Microsoft offers a wide range of Windows server licenses. These licenses come in different editions and are based on physical processor cores.
Previously, licensing for Windows Server was on a per-processor/socket basis. This changed with the introduction of the new OS.
The Windows Server 2016 OS now permits two virtual operating system environments (OSE) with Standard edition and unlimited OSEs with Datacenter. This makes a Datacenter license much more cost-effective than a Standard license in a highly virtualized environment.
Cost Savings
The cost of a Windows server has increased over the years as processors with more cores have become standard. This has made it more expensive to license servers per core, which is not good news for enterprises investing in powerful and core-dense processors. To help customers cut costs, Microsoft has altered licensing for both Datacenter and Standard Editions.
Previously, each processor was licensed on a per-socket basis, regardless of the number of cores it had. Consequently, many companies took a stacking approach to license for small-scale virtualization, which was complex to administer and costly. With the new changes, you can assign a single license to a virtual machine regardless of its many cores. The VM can move between physical hosts within 90 days, which makes this an attractive option for those who require more flexibility with their on-premises workloads.
When using this feature, it’s important to ensure the VMs are assigned to dedicated servers. This way, you can avoid potential issues with license compliance and ensure that only VMs that have been active for some time are dispatched. This will help you save money on licensing and will prevent the need to buy additional server licenses. To take advantage of this feature, you must use a Hyper-V-based solution that supports the current branch for the business model and has active Software Assurance coverage on the server licenses used to deploy the VMs.
Scalability
The scalability of an information management solution is essential in the evolving business landscape. In addition to increasing productivity, it can help organizations adapt to new challenges and opportunities. With Windows Server Instant Licenses, organizations can scale their infrastructure up or down to meet demand. This allows them to manage costs better and optimize their IT investments.
Licensing has changed a lot since the introduction of Microsoft Hyper-V in 2016. Instead of a per-socket model, licensing is now based on cores. This is why it’s important to understand the licensing implications of Hyper-V when choosing a platform for your virtual environment.
Standard edition licensing includes two virtual Operating System Environments (OSEs). To expand this, you will need to stack licenses. This may cause a licensing conflict in some cases because each additional OSE requires a separate Windows Server license. The exception is the Datacenter edition, which includes unlimited OSEs.
For those customers who have licensed the standard edition of Windows Server and have Software Assurance, you can take advantage of Microsoft’s License Mobility feature to move the licenses to the cloud. This is an excellent option if you have existing licenses for Microsoft products and want to avoid paying additional licensing fees. However, it’s also important to note that an authorized reseller must migrate the licenses.
Reliability
The reliability of Windows Server is another key benefit. It allows you to run virtual instances of your most critical applications on the same physical servers used for other purposes. This improves performance and reduces the number of times you need to reboot. Additionally, you can use a single interface to manage and monitor the reliability of your entire system.
It also offers advanced security features. For example, you can enable data loss prevention and granular auditing to meet compliance requirements. Moreover, you can use the software-defined networking capabilities to build and scale out clustered environments. In addition, you can use Azure AD to help protect your critical infrastructure from attacks and breaches.
In the past, customers who licensed with small-scale virtualization would see a stacking approach to licensing where they would license their physical hosts with a minimum of 16 cores and then allow VMs to move between those physically hosted hosts on a dynamic basis (within 90 days). This could get complicated and lead to license compliance creep unless you review your position quarterly or monthly.
With the introduction of per-core licensing for Windows, these scenarios are now easier to manage. However, the flexibility of this licensing model only applies if you have active Software Assurance coverage on your licenses and any client access licenses connected to those VMs.
Security
As with any server software, you need access licenses to access your servers from offsite locations and other devices. These include User CALs and External Connector CALs. Each CAL provides a single-user or device-based access to instances of the server software running on licensed servers.
Licensing changes with the release of Windows Server 2019 need to be clarified for IT pros. One major change is that licensing for virtual machines is now based on cores instead of vCPUs. This means VMs can be moved to another physical host within 90 days, but only if licensed for the same number of cores as the original VM.
Security is a big concern for any business. Windows Server comes with layers of security built in to protect against malware, block attacks, and enhance the security of applications, data, and virtual machines. This is complemented by the Hyper-V features in the platform, including high-speed backup of VMs to onsite, offsite, and cloud locations for rapid recovery with low RTOs.