October 6, 2008 at 10:00 am
Some colleagues and I were discussing what we needed for licenses in order to be in compliance for an organization wide web application using IIS and SQL Server. The application will be available over the internet and internally on the intranet. Our SQL Server is licensed using per-processor licensing specifically for this project. One of my colleagues believes we need user cal's for each user connecting (to the windows server) because we will be authenticating users (either using Windows authentication through ISA Server or Forms authentication that will use the AD Membership provider to verify the user has a valid login and provided the correct password). My opinion is that, because we are connecting to IIS and SQL Server, not directly to Windows, is that we do not need the user cal's but the per-processor license handles it correctly. But in the latest Microsoft Product Use Rights document found at Miscrosoft Licensing there is this section on page 30 that is causing confusion:
III) Additional Licensing Requirements and/or Use Rights.
a)Client Access Licenses (CALs).
•You must acquire and assign a CAL to each device or user that accesses your instances of the server software directly or indirectly. A hardware partition or blade is considered to be a separate device. The appropriate CAL for each product is listed in the table below.
•You do not need CALs for:
(1)any user or device that accesses your instances of the server software only through the Internet without being authenticated or otherwise individually identified by the server software or through any other means,
(2)any of your servers licensed to run instances of the server software, and
(3)up to two devices or users to access your instances of the server software only to administer those instances.
•Your CALs permit access to your instances of earlier versions, but not later versions, of the server software, unless stated in the table below. If you are accessing instances of an earlier version, you may also use CALs corresponding to that version.
The disagreement is over what authentication really means. Anyone have any experience with this and/or some suggestions? Places to look to find out what is right, or a contact person?
Thanks,
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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October 6, 2008 at 10:23 am
From the "how to license SQL Server" FAQ:
Q. What exactly is a processor license and how does it work?
A. A processor license gives you the right to install any number of copies of SQL Server 2005 on a single computer, as long as you have purchased processor licenses for all of the processors on that computer. If you have made a processor inaccessible to all operating system copies on which the SQL Server software is set up to run, you do not need a software license for that processor. In a virtualized environment, processor licenses are required for every processor that is accessed by a virtual machine. Please see the virtualization licensing brief and virtualization white paper for further detail. Find out more about how Microsoft Adapts Windows Server System Licensing to Virtualization Scenarios.
In addition to the installation rights to the actual server software, processor licenses also grant any number of devices or users the right to access and use the server software running on those processors. These access rights are available to all devices or users, regardless of whether they are inside the organization (intranet scenarios) or outside the organization (intranet or extranet scenarios). The processor license contains all that you need. With a processor license, there is no need to purchase separate server licenses, CALs, or Internet connector licenses
I'm no attorney (or licensing specialist) but that's pretty cut and dry in my book. Meaning - under the assumption you have a processor license for every processor in that server, you do not need CAL's to access the database on that server.
Now - whether there is an addition CAL having to do with the Windows side, you got me.
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
October 6, 2008 at 10:28 am
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/faq.mspx
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
October 6, 2008 at 10:42 am
Typically MS allows you to license the way that is most effective for your company (CPU or CAL) in terms of cost.
Usually CPU is more expensive, so people try for CALs. If you are using Windows auth, typically you use CALs, one per user and no CPU license. However if you were going above the cost of the CPU license with CALs, I think you can go CPU.
I'd call the local MS office, or their licensing office to be safe. They don't like to publish any general information, but they'll talk about your situation.
October 6, 2008 at 11:11 am
Thanks for the replies guys. I read the per-processor license the same way you do Matt, but I've never really understood MS licensing which is the reason for the question.
Steve,
I'm not sure who my local MS or licensing office is, but I'll attempt to find out. we have contacted the local MS developer evangelist, so maybe he'll point us in the right direction.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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October 6, 2008 at 1:36 pm
These are users connecting to an intranet box who already have domain logins right? I may be incorrect, but I was under the impression that if you're using per seat licensing for your servers you need a cal for each user/device, but not a cal for each user/device/ for each server. If these users already have domain accounts, theoretically they might already have cals for using the exchange servers file servers etc. Those should count as your cals for this web application as well. As a user I need only 1 cal to connect to 1000 servers in per seat licensing. It's when you're using per server licensing that I need 1000 cals, one for each server.
Or at least that's how I've always understood it.
-Luke.
October 6, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Luke,
Thanks for the reply. Yeah if we were only deploying internally on the intranet we'd be all set. The issue is that the application will be accessed by partners worldwide via the internet in addition to users from our local domain. We are a "fellowship" of national entities that work together so each entity may have it's own domain. So I will have users locally and then folks in say Australia accessing it over the public internet that will not necessarily have a domain login.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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October 6, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Ahh gotcha, I was thinking more of the traveling salesman/remote user type scenario...
How are trusts handled between the domains or do they not interconnect at all except via your application? I haven't read that portion of the EULA in a long time, but some one or two way-transitive trusts might have some impact on this as well.
-Luke.
October 6, 2008 at 2:11 pm
There is currently no trust between domains. I can't even guarantee that the other locations even have a domain. All people sent out from the US office have domain accounts thus they would be all set regardless. The issue is that I have no way to force our "partners" to pay for licenses and I'm not sure that our leadership wants to pay for the others.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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October 6, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Typically partners aren't included in your CAL calculations. You can use domain trusts, but I think for licensing, it's a company basis. If you go outside the company, you use CPU licenses.
October 15, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Jack:
We have couple of clients who have a very similar setup (they are charitable religious foundations) and Matt has it right: As long as you have CPU-based SQL Server licenses, you do not have to license any of the users/devices coming in over the Internet.
Otherwise there is no way that organizations like yours, or on-line forums like this one or on-line communities/Web 2.0 sites could ever afford Microsoft SQL Server. Everything on the Web would have to be Apache/Linux/MySQL, etc.
[font="Times New Roman"]-- RBarryYoung[/font], [font="Times New Roman"] (302)375-0451[/font] blog: MovingSQL.com, Twitter: @RBarryYoung[font="Arial Black"]
Proactive Performance Solutions, Inc. [/font][font="Verdana"] "Performance is our middle name."[/font]
October 16, 2008 at 10:58 am
The way I have understand it, you'd never have a situation where you would buy both CALs and CPU licenses for the same instance. I am not sure where the "break even" point is where once you hit a certain number of CALs you should have instead purchased a set of CPU licenses. I also find it painful that those CALs are supposedly non-transferrable if you do decide to switch; as in should not sell them.
October 16, 2008 at 11:15 am
Thanks for the responses guys. I don't think I was clear enough on the question, although some of the answers apply. I know I am all set on the SQL Server side (per processor license), but what about IIS? It is part of Windows so do I need CALs or an external connector for it?
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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October 16, 2008 at 11:59 am
Maybe I am out of date, but isn't IIS free?
[font="Times New Roman"]-- RBarryYoung[/font], [font="Times New Roman"] (302)375-0451[/font] blog: MovingSQL.com, Twitter: @RBarryYoung[font="Arial Black"]
Proactive Performance Solutions, Inc. [/font][font="Verdana"] "Performance is our middle name."[/font]
October 16, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I don't know Barry. I think IIS is free with Windows Server, but when you connect to IIS do you need a CAL because you are connecting to the Windows Server? How do you define connecting to a Windows Server?
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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