RE: [ActiveDir] [OT] Movement in licensing over Virtual Instances at MS.

[joe]

I mostly agree.   The Data Center Edition according to some of the other links out there indicate that it will allow unlimited instances on it.   As for the not running category, I think it means that unless the instance is at that moment running, it doesn't need a license. So you could have 300 images on an EE box and as long as you only have 4 running at any given moment, you only need one license for server.   Someone brought up a good question on the virtual guy's blog on whether this just applies when using VS or if it also works with vmware. He indicated ESX specifically which I think is right out, but what about GSX. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bernard, Aric Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 3:55 PM To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] [OT] Movement in licensing over Virtual Instances at MS. My understanding is as follows:   1 licensed copy of W2K3R2 or Longhorn (EE/DC) provides the following: 1 physical host running the licensed OS 4 virtual guests running the licensed OS or a lesser version (i.e. Enterprise Edition would allow for Web Edition running in a VM) VMs developed and designed for the following purposes (as examples) need not be licensed until which time they no longer fall under the following: Copies of licensed machines (physical or virtual) used for backup purposes only “Template” virtual disks used for deploying new virtual guests Other virtual machines not generally online and not used for production purposes (e.g. an offline CA in a VM would not qualify)       Aric   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rich Milburn Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 12:09 PM To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] [OT] Movement in licensing over Virtual Instances at MS.   I’m a bit confused as to what she was trying to say… in the quote below, she says four VMs, but she doesn’t say four instances of Windows… and she says that they’ll only charge for virtual images of Windows actually running.  I take that to mean that if I have a box with 10 virtual machines defined but only 4 running at a time, that I only have to pay for 4?  Unless I start a 5th one before I bring one of the others down?  Does it mean that currently I’d have to pay for 10?  Or is it that if I am only running 4 I can run them on top of one purchased copy of Windows Server 2003 R2 EE?   One thing that seems a bit silly to me is if I have my new 64 bit server, GOLIATH, and he’s running 10 VMs with Windows, then he’s running 10 W2K3 kernels, 10 HALs, 10 __________ (fill in the blank).  There was a concept, sort of filled by NTVDM, that you could run something in there and if it crashed it didn’t take down the OS.  What if you could run an instance of Exchange in one of those?  Or a DC?  VMs are now sort of like having CD images on the network were for a while – 15 copies of NT4 SP6a, 12 copies of NT4 Option Pack, 25 copies of Adobe Reader, 20 copies of IE5, 15 copies of IE4… you see what I mean.  Run 10 VMs and you have maybe 15 GB of duplicate info on disk.  I hear ESX can mitigate that somewhat… but MS wrote the Windows code, who could do it better than them?  Or maybe I’m way off base here. ??   --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rich Milburn MCSE, Microsoft MVP - Directory Services Sr Network Analyst, Field Platform Development Applebee's International, Inc. 4551 W. 107th St Overland Park, KS 66207 913-967-2819 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it." - Pablo Picasso From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of joe Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 10:06 AM To: ActiveDir@mail.activedir.org Subject: RE: [ActiveDir] [OT] Movement in licensing over Virtual Instances at MS.   http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,122949,00.asp    Virtual Windows License Simplified     <QUOTE> Microsoft also will allow customers to have four virtual machines running on top of Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server "Longhorn" Datacenter Edition at no extra cost, Kelly said. </QUOTE>      -------APPLEBEE'S INTERNATIONAL, INC. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE------- PRIVILEGED / CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION may be contained in this message or any attachments. This information is strictly confidential and may be subject to attorney-client privilege. This message is intended only for the use of the named addressee. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, unauthorized forwarding, printing, copying, distribution, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this in error, you should kindly notify the sender by reply e-mail and immediately destroy this message. Unauthorized interception of this e-mail is a violation of federal criminal law. Applebee's International, Inc. reserves the right to monitor and review the content of all messages sent to and from this e-mail address. Messages sent to or from this e-mail address may be stored on the Applebee's International, Inc. e-mail system.