Questions regarding SQL Server 2014 Core Based Licensing?

• Ashif Shaikh

  Default port

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  January 2, 2016 at 10:23 am

  #303537

  Hi All,

  I had questions in regards to Core Based Licensing in SQL Server. Hope I will get the answer.

  My Situation is.

  I have one 32 cores Windows 2012 Server with four virtual machines on it. Each Virtual Machine has 4 cores i.e 4 * 4 = 16 cores.

  Now, If I install SQL Server 2014 on all the VMs then in this case I have to pay only for the 16 cores or 32 Cores?

• Eddie Wuerch

  SSChampion

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  January 2, 2016 at 12:48 pm

  #1849080

  Here's a link to download Microsoft's guide for licensing virtualized environments:

  http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/D/4/3D42BDC2-6725-4B29-B75A-A5B04179958B/MicrosoftServerVirtualization_LicenseMobility_VLBrief.pdf

  There's a specific section for core-based licensing SQL Server on VMs.

  -Eddie

  Eddie Wuerch
  MCM: SQL

• Andrew G

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  January 7, 2016 at 12:13 am

  #1850112

  If enterprise edition, then as per Eddie's linked licencing document, you need to licence all physical cores of the host, so 32 cores, which gives unlimited VMs.

  If you licence just the VM's, then 16 cores, min of 4 cores per server.