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rwheeler23Flag for United States of America

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SQL Server 2005 License Question

I need to move SQL Server 2005 off a dieing server to a new server. My client cannot find any paperwork as to how many licenses(CPU or CALs) they have purchased. I cannot find anything in their current SQL instance that gives me any of that information. From what I have read this appears to be completely on the honor system. I have them going through all of their old invoices but the reseller has been very vague,the invoice just says SQL Server 2005, it does not specify CPU's or CALs. Is there anything in SQL I can check or is there someone I can call at Microsoft who may know this information? I simply want to keep them legal with the new server. They are a small business so it would be an open license.
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evgeny_f31
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Take a look at NumLicenses and LicenseType return from SERVERPROPERTY:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms174396(SQL.90).aspx

SELECT CONVERT(char(20), SERVERPROPERTY('licensetype'));
SELECT CONVERT(char(20), SERVERPROPERTY('numlicenses'));


Unfortunately, you will see that LicenseType is always returned as DISABLED in v2005.  They say this is by design, because SQL doesn't write license detail to the registry during install, like v2000 did.
See here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlblog/archive/2006/11/10/tracking-license-information-in-sql-2005.aspx


I would call their License support at (800) 426-9400:
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/contact-us.aspx
Avatar of Máté Farkas
CAL Licensing
If the datas provided by the SQL Server are used only in a separated, local network or VPN via Inranet or any Web application then you can count the possible number of users in this network. If this is under 100 or 200 user you should use CAL license.

CPU Licensing
If the data can be accessed by users on the whole internet via any web application, any web servers or connections then you have to use only the CPU license.