Licensing Q&A: What to consider when deploying and licensing Microsoft SQL Server in a container environment?

About: Licenseware specializes in license analysis automation and development to get licensing insights, from any data source, in minutes. Find out more about delivering better services on our website 👈

Understanding how containers work is the first step to successfully deploying and licensing Microsoft SQL Server in a container environment. Containers package applications and their dependencies into isolated, self-contained units that can be easily deployed and managed. Using containers ensures that your application will always run the same way regardless of the environment it is deployed in.

Select the right container technology for your environment depending on your specific needs. You may want to use Docker, Kubernetes, or another container platform. Each platform has its advantages and disadvantages, so it’s essential to research and choose the one that best fits your needs.

Determine how you will license Microsoft SQL Server within the container environment. Microsoft offers several options for licensing its software within a containerized environment.

In December 2022, Microsoft changed the licensing rules for containers in SQL Server. If you have Software Assurance or subscription licenses for SQL Server, containers deployed inside the physical operating system are treated as virtual machines. When you count licenses for SQL Server, you should treat each container as a virtual machine, regardless of whether it is “Hyper-V isolated” or not. However, you may not license SQL Server per virtual machine or container if you have a perpetual license for SQL Server without Software Assurance. Instead, you must license SQL Server per physical core.

For versions of SQL Server before 2022, each container is treated as a virtual machine for licensing purposes. This means you should treat each container as a virtual machine when counting licenses for SQL Server, regardless of whether it is “Hyper-V isolated” or not. This affects the limit on the number of operating system environments when you don’t have Software Assurance for SQL Server Enterprise licenses, the counting of operating system environments, unlimited instances inside an operating system environment, and other aspects of SQL Server licensing.

Psst… 👇

Need help in understanding your Microsoft Licensing? Licenseware creates great licensing content, but even better data analysis automations! 💪

Get licensing insights in minutes today using our apps
Or book a call with one of our licensing specialists 🧙‍♂️

Learn about Licensewares automated Microsoft license analysis apps here

If you find our articles useful, register for our monthly newsletter for regular industry insights 👇

Licenseware

W29 SAM & ITAM Jobs

By Alex Cojocaru | July 24, 2024 | Comments Off on W29 SAM & ITAM Jobs

Licenseware Partners with HAT Distribution to Bring Next-Gen Software Asset Management Tools in ANZ

By Licenseware | July 17, 2024 | Comments Off on Licenseware Partners with HAT Distribution to Bring Next-Gen Software Asset Management Tools in ANZ

W27-28 SAM & ITAM Jobs

By Alex Cojocaru | July 16, 2024 | Comments Off on W27-28 SAM & ITAM Jobs

W23-26 SAM & ITAM Jobs

By Alex Cojocaru | July 1, 2024 | Comments Off on W23-26 SAM & ITAM Jobs

W22-24 SAM & ITAM Jobs

By Alex Cojocaru | June 6, 2024 | Comments Off on W22-24 SAM & ITAM Jobs

W19-24 SAM & ITAM Jobs

By Alex Cojocaru | May 14, 2024 | Comments Off on W19-24 SAM & ITAM Jobs

Red Hat Middleware Licensing White Paper

By Licenseware | May 8, 2024 | Comments Off on Red Hat Middleware Licensing White Paper

Red Hat Enterprise Linux OS Licensing White Paper

By Licenseware | May 8, 2024 | Comments Off on Red Hat Enterprise Linux OS Licensing White Paper

Licenseware Partners with ICE Information Technology to Expand into the Middle East

By Licenseware | April 16, 2024 | Comments Off on Licenseware Partners with ICE Information Technology to Expand into the Middle East

W15-24 SAM & ITAM Jobs

By Alex Cojocaru | April 16, 2024 | Comments Off on W15-24 SAM & ITAM Jobs