How to calculate Microsoft license

[SommyJo]

What is your experience in calculating licenses for VM Microsoft Server?

They are asking me for a single VM a cost based on the number of physical cores of the host server and not of the cores attributed to the single VM.

With this criterion, for example, having a server with 48 cores and 8 VMs with 6 cores, I would have to pay licenses for 8x48 = 384 cores.

This is absurd. The savings from having a host server is lost by the license cost. It costs less to install individual servers.

[MikeStoica]

They've changed their licensing model. Check this link for a better understanding: https://www.petri.com/understanding-windows-server-2016-licensing

[rajen450m]

HI,

Since Microsoft moved to per core licensing i.e., "Windows Server 2016 is licensed under the Per Core + Client Access License (CAL) model"

You need to license your physical host cores. Subject to a minimum of 8 cores per processor and sixteen cores per host.

Since you are running 8 VMs with total 48 cores, to my knowledge you need to buy 24 standard licenses to run your environment.

check the below licensing document for virtualization:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/D/4/3D42BDC2-6725-4B29-B75A-A5B04179958B/WindowsServer2016VirtualTech_VLBrief.p…

Regards,

[SommyJo]

And with a single VM Windows Server and 7 Linux VM?

Calculating for cores is a incredible cost!

[rajen450m]

Hi,

I was thinking all the 8 VMs were windows server only. Knowing that 1VM, it is too costly for you and should by 8 licenses minimum.

Regards,

[IRIX201110141]

Does your physical Server have 48 pCores or just 24 pCores and HT?

- With the current MS Licensing you only need to license the pCore

- You have to licence a minimum of 16 pCore

- You have to bought additional 2 CPUs lics if you have more than 16 pCores

- You cant split  a single 16 Core Lic (except you have Windows 2012 with SA) and assign it to 2 hosts

Depending of the number of Windows VM you have to consider Windows DataCenter instead of Windows Standard because the first gives you a windows flatrate. There is a break even....

There are a few more things to consider

Do you have more than one ESXi Host or if there is a chance than you use vMotion or HA? Depending on the Version and Lic type (OEM, OpenLic, SA) you have the right to move the lic to another pHost or not. If all Hosts in the Cluster have Windows Server Datacenter under the hood you'll be fine.

Regards,

Joerg

[MikeStoica]

Or you can buy Datacenter License which covers 2physical CPU and 16 cores and gives you unlimited machines.

It's better to talk with a Microsoft License expert, better from a re seller.

[SommyJo]

In an SME company it makes no sense to buy a Datacenter license.

We currently have a Host server with a single 8 Core CPU.

There are 6 VMs installed on this server: 1 MS Server 2016, 3 Linux servers, 2 Windows 10 Pro.

With the current licensing policies there should be no problems, but there was a discussion about buying a larger server to increase mainly Windows clients and Linux servers.

At this point I do not think that makes sense because there would be an increase in license costs without any improvement for individual VMs.

[IRIX201110141]

For this setup a

1x Windows Server 2016 Standard (incl. 16 Core) Base LIC would be the right.

Btw. Windows 2016 allows you to setup 2 OSE which means you can run up to 2 Windows VMs on this pHost without additional costs.

You can buy a 2x 8core Server or 1x 16 Core server and have the same licensing costs.

Regards,

Joerg

[btechit]

There are more than one ways to skin a cat...so let's play the system:  Server OS comes with 16 core license, but no restrictions on frequency (probably the next thing they will start doing).  

Focus on Higher frequency CPU cores (eg 3.5 Ghz cores rather than 1.8 or 2.0 Ghz cores), rather than focusing on so many more cores (faster processing per core per cycle), and then outfit with two 8 Core CPUS or one 16 core CPU, without worrying about extra core licensing.  Or if you think you will need more, outfit with two high frequency 12 core CPUS...then you only need to buy one extra license pack per server OS (24 core licenses).  Server OS comes with 16 core license by default, so only increasing cost by one 8 core license pack per OS...maximizing your spend/core ratio.   

[SommyJo]

Maybe I'm not able to present to you what is for me the real problem, unless I'm wrong.

I read the post in the link above. Microsoft was losing money with the Multicore Servers and changed the licensing policy; but here we are not talking about software installed on a multicore server, but VMs.

As long as the host remains a server with 16 cores and there is one or two VMs, the problem does not seem to exist; but if the host has more than 16 cores and the VM servers are few, then the cost of the licenses is higher than the savings and at that point it is better to buy individual physical servers.

And many greetings to virtualization.

I encountered this problem a few years ago with IBM software licenses and we were not authorized from CEO to buy a physical server to virtualize the services, but we had to buy more separate servers. Today I find myself in the same situation with Microsoft servers.

Frankly (and again, maybe I'm wrong) I do not understand where the benefits of virtualization reside with this licensing.

And if I'm not mistaken, I do not understand VMware's silence about this.

Anyway, I had the answer and I thank you.

The synthesis would seem to be this: it's fine for very small or very large companies. For those in the middle ... maybe.

[IRIX201110141]

Youre wrong.

If you go for physical Servers you have to buy a 16Core Windows Base lic FOR EVERY SERVER

If you go with virtualization like vSphere ESXi or Hyper-V you

- double the VM count per Host because always 2 OSE included

or

- half savings in LICs when runing more (4,6,8...) than 2 VMs per Host

Regards,

Joerg

[SommyJo]

Sorry, but I continue to not understand.

Host 48 Core.

1 VM Server 2016 with 8 cores

3 VM Linux Server with 8 cores

4 Win10 VM with 4 cores

Licenses: 4 Win 10 and 3x16 for Windows Server

The retailer has quoted me the single Windows Server Standard license about € 1,600. Which means a higher cost of € 3,200

However, my point of view is that in the case of VMs it is easier to manage considering the number of active cores which is what the VM recognizes because I do not think the VM is able to know how many cores it has host, but only how many cores has the VM.

[IRIX201110141]

*Seufz*

Please tell me the exact type and numbers of Intel/AMD CPU in your pServer.

- If you have a 48 pCore box like 2x Intel 24C you need 3x Windows 2016 16 Core lic, right!  Also possible is 24x 2 CPU Lic. Money wise its always the same

- The number of vCPUs you have assigned to a VM doenst count right now when speaking abount MS Server Licensing.

If you have a quote about 3x 16 Core Windows 2016 Standard and 4x Win10 for 1600,- that sounds very good if its a real OEM or MS OpenLicense.

Yes, if you bought a high core count top of the notch Intel/AMD System and plan only to run only 1-2 Windows Server VMs with low vCPU count than you have to spend much money on MS licensing. So youre understanding is right there. But than i ask why you bought a high end system when the power isnt needed?  But even when you waste 1000,- for MS here its cheaper than  buying 2nd. pyhs. server for 10000,-

Regards,

Joerg

[danci1973]

Hopefully thread resurrections are not frowned upon here...

I have one hypothetical and one realistic situation, where I can't get my head around MS licensing...

1. The  hypothetical one - I have 10 hosts with 2 10-core CPUs each. So 200 cores in total. I run hundreds of Linux VMs, but I might need one (1) Windows Server VM.

What kind of licence(s) do I need from Microsoft?

2. The realistic one - 3 hosts with 2 16-core CPUs each - 96 cores in total. There will be 6-10 Windows Server VMs (not quite sure yet) and they need to be HA (if one host fails, VMs should be automatically migrated to the other 2 hosts).

Is VMWare Essential Plus enough for that?

What kind of licence(s) do I need from Microsoft?

[Scott Vessey]

vSphere Essentials Plus includes HA: https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/products/vsphere/vmware-vsphere-essentials-kits-datash…

HA is a failover mechanism - so the VMs on your failed host won't "migrate" but they will automatically be restarted on a remaining host.

Here's a Microsoft paper on licensing: http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/D/4/3D42BDC2-6725-4B29-B75A-A5B04179958B/WindowsServer2016VirtualTech_VLBrief.p…

[IRIX201110141]

Hi danci1973​

thats easy...  :smileywink:

The first...

1x Windows Server 2016/2019 Standard 16 Core

If you buy a cheap OEM the windows license is bind to the phys. Host when you install the Windows OSE and youre legaly not allowed to move the VM(s) away after installation. So no HA, vMotion , Cold Migration or whatever!!!!! This is true for the last 20 years.

If you buy OpenLicense or better... youre allowed to move every 60 (or 90 i cant remember) days. So... if you have an HA related event every 60(90) days youre fine!

If you buy OpenLicense or better together with Software Assurance (SA) you get the permission to run the OSE in a farm and the rights to move around. So HA, vMotion and is allowed and you can move VM every second to a new pyhs. Host if you like.

The second...

To run 2 Windows VMs you need

1x Windows Std. 16 Cores

8x Windows Std.  2. add.AddOn Cores

which gives you 32 licensed CPUs. (Notice: There is also a 24 Cores license.. with that you need 1x 24 and 4x 2add. Addon Cores)

To run 10 VMs you  need the package from above 5x.  The break even for Windows Datacenter comes into sight....

Add the info about OEM, OpenLicense or SA. So if you have a need for HA... you need Microsoft SA for that 32 CPU License package. Keep in mind that both VMs from the license package have to run on the same Hosts and during HA they have to restart on the same Host.

If you buy OpenLicense+SA the software assurance is valid for 2 years and than you need to renewal the SA.

Regards,

Joerg