Comments on: What If Microsoft Virtualization Editions Existed?

By: Partnership Of Microsoft And Citrix Intensify VDI Spotlight | VM /ETC

Partnership Of Microsoft And Citrix Intensify VDI Spotlight | VM /ETC — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:02:21 +0000

[...] concept of anchoring a Windows license to hardware and hopefully beginning to consider introducing virtualization editions of their operating systems? We ate definitely not there yet, but at least it’s movement in the [...]

By: knail1

knail1 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:13:43 +0000

Have a very basic questions guys… how does windows enforce the Datacenter licensing? I could theoretically go and install the same license on many different physical servers and nobody would notice, correct?

-O

By: knail1

knail1 — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:13:43 +0000

-O

By: Larry Passo

Larry Passo — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:39:32 +0000

From the MS point of view, if you perform a P2V conversion of a desktop you might not be able to legally use the copy of MS Office that was on the desktop. If the desktop came with a pre-installed OEM version, that Office installation can only be used with the original hardware. In this case, you wouldn't legally be able to use that OS version either. Now, if you built a desktop with VL OS and Office licensed media, it should be usable as a VM after a P2V.

By: Andrew Storrs

Andrew Storrs — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:56:11 +0000

Just to clarify for other readers of this post who might be misled.

The following: "where you can legally license a single copy of Datacenter for the physical machine..."

Should really read: "where you can legally license a copy of Datacenter for EACH PHYSICAL CPU SOCKET IN the physical machine..."

Didn't want anyone to think one license of Datacenter would cover you on a 2 or 4 socket server.

By: rbrambley

rbrambley — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:43:32 +0000

Dracolith,

Thanks. I guess I forgot completely about that update … even though I reported on it!

By: Dracolith

Dracolith — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:30:10 +0000

Assign a datacenter license to each physical server.
From: http://vmetc.com/2009/01/21/january-2009-update…

“
For Windows Server software, except in a few cases (see “Assignment of Licenses” above), licenses may only be reassigned to new hardware after 90 days. This, however, does not restrict the dynamic movement of virtual OSEs between licensed servers. As long as the servers are licensed and do not simultaneously run more instances than the number for which they are licensed, you are free to use VMotion and System Center Virtual Machine Manager to move virtualized instances between licensed servers at will.
“

By: rbrambley

rbrambley — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:54:56 +0000

Gavin,

Your points are valid, and I admit I realize there might be a cost barrier for Microsoft to do this. I chose to look past these points for the sake of the concept. It will definitely take some serious cost analysis to determine if it could be done.

As a argument to your Datacenter edition licensing, wouldn't a per virtual machine model take us full circle back to volume licensing as before for physical servers? Everybody is fine with that right?

Also, you are aware that Microsoft virtual licensing does not allow you to freely move your VMs between virtual hosts? Unless it's changed recently, Microsoft only allows you to “transfer” a VM once very 90 days. I covered this last year: http://vmetc.com/2008/08/19/new-microsoft-appli…