SQL Server 2014 SA (Software Assurance) necessary with Hyper-V Replica?

  • Hi, I'm new to Windows servers, SQL Server, Hyper-V Replica. What I want to do, for one of my customers, is the following.

    Buy a Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials Licence. The R2 license is suppose to let me do this : Install Hyper-V on the physical machine. And run Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials as a Virtual Machine. I want to install Hyper-V Free on a second machine to serve as a Replica server. Every 5 minutes the main VM will be replicated using Hyper-V Replica.

    In the document "SQL Server 2014 Licensing Datasheet " (goo.gl/c1JnXY), Microsoft says : "Beginning with SQL Server 2014, each active server licensed with SA coverage allows the installation of a single passive server used for fail-over support." My question is : does this apply to Hyper-V Replica? I mean the Replica and the main VM will never run at the same time. The replica will only be started when there will be a problem with the main VM.

    So do I need Software Assurance for SQL Server 2014 if I want to use Hyper-V Replica as a disaster recovery option?

  • You need to talk to your MS license reseller to get a definitive answer on this. If your reseller makes a mistake they are contractually obliged to stand by their advice for the duration of the license term. If I make a mistake with my free advice it becomes your problem to deal with the consequences.

    If both your primary and replica are running on the same physical host, and your replica server has the same name as the primary server, then you probably do not need License Mobility in this scenario. If they are running on separate physical servers then you probably do need License Mobility. The only way to get License Mobility added to your license is to purchase Software Assurance.

    Work out what you need to do, including how long you can commit to running on the replica server before changing back to the primary, and talk to your license reseller. We both know the reseller wants to maximise what they sell so it is like negotiating with a scorpion how much they can sting you, but sadly this has to be done.

    Original author: https://github.com/SQL-FineBuild/Common/wiki/ 1-click install and best practice configuration of SQL Server 2019, 2017 2016, 2014, 2012, 2008 R2, 2008 and 2005.

    When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor they call me a communist - Archbishop Hélder Câmara

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