Licensing Microsoft Server Products for use in Virtual Environments–VLB - p3 Dec 2009 / p4 Jan 2013:
“You run an instance of software by loading it into memory and executing one or more of its instructions. Once this has occurred, an instance is considered to be running (whether or not its instructions continue to execute) until it is removed from memory”
Assessing Windows Server Licensing (July 2010) -– Additional Resources link in MAP
Quote Page 11 Point 4:
“The Host Summary tab shows how many VMs (Guest Machines) each physical server hosts. It counts both active and inactive VMs, although you only need to count (and license) active VMs”
The document then shows an example of 8 active VMs which are listed under the heading of “Running”
The terms found in sample documents from MAP for VM status are Running, Not Started and Unknown.
If an instance is running then it is clearly active.
- What term would MAP show in the Virtual Machine Status for any inactive VM – Not Started?
(For licensing purposes this would fit with the definition of running an instance quoted above)
- What does the term Unknown mean in the Virtual Machine Status of MAP data (active – inactive)?
Assessing SQL Server Licensing (May 2011) – Additional Resources link in MAP
Only “Running” instances of SQL are considered when counting SQL licences irrespective of the physical or virtual environment. The other term used by MAP in SQL Service State is “Stopped”.
- Has an instance recorded as “Stopped” in MAP never actually been running or has it been removed from memory because if it has been running but not removed from memory then the definition above would suggest that it should still be considered a running instance for licensing purposes contrary to the method outlined in the above named document when assessing SQL Licensing?
Nigel
