Windows Server Licensing For Virtual Machines

Windows server standard and datacenter editions continue to require windows server cals for every user or device accessing a server see the product terms for exceptions or windows server external connector licenses for servers accessed by external users.

Windows server licensing for virtual machines.

Licensing a windows server for three vms. You ll need to do something similar when you have a server with four processors. Understanding windows server virtual machine licensing. For every additional 2 vms added all of the cores in the server must be licensed again.

3 additional licenses are also required for customers who wish to license more than the 2 virtual machines vms included for windows server 2019 standard. In addition to the base windows server cal or external connector license some functionalities will continue to require the purchase of an. As most everyone now knows microsoft changed their windows server licensing model with the release of the windows server 2016 family. Automatic virtual machine activation avma acts as a proof of purchase mechanism helping to ensure that windows products are used in accordance with the product use rights and microsoft software license terms.

Azure virtual machines gives you the flexibility of virtualization for a wide range of computing solutions with support for linux windows server sql server oracle ibm sap and more. Core windows server functionality. So to license the server to run two virtual machines you will need to buy at least 32 core licenses 8 x 4 32. For the two previous server versions they used a fairly straightforward model that only considered physical cpu sockets.

Windows server licenses are not eligible for license mobility through software assurance but customers licensing windows server with software assurance can utilize the azure hybrid benefit for a cheaper per minute cost when running a windows virtual machine. Remember that microsoft requires you to buy at least 8 core licenses for each processor. 06 feb 2018 by eric siron 2. The license to run windows server in the azure environment is by default included in the per minute cost of your windows virtual machine.