Which SQL Server License to buy ?

  • Hello we are about to purchase an SQL server license but are not clear as to which licencing scheme to go for. We will be hosting only one site on the online server and only the development team will access the SQL Server to make any alterations. Under this situation should we buy

    1) SQL Server Standard edition per seat access with 5 user license

    or

    2) SQL Server Standard edition single processor license.

     

    Will the 1st option work if we accessing the SQL Server with only one remote connection and most of the queries to the SQL Server will be done by the asp pages, hosted on the same box as the SQL Server.

  • Since you mention ASP pages, I assume this is a web application.  If your users are authenticated (NT Domain or AD) users, you can use the first or second option, as long as you purchase a CAL (client access license) for each individual user that will be using the system.  If your users are not authenticated, you can still use the first option, but you must ensure (according to the license agreement) that you have CALs for users.  (Optionally, you can buy device CALs, if you have more users than devices that will access the web site.)

    If you are setting up a public website (or even an intranet) where you do not have control over user licenses, you must purchase processor license(s).  Note that the tradeoff for a single processor license is approximately 25 CALs, so if you are going to have more than 25 users, it is cheaper to get a single processor license.

    Note that the CAL licensing is not for connections, but for users using any applications that will access the SQL Server database. You are licensing application users, not database connections.



    Mark

  • Thank you very much for your response! Has helped us to understand the SQL Server licensing.

    Imran.

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