Windows Server 2008 Licensing Guide
Windows Server 2008 Product Overview Summaries

Windows Server 2008 Product Summaries – Without Hyper-V

Client Access Licensing: Types and Modes


Terminal Services Licensing Requirements
Terminal Services functionality in Windows Server lets you remotely execute applications on a Windows-based server from a wide range of devices over virtually any type of network connection. A server running Terminal Services can be referred to as a Terminal Server (TS).
Terminal Services CALs
If you wish to access the Terminal Services functionality of Windows Server 2008, a Windows Server 2008 CAL and Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services CAL are required for each user or device accessing the Terminal Server.
TS CAL Types
Device-based vs. User-based Terminal Services CALs
Two types of Terminal Services CALs are available. They may be used in combination simultaneously with the server software.

TS CAL Mode
Terminal Services CALs are only available in Per User/Per Device Mode.
Windows Server 2008 External Connector Licenses
If you would like to allow your business partners or customers to access your network, and do not want to purchase individual CALs for each of them, you can acquire a Windows Server 2008 External Connector (EC) license for each Windows server that will be accessed by these external users.
Similarly, instead of acquiring individual TS CALs for valid external users of Terminal Services functionality, you can acquire a Windows Server Terminal Services EC license for each terminal server being accessed. Note that a Windows Server EC license is a prerequisite for a Terminal Services EC license.
Additionally, instead of acquiring individual RMS CALs for valid external users of RMS functionality, you can acquire a Windows Server RMS EC license for each server on which RMS functionality is being accessed. Note that a Windows Server EC license must always be acquired when a RMS EC license is acquired.
Windows Server EC, Terminal Services EC, and RMS EC licenses can be acquired for servers running instances of Windows Server Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, and Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems. The EC licenses are not applicable to Windows Web Server 2008.
Downgrade rights are available for the EC, Terminal Services EC, and RMS EC licenses.
Note that the acquisition of an EC license does not negate the requirement to acquire a Windows Server license.
Windows Server 2008 Standard
A customer licensed with Windows Server Standard now may run one instance of the server software in the physical operating system environment (POSE) and one instance of the server software in a virtual operating system environment (VOSE). This is a new enhancement to the virtualization rights of Windows Server Standard. Diagram A below illustrates this new license enhancement. The orange arrow indicates that when running both instances, the instance of the server software running in the POSE may only be used to manage and service the operating system environments on the server.
Note, when customers are running virtualized instances of the server software, they must be using some form of virtualization or “hypervisor” technology, such as Microsoft Virtual Server software, Microsoft’s new Hyper-
V Technology, or other third-party virtualization software.
Diagram A: Running Instances of Windows Server Standard

Diagram B below indicates that with Windows Server Standard, you may move a virtual instance of the server software to another server that is properly licensed to support such added instance. For Volume License customers, the actual license may also be reassigned to another server every 90 days.
Diagram B: Moving virtual instances of Windows Server Standard

Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V
Although we consider the new Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor technology a key feature of the Windows Server 2008 core operating system, we want to still provide customers the choice of deploying Windows Server 2008 without this technology. We enable this by offering Windows Server Standard without Hyper-V at a slightly reduced price from Windows Server Standard. The licensing terms are exactly the same as Windows Server 2008 Standard, including the virtualization use rights (and rules on running and moving instances of the server software as outlined above for Windows Server Standard). With Windows Server Standard without Hyper-V, a customer will need to separately license the hypervisor technology, whether it is Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server R2, or a third-party hypervisor technology.
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
Diagram A below indicates that with Windows Server Enterprise, you may run one instance of the server software in the POSE and up to four instances of the server software in VOSEs. The orange arrow indicates that when running all five instances, the instance of the server software running in the POSE may only be used to manage and service the operating system environments on the server.
Note, when customers are running virtualized instances of the server software, they must be using some form of virtualization or “hypervisor” technology, such as Microsoft Virtual Server software, Microsoft’s new Hyper-V technology, or a third-party virtualization software.
Diagram A: Running Instances of Windows Server Enterprise


Diagram B below indicates that with Windows Server Enterprise, you may move a virtual instance of the server software to another server that is properly licensed to support such added instance. Note that Server A is
under-licensed because it is running one instance more than what is granted by the Enterprise license. For Volume License customers, the actual license may also be re-assigned to another server every 90 days.
Diagram B: Moving virtual instances of Windows Server Enterprise

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V
Although we consider the new Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor technology a key feature of the Windows Server core operating system, we want to still provide customers the choice of deploying Windows Server without this technology. We enable this by offering Windows Server Enterprise without Hyper-V at a slightly reduced price from Windows Server Enterprise. The licensing terms are exactly the same as Windows Server Enterprise, including the virtualization use rights (and rules on running and moving instances of the server software as outlined
above for Windows Server Enterprise). With Windows Server Enterprise without Hyper-V, a customer will need to separately license the hypervisor technology, whether it is Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server R2, or a third-party hypervisor technology.
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems
Unlike Windows Server Standard and Enterprise that are licensed by a server plus CAL model, Windows Server Datacenter and Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems are licensed per physical processor (number of processors in the server) plus CAL model.
Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems now is a separate Windows Server product and not merely an Itanium platform selection (as in the previous Windows Server 2003 version). It is intended for customers using the Itanium platform and designed for specific workloads. It is designed to be the leading alternative platform for RISCbased UNIX servers, and is intended for scale-up database workloads, custom applications, and line-of-business applications. This workload focus is consistent with the majority of current deployments of Windows Server on Itanium. Please note that Windows Server 2008 for Itanium- Based Systems does not interoperate with Microsoft Virtual Server, nor does it include or support Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor technology. To virtualize software on Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems, customers may use third-party non-Microsoft hypervisor technology.
With Windows Server Datacenter and Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems, you may run one instance of the server software in the POSE and any number of instances of the server software in VOSEs.
Unlike in Windows Server Standard and Enterprise, there is no restriction that the instance of the server software running in the POSE may only be used to manage and service the operating system environments on the server. However, each processor on the partition on which the instances of the server software are running must be licensed.
Diagram A indicates that with Windows Server Datacenter and Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems, you may move as many virtual instances of Windows Server software to a server running Windows Server Datacenter or Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems and not have to be concerned about the number of
running virtual instances. For Volume License customers, the actual license may also be reassigned to another server every 90 days.
Note, when customers are running virtualized instances of the server software, they must be using some form of virtualization or “hypervisor” technology, such as Microsoft Virtual Server software, Microsoft’s new Hyper-V Technology, or a third-party virtualization software.
Diagram A: Moving virtual instances of Windows Server to a server running Windows Server Datacenter.

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V
Although we consider the new Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor technology a key feature of the Windows Server core operating system, we want to still provide customers the choice of deploying Windows Server 2008 without this technology. We enable this by offering Windows Server Datacenter without Hyper-V at a slightly reduced price from Windows Server Datacenter. The licensing terms are exactly the same as Windows Server Datacenter, including the virtualization use rights (and rules on running and moving instances of the server software as
outlined above for Windows Server Datacenter). With Windows Server Datacenter without Hyper-V, a customer will need to separately license the hypervisor technology, whether it is Microsoft Hyper-V,
Microsoft Virtual Server R2, or a third-party hypervisor technology.
Note – Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems and Windows Web Server 2008 are not configured to include
the Microsoft Hyper-V technology, so these do not have corresponding without Hyper-V products.
Windows Web Server 2008
Windows Web Server 2008 is specifically designed to be used as a single-purpose Web server. It is intended only for Internet accessible, frontend Web serving of Web pages, Web sites, and Web applications. Unlike the other core Windows Server 2008 products described above, Windows Web Server 2008 is licensed by a server license only; and no CALs are required. Exceptions to this no-CAL rule may occur when Windows Web Server 2008 is used as a scale-out front end for applications. Using Windows Web Server 2008 in these types of configurations offer customers an economical way to deploy scale-out applications. In such configurations, Windows Server CALs may still be required on the back end of a scale-out application.
Windows Web Server 2008 licensing is enhanced to allow any type of database software on the server software with no limit on the number of users. Licensing terms for Web Server also further clarify that the server software may only be used for front-end Web serving Internet accessible Web pages, Web sites, Web applications, Web services,
and POP3 mail serving.
With Windows Web Server 2008, you may run one instance of the server software in either the POSE or in a VOSE.
Upgrade/Downgrade Options
Windows Server Upgrade Options
Previous versions of Windows Server can be upgraded to Windows Server 2008, as shown below. Volume Licensing customers who have SA on Windows Server Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter editions can opt for either Windows Server with or without Hyper-V. Once they decide, they will not be able to switch. Upon renewal of their SA, they will acquire the appropriate SA renewal SKU.

Windows Server Downgrade Options

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