SQL Licensing in the Cloud

How do I license SQL in the cloud? This question appears in every first cloud project. There are two options for SQL licensing in virtual environments. We help you find your way through the labyrinth!

Which version do I need?

First of all, the question of the version must be clarified, here are some:

Express Edition The Express Version is available to get to know and as a free introductory database. Limited to a maximum of 1 GB RAM and a database size of 10 GB (depending on the version even smaller), this version is free of charge.

Web edition A cheap version and often used incorrectly. The SQL Web Edition may only be used for deploying applications such as Web (only for hosting) For running business applications like ERP or CRM, the Web Edition must not be used.

standard edition This release delivers comprehensive programming capabilities, innovative security features, basic management and business intelligence capabilities for workloads with minimal IT resources.

enterprise edition If it becomes more demanding, then the Enterprise version is used. This offers comprehensive and business-critical performance for demanding database and BI requirements.

We now know which versions are available, but how can I license them now? There are two ways to choose between them.

The licensing per user

Licensing per user can only be done for SQL Server, which are used for internal purposes only. The SAL (Subscriber Access License) is intended for the use of internal applications, for example.

Licensing per core

The core-based license model is therefore worthwhile from a certain number of users or if, for example, applications are made available for external users. However, at least 4 cores must be licensed.

Let us summarize

For internal purposes and rather few users, the licensing per user is suitable. If you have more than 20 users or as already mentioned applications used by customers, then you should take a closer look at core licensing. By the way, in our Virtual Datacenter calculation overview, IT resellers can quickly see which licenses are the most favorable for internal purposes.

Questions about SQL licensing?

We will be happy to advise you on finding the right form of licensing for your company or project. Contact us here and we will guide you through the labyrinth.