asked on

Window server licenses for VMware host

Hello,

I've VMware host with 2x physical CPU sockets (14 cores each) and I'm planning to deploy 9 windows servers (max 2 vCPU per guest VM).

Just wondering how many windows server licensing would be required and what would be the math ?

Thanks

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

1 x Windows Server® 2016 Standard (16 core)
3 x Windows Server® 2016 Standard Additional License APOS (4 core)
7 x Windows Server® 2016 Standard Additional License APOS (16 core)

Licenses you for 9 VMs.

If you use Windows 2016 Standard.

Datacentre

1 x Windows Server® 2016 Datacenter (16 core)
3 x Windows Server® 2016 Datacenter Additional License (4 core)

You may want to compare the costs of Standard versus Datacentre and see which is the cheapest.

Datacenter Edition includes unlimited virtual instances of the operating system environment , as Standard only includes 2! provided all cores are licensed e.g. 28 cores in host.

leolink1982

ASKER

Many thanks Andrew.

Could you please elaborate on below calculation. Please note that I will be using VMware as the Hypervisor.

1 x Windows Server® 2016 Standard (16 core)
3 x Windows Server® 2016 Standard Additional License APOS (4 core)
7 x Windows Server® 2016 Standard Additional License APOS (16 core)

Best regards,
Chanaka

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

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Dakota Blatterman

If you are still looking for more information as to why you need the number of licenses or what each license will cover you can look at this guide.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/2/9/7290EA05-DC56-4BED-9400-138C5701F174/WS2016LicensingDatasheet.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi_5OvfgLzcAhUmsVQKHTcEAjwQFjACegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1txRPDIPGWSHY-0Gp1F5pX