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Rights: Buy SQL 2005 and use SQL 2000 InsteadMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 Licensing Options
Explained
When an IT
Professional or software developer is faced with the task of purchasing
Microsoft SQL Server 2000, the task can seem overwhelming. It is true that
there are many rules when it comes to licensing SQL (pronounced “sequel”)
Server. There are also many exceptions to these rules. This article was written to help you answer
three questions:
1- Which version of SQL
Server will meet your needs?
2- Which licensing option should I go with?
3- How can I take advantage of the “exceptions to the rule” in SQL
licensing?
Choosing
a Version
There are
three versions of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 that one might purchase: Standard,
Developer, and Enterprise.
Here is the lowdown on each:
SQL
Server 2000 Developer Edition:
BUY THE DEVELOPER EDITION IF YOU ARE ONLY GOING TO BE USING SQL SERVER IN A
DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT. As the name implies, this version is specifically designed and licensed for developers.
Those who are currently working with SQL within their application will choose
this version for many reasons. One reason that SQL Developer Edition may meet
your needs is that it comes with many tools that allow you to “tweak” or
integrate the database into your application. The developer edition also
includes most of the features that the standard and enterprise editions include,
allowing for versatility in a development environment. There are, however,
drawbacks to the edition of the software. It is only intended for use in a
development environment. Once you are done creating your product, and are
ready to use it in a production environment, you must purchase licensing for either the
Standard or Enterprise edition.
SQL Server 2000
Standard
Edition: BUY SQL STANDARD FOR USE ON A SINGLE SERVER IN A PRODUCTION
ENVIRONMENT. SQL 2000 Standard Edition gives you the robust database that
many have come to expect, without providing some of the features necessary for
large scale enterprises. If you will be utilizing SQL on a single server
in a production environment, the Standard Edition will probably do the trick.
SQL Server 2000 Standard supports 4 processors on most Windows servers, and up
to 2 Gigabytes of RAM.
SQL
Server 2000 Enterprise Edition: BUY SQL SERVER ENTERPRISE WHEN CLUSTERING
AND LOAD BALANCING AMONG MULTIPLE SERVERS IS REQUIRED. The Enterprise
Edition of SQL is required for clustering and load balancing. To utilize
these features, you must use a Windows Server Operating System that supports the
same features (Windows 2000 Advanced Server). The Enterprise Edition also
supports as many processors as the operating system it is installed on will (Up
to 32!). The same goes for the amount of RAM. If you want the most
scalable and robust version of SQL, the Enterprise Edition should meet your
needs.
Licensing Options
SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition: The
licensing for this edition seems to be the least complex. It is only for
use in a testing or development environment. Also, it is licensed on a per
developer basis. Simply buy one license for each developer.
Once you are done developing the product and plan to move it to a production
environment, full SQL Standard or Enterprise Licensing must be purchased.
If you plan to embed SQL Server 2000 within your solution, and then resell it,
you are required to enroll in the
Microsoft PIP Program (Product Integration
Program). Once you are enrolled, Wasatch Software will be able to sell you
embedded licensing for SQL Server that tend to be less expensive than standard SQL
licenses.
If the database you are distributing won’t be handling much traffic, you may consider embedding some
features of Microsoft Access 2002 into your product instead. This will be
much cheaper than SQL Server, but less scalable and robust. By owning an
Office XP Developer Edition license, you can embed MSDE (Microsoft Data Engine,
a component of Access) into your product in a run-time fashion, royalty free
from Microsoft.
SQL Server
2000 Standard and Enterprise Editions:
There are only two options when licensing either the Standard or Enterprise
Editions of SQL Server:
Server/CAL:
The Server/CAL method of licensing Microsoft
SQL Server 2000 starts with licensing each server. You must buy one license
for each server that has SQL or its components installed. This applies to
both the Standard and Enterprise Editions. In addition, you must also buy
a CAL (Client Access License) for each device or user, that connects to the
server. The Client Access Licenses cannot be used in a concurrent fashion,
meaning you have to have one CAL for each device or user that connects, and that device
or user holds onto that CAL, even when it is not accessing the server. For the most part,
this means that the Server/CAL option is meant for smaller networks, and cannot be
used for web servers. If you are running a web server, you will most
likely need to use the Per-Processor licensing method. A basic rule in
determining whether to choose user or device CALs is to go with the one you have
less of. If you have less users than devices, go with user CALs, and vice
versa.
Per-Processor: Licensing SQL in the
per-processor model does not require server licenses or CALs. In this
method you simply purchase a processor license for each processor on machines
that have SQL Server installed. Once this has been done, you can have
unlimited clients and connections to the server, making this the best method for
large networks and world wide web servers.
Exceptions to the Rules
Active/Passive: The exception to the
per-processor licensing requirement is if you are running a network with a
primary active server, with a secondary backup server. If this is the
case, you can choose to license only the primary server. The backup server
must be used for failover purposes only. The secondary node can only
become active if the primary node goes down.
Multiplexing and Middleware: It does
not matter how many other servers or networks a client goes through to connect
to an SQL Server. If it uses the server services in any way, a device must
be covered by a Client Access License unless your servers are licensed
per-processor.
Hyper-Threading: Hyper-Threading
Technology was introduced by Intel, and is utilized in some of their processors.
This technology allows a single processor to execute multiple threads of
information simultaneously. The use of Hyper-Threading Technology does not
increase the number of SQL Processor licenses required. The ratio remains
one license to each physical processor.
Multiple Instances: If you purchase
SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition, you are granted the right to run multiple
instances on the same machine without purchasing additional licensing.
This is not the case for the Standard Edition.
Hopefully this clears up some of the licensing
issues you may face with SQL Server. If it doesn't, one of our associates
would be glad to help you sort things out. Contact
us today if this need arises.
Technical Articles
Home
Buy SQL
Server
Resources:
 SQL 2000 Licensing Overview from
Microsoft:
http://microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/production.asp
SQL 2000 Features by Edition from
Microsoft:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/architec/8_ar_ts_1cdv.asp
SQL 2000 Maximum Capacity
Specifications from Microsoft:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/architec/8_ar_ts_8dbn.asp
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