License metrics for Microsoft products

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of License metrics for Microsoft products

    This document details the licensing metrics applicable to various Microsoft products, as recognized by Microsoft and utilized within ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM). It serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the licensing models, editions, and metric mappings essential for accurate software asset tracking and compliance management in ServiceNow.

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    License Metrics for Microsoft Products

    Microsoft products use a variety of licensing models, including Per Core, Server/Instance, User/Device Client Access Licenses (CALs), and User Subscription models. ServiceNow SAM aligns these Microsoft licensing models to specific license metrics to enable effective asset management.

    • Windows Server: Primarily licensed Per Core with CALs; legacy versions may have per-processor or per-instance licensing with CALs. Key virtualization rules apply depending on edition and version.
    • Microsoft System Center: Server licenses use Per Core licensing; clients use User/Device Client Management Licenses.
    • Microsoft Exchange, Project Server, SharePoint Server: Use Server (Per Instance) licensing combined with User/Device CALs.
    • Microsoft SQL Server: Supports Per Core and Server/CAL licensing models; legacy versions have specific rules. ServiceNow recommends Server (Per Server) license metric for Server/CAL licensing in SAM.
    • Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Enterprise: Licensed via User Subscription metrics.
    • Microsoft Office Professional/Standard and Windows 10 Enterprise/Professional: Licensed Per Device.
    • Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Dynamics 365 Operations (On Premise): Use Server/CAL models; Dynamics CRM requires only CALs with no server license, while Dynamics 365 Operations requires both Server (Per Instance) licenses and CALs.
    • Core Infrastructure Suite: Uses Per Core licensing with CALs similar to Windows Server.

    Legacy Version Licensing

    Legacy versions of Windows Server and SQL Server have specific licensing rules that differ from current editions:

    • Windows Server 2003-2019 legacy versions apply per-processor or per-core licensing with CALs and include virtualization rights varying by edition.
    • SQL Server legacy versions (2005-2014) have detailed licensing involving Server/CAL, Per Processor, and Per Core models with specific virtualization and instance rules.

    Licensing Rules and Practical Considerations

    • Windows Server Standard licenses typically allow a fixed number of virtual machines per license; Datacenter editions allow unlimited virtualization when fully licensed.
    • SQL Server Per Core licensing requires counting physical cores (with minimum core counts and core factors applied) or virtual cores for VMs.
    • Server/CAL licensing requires purchasing server licenses per instance or per server and additional User/Device CALs for client access.
    • ServiceNow SAM recommends following Microsoft’s licensing models closely and mapping them to the appropriate license metric for accurate compliance and optimization.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By applying these licensing metrics and rules within ServiceNow Software Asset Management, customers can:

    • Maintain compliance with Microsoft licensing requirements across product versions and editions.
    • Optimize license usage by understanding virtualization rights and licensing minimums.
    • Accurately track and manage licenses using ServiceNow’s alignment to Microsoft’s licensing models.
    • Prepare for audits and reduce risks related to improper licensing.

    A detailed description of the license metrics that can be utilized with Microsoft products.

    Microsoft products and Software Asset Management license metrics

    Product Edition Licensing model provided by Microsoft Software Asset Management license metrics to be used on ServiceNow Software Asset Management
    Windows Server
    Note:
    For legacy versions of Windows Server, refer to the Windows Server legacy versions table.
    		 Data Center/Standard
    • Per Core
    • CAL licensing
    • Per Core (with CAL)
    • User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    Microsoft System Center Data Center/Standard
    • Server - use core based licensing (Server Management Licenses)
    • Client - Use Client Management Licenses
    • Server MLs- Per Core (with CAL)
    • Client MLs- User/Device
    Microsoft Exchange Server Standard/Enterprise
    • Server licenses
    • CAL licenses
    • Server (Per Instance) for Server licensing
    • User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    Microsoft Project Server Standard/Enterprise
    • Server licenses
    • CAL licenses
    • Server (Per Instance) for Server licensing
    • User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    Microsoft SharePoint Server Standard/Enterprise
    • Server licenses
    • CAL licenses
    • Server (Per Instance) for Server licensing
    • User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    Microsoft SQL Server
    Note:
    For legacy versions of SQL Server, refer to the SQL Server legacy versions table.
    		 Standard/Enterprise
    • Per Core
    • Server/CAL
    • For Core licensing: Per Core
    • For Server/CAL:
      • Server (Per Instance) for Server licensing
        • Use Server (Per Instance) for server licensing for Standard, Web, Business Intelligence Editions
        • Use Server (Per Server) for Enterprise Edition legacy versions 1
        Note:
        SQL Server Enterprise is licensed usually using the Per Core licensing model only. However if you have software assurance, you might follow Legacy Server/CAL licensing models. ServiceNow recommends using the Server (Per Server) license metric on ServiceNow Software Asset Management.
      • User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise E3/E5/E1 User Subscription User Subscription
    Microsoft Office Professional/Standard Per Device Per Device
    Windows 10 Enterprise Professional Per Device Per Device
    Microsoft Dynamics CRM 365 Server (On Premise) Server/CAL Only requires User/Device CALs to be created. No Server license required.
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Operations Server (On Premise) ERP Server/CAL
    • Requires User/Device CALs to be created.
    • Server (Per Instance) for Server licenses
    Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3/E5/F3 User Subscription User Subscription
    Core Infrastructure Suite Data Center/Standard Per Core Per Core (with CAL)

    Windows Server legacy versions

    Version Edition Licensing model provided by Microsoft Software Asset Management license metrics to be used on ServiceNow Software Asset Management Licensing rules
    2003-2008 R2 Standard Server Server (Per Instance) + add User/Device CALs

    Min: NA

    Virtualization: 1 VM per license.

    A single Standard Edition license server permits you to run one instance of the software in a physical or virtual OSE on the server. You need to assign a Standard Edition license for each running instance.
    Datacenter Processor Per Processor + add User/Device CALs

    Minimum: 2 processor

    Virtualization: Unlimited

    When DataCenter Edition is licensed for every physical processor in a server, the server may run both in the physical OSE and in an unlimited number of Windows Server instances in virtual OSEs.
    2012-2012R2 Standard Processor Per Processor + add User/Device CALs

    Minimum: 2 processors.

    Virtualization: 2 VMs for each fully licensed server.
    Datacenter Processor Per Processor + add User/Device CALs

    Minimum: 2 processors.

    Virtualization: Unlimited.
    2016-2019 Standard Per Core/CAL Per Core (with CAL) + add User/Device CALs

    Minimum: 16 cores per server or 8 Per Processor.

    Virtualization: 2 VMs for each fully licensed server.
    Datacenter Per Core/CAL Per Core (with CAL) + add User/Device CALs

    Minimum: 16 cores per server or 8 Per Processor.

    Virtualization: Unlimited.

    SQL Server legacy versions

    Version Edition Licensing model provided by Microsoft Software Asset Management license metrics to be used on ServiceNow Software Asset Management Licensing rules
    2005 Standard
    • Server/CAL
    • Processor
    • For Server/CAL use: Server(Per Instance) for Server licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing.
    • Per Processor

    A server licensing rule (for Workgroup, Standard, or Enterprise editions) is required for every operating system environment on which that edition pf SQL Server software or any of its components, such as Analysis Services, is running.

    A Processor license is required for each processor installed on each operating system environment running SQL Server or any of its components, such as Analysis Services.
    Enterprise
    • Server/CAL
    • Processor
    • For Server/CAL use: Server(Per Instance) for Server licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing.
    • Per Processor
    		 Only for Enterprise edition: If all processors in a machine are licensed, you may run unlimited instances of SQL Server 2002 on an unlimited number of virtual operating environments on the same machine.
    2008-2008 R2 Standard
    • Server/CAL
    • Processor
    • For Server/CAL use: Server(Per Instance) for Server licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing.
    • Per Processor
    • Server/CAL: Each server license for these editions permits you to run unlimited instances of the software in one OSE or virtual machine (VM). To run the software in additional OSEs or VMs, you require additional server licenses.
    • Processor license: Number of OSEs on which you can run SQL Server. Only Physical OSEs.
    Enterprise
    • Server/CAL
    • Processor
    • Use Server (per Server) for Server Licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing.
    • Per Processor
    • Server/CAL: Each server license for the Enterprise edition permits you to run unlimited instances of the software in up to four OSEs or VMs.
    • Processor license: Number of OSEs on which you can run SQL Server. Up to four OSEs per license.
    Datacenter Processor Per Processor Processor license: Number of OSEs on which you can run the SQL Server: Unlimited. The Datacenter edition requires that all the physical processors on the server are licensed and at least two processor licenses are assigned to the server.
    2012-2014 Standard
    • Server/CAL
    • Per Core
    • For Server/CAL: Use Server (Per Instance) for server licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    • Per Core
    Core based licensing:
    1. Count the total number of physical cores in the server. Multiple the number of cores by the appropriate core factor to determine the total number of licenses required for the server.
      Note:
      The core factor used depends on the processor type deployed and a minimum of four core licenses is required for each physical processor on a physical server.
    2. To license individual VMs using the Per Core model, you must purchase a core license for each v-core (or virtual processor, virtual CPU, virtual thread) allocated to the VM, subject to a four core license minimum per VM.

      For licensing purposes, a v-core maps to a hardware thread. When licensing individual VMs, core factors do not apply.
    Enterprise Per Core1 Per Core Same as above.
    2016-2019 Standard
    • Server/CAL
    • Per Core
    • For Server/CAL: Server (Per Instance) for server licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing
    • For Core licensing: Per Core
    • Server/CAL: Each server running SQL Server software requires a server license.
    • Per Core: A minimum of four core licenses are required for each physical processor on the server.
    Enterprise Per Core1 Per Core Same as above.
    Note:
    If you are already using SQL Server Enterprise edition with (Server/CAL) server licenses with software assurance, continue to use the Server+CAL licensing model. Use license metric as Server (per Server) for Server Licensing and User/Device CAL for CAL licensing. The new purchases for SQL Server Enterprise will be based only on the Per Core licensing model.