June 24, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Greeting! I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. Can someone educate me with the licensing? I have read through the licensing guide but failed to unstand fully. I came from Oracle, and I just have a few years of SQL Server experience supporting standalone instances.
Our environment has 4 nodes clustered, I do not know what you call the topology.
4 nodes and each node has independent instances but at any given time only one node is servicing databases. What do you call it, Active/Passive/Passive/Passive? For licensing, we need to buy two additional licenses for node 3 and 4, correct? Why is there a need for 3rd and 4th passive node? Isn't it pointless and waste of $$$ towards licensing?
June 25, 2015 at 7:08 am
nzone7x (6/24/2015)
Our environment has 4 nodes clustered, I do not know what you call the topology.
the technology is known as Failover Clustering
nzone7x (6/24/2015)
4 nodes and each node has independent instances but at any given time only one node is servicing databases. What do you call it
This is Failover Clustering, only one node at any one time owns the groups and resources for a Failover Cluster Instance of SQL Server
nzone7x (6/24/2015)
Active/Passive/Passive/Passive?
No, traditionally with Microsoft Cluster Services this would have been an active\active cluster as you stated above that each node has instances running. With WSFC's they are known simply as multi instance clusters.
nzone7x (6/24/2015)
For licensing, we need to buy two additional licenses for node 3 and 4, correct? Why is there a need for 3rd and 4th passive node? Isn't it pointless and waste of $$$ towards licensing?
Licensing is a grey area and you'd be well advised to speak to your MS licence rep.
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June 25, 2015 at 3:23 pm
Just to clarify These are SQL Server 2008/2008 R2 servers, correct? If so then yes this would be a failover cluster. If they are SQL Server 2012 or higher you could also be describing AlwaysOn Availability Groups. I agree with Perry 100% about licensing. It is a topic with a lot of scenarios and exceptions. You are most likely better of getting professional help with that (i.e. MS) in order to get it right.
Joie Andrew
"Since 1982"
July 1, 2015 at 8:22 am
Thanks Gentlemen.
This is 2008R2. I think I understood the licensing model now. By having active/active/active/active, all four nodes required licenses. Can someone explain how client application access works? I understood the active/passive model, but active/active/active/active is a fog in the mirror to me.
July 1, 2015 at 9:06 am
nzone7x (7/1/2015)
Can someone explain how client application access works? I understood the active/passive model, but active/active/active/active is a fog in the mirror to me.
Each clustered instance uses its own unique client access point, this is how clients connect to each instance.
Check my stairway to HA series on this site starting at this link[/url]
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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉
July 10, 2015 at 1:18 am
Hi,
I guess you already know you at least need expensive Enterprise Edition with 4 nodes? That is if you install any Instance on more than 2, which I would advice to gain full profit from multiple nodes.
Have you thougt about Developer Edition for non-production environments? Has ALL features and can save a lot of money.
Regards,
Hans van Dam
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