Over the years since Microsoft Windows Server was released, we have seen numerous updates not only to versions or editions, but also to licensing rules and license calculation metrics. Over the past 10 years, these changes have followed a certain pattern, which was maintained until the release of Windows Server 2022.
Evolution of Windows Server Licensing
Microsoft introduced Windows Server 2008 with a “Server and CAL” or “Processor and CAL” based licensing model for Datacenter and Itanium editions. With the launch of Windows Server 2012, the “Processor License” metric was adopted for the Standard and Datacenter editions, focusing on virtualization rights and calculations based on the server's physical hardware. Even with the update to the “Core License” metric in Windows Server 2016, these characteristics were maintained.
Therefore, the purpose of this Post is to present a summary of the main changes that occurred in licensing rules with the launch of the new Windows Server. Considering the manufacturer's official documents made available through the PUR (Products Use Rights) and Technical documentation as the main source of information.
What's new in Windows Server 2022
With the digital transformation of organizations, Microsoft launched Windows Server 2022, designed to overcome technological and licensing barriers. The new Windows Server enables you to run critical tasks and workloads anywhere, whether in the data center or in the cloud. In addition to maintaining previous standards, such as virtualization rights between editions Standard and Datacenter, Windows Server 2022 introduces greater flexibility in licensing, allowing individual licensing of virtual servers, as long as certain criteria are met.
What Hasn't Changed
- Windows Server Datacenter continues to be recommended for highly virtualized environments, allowing the hosting of an unlimited number of virtual machines on a physical server.
- Windows Server Standard is recommended for standalone physical servers or minimally virtualized environments, allowing the hosting of up to two virtual machines on one physical server.
- The minimum licensing rule to maintain compliance remained: 8 “Core License” per processor and 16 “Core License” per physical server.
- CAL Licenses (Client Access License) are still required for each user or device that connects to the server.
What's New in Licensing
The main new feature of Windows Server 2022 is the possibility of licensing virtual servers individually, following the criteria below:
- Available only for subscription licenses or with active Software Assurance.
- The access CALs used must also be subscription-based or have active Software Assurance.
- The number of licenses assigned must correspond to the number of virtual cores, with a minimum of 8 “Core License” per virtual machine and 16 “Core License” per client.
- Licenses may be reassigned to any licensed server within the same Server Farm as needed, and between Server Farms, provided that the reassignment does not occur less than 90 days since the last assignment.
Benefits of Software Assurance (SA)
- Software Assurance offers new product version rights, allowing upgrades at no additional cost.
- Adding SA to your Windows Server licenses provides complementary benefits to basic licensing.
Compliance management becomes a challenge in the face of constant changes in licensing rules. Count on 4Matt technology, Technology, the company most specialized in IT asset management in Latin America to help you navigate these complexities.
To see more details about the product's new technical features, visit: PUR (Products Use Rights) and documentation Technique.
Windows Server 2022 Licensing FAQ
1. What are the minimum requirements to license Windows Server 2022? To license a physical server, a minimum of 8 “CoreLicense” per processor and 16 “CoreLicense” per licensed server is required. Additionally, CAL licenses are required for each user or device that connects to the server.
2. Is it possible to license virtual machines individually on Windows Server 2022? Yes, Windows Server 2022 allows you to license virtual machines individually, as long as established criteria are followed, such as subscription licenses or with active Software Assurance.
3. What is Software Assurance and what are its benefits? Software Assurance (SA) is an additional feature that can be included with your Windows Server licenses. It offers rights to a new version of the product, allowing updates at no additional cost, among other benefits.