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Windows Server licencing

Licence models

For Academic licences, you have a choice between Select Plus and Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES). Select Plus is suitable when you want licences for particular machines in small quantities. It is only available from Education Large Account Resellers. EES is a cost-effective site-wide licence model and is available from Precedence. For more information on EES, please read this page.

Virtualisation

Copied from Microsoft licencing FAQ

Q. If I have one license for Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and want to run it in a virtual operating system environment, can I continue running it in the physical operating system environment?

A. Yes, with Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, you may run one instance in the physical operating system environment and one instance in the virtual operating system environment; however, the instance running in the physical operating system environment may be used only to run hardware virtualization software, provide hardware virtualization services, or to run software to manage and service operating system environments on the licensed server.

Q. Can I run Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard in place of Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise in the physical operating system environment?

A. Yes. The use terms specify that the right to run Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard in place of Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise is allowed within any operating system environment.

Q. Can I run Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, or Windows Server 2008 as one of the four virtual instances granted in Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise?

A. Yes. You may run earlier versions of the Windows Server operating system, but not later versions, by exercising your downgrade rights in the software license terms. You will need to use your existing media to run Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, or Windows Server 2008.

Q. Have the virtualization licensing rights for Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise changed?

A. No, virtualization licensing rights remain the same as Windows Server 2008. You will still be licensed to run, at any one time, one instance of the server software in a physical operating system environment and up to four instances of the server software in virtual operating system environments.

Q. If I am licensed for Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, I am allowed to run four simultaneous instances in virtual operating system environments (on the licensed server). However, I am running workloads in only two of those four instances on the licensed server. Under what circumstances can I run the remaining two instances on another server?

A. The rights to run the four instances are assigned to the licensed server, and all the instances can run only on the licensed server. You may not move your rights to run an additional two instances to another server. However, if you have another server that is licensed for Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise or Datacenter, you may move the two workloads to that server and run them on that server provided that by running the additional instances you do not exceed the licensed capacity of the new server (one with Windows Server Standard, four with Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, and unlimited with Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter).

Q. Say I have a Windows Server 2008 Enterprise license assigned to my server. What if I want to add a fifth instance of the server software in a virtual operating system environment?

A. With a license for Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, you may run up to four instances of the software in virtual operating system environments. If you want to run a fifth instance in a virtual operating system environment, you must acquire and assign an additional license to that server. It may be more economical to license the server with Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter or “step up” your Enterprise license to Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter.

Q. Will I still be able to run an unlimited number of virtual instances with Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter edition?

A. Yes, Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter will continue to allow for running an unlimited number of virtual instances of the server software in virtual operating system environments.

Q. Do the virtualization licensing rights of Windows Server 2008 apply when used with non-Microsoft software virtualization technologies?

A. Yes. The use rights apply regardless of the virtualization product being used. However, any non-Microsoft software virtualization technologies are not supported by Microsoft.