to use Enterprise.

    http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/6/F/66FF3259-1466-4BBA-A505-2E3DA5B2B1FA/SQL_Server_2014_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf


    Wayne

    Did you get access denied? Great the security works.

  • Glad you found the answer. I always go back to Microsoft for licensing questions. They're going to be the ones to enforce it, so you might as well find out what they have to say.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

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