Failover clustered licensing - Using 30-day grace period to fix a specific instance or only just for server failure

Question

Hi

For this question the architecture is:
I have a windows cluster working with 2 windows servers (2 server in a 1 cluster), running 2 SQL SERVER enterprise instances, and only server #1 is active (both instances should work on server #1).

I know that “In the event of a failover, a 30-day grace period is allowed to restore and run SQL Server.”

So I am sure that if the physical server #1 or the OS in server #1 will fail I got 30 days to fix it.

My question is what will happen if only 1 instance will fail, let’s say, instance #2 will failed to start on Server #1 (bin files problem, registry keys, port configuration, LUNs zoneing, ,etc), and will failover to server #2.     In that case I will have Instance #1 on server#1 and instance #2 on server #2.

Is that mean that I need to pay immediatly for Server #2 license, or I can use the 30-day grace period to fix instance #2 on server #1 in that time, and then failover back instance #2 to server #1?

Thanks,

Guy H

Answer 1

Hello,

Since the question is a license issue, you can call 1-800-426-9400, Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Pacific Time) to speak directly to a Microsoft licensing specialist. You can also visit the following site for more information and support on licensing issues:

http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/mla/default.aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Alberto Morillo
SQLCoffee.com

Answer 2

Microsoft SQL Server license has lots of flavors in terms of user based \ CAL or processor based license, license based on versions or license based on environment (physical or virtual).

Although, Microsoft release license guidelines for each & every SQL server version. But there are more complex scenarios for licensing then we think.

Best person to answer your all queries over licensing is MICROSOFT itself.

You can call Microsoft Licensing at 1-800-426-9400, Monday to Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Pacific Time) to speak directly to a Microsoft licensing specialist.

                

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Regards,
Rohit Garg
(My Blog)
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