Proper way to license Windows Server 2019 Virtual Machine

Question

Hello forum,

We are planning to deploy from a local datacenter a Virtual Machine with 8 vCores and 32GB ram.

What is the proper way to licensing this with Windows Server 2019?

Our provider does not supply any license keys.

Looking forward to your guidance

Thanks

Answer 1

You license the hyper-v host. Some general info below

• Each host needs to be licensed.
• A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor and a minimum of 16 core licenses is required for each server.
• Core licenses are sold in packs of two.
• Standard Edition provides rights for up to 2 Operating System Environments or Windows Servers containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores in the server are licensed. For each additional 1 or 2 VMs, all the physical cores in the server must be licensed again.
• DataCenter Edition provides rights for unlimited Operating System Environments or Windows Servers containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores in the server are licensed.
• AVMA keys can be used only when the host is DataCenter edition

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started-19/vm-activation-19

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Licensing/learn-more/volume-licensing-briefs?activetab=volume-licensing-briefs-tab:primaryr2

https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/C/E/7CED6910-C7B2-4196-8C55-208EE0B427E2/Windows_Server_2019_licensing_datasheet_EN_US.pdf

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Answer 2

Are you installing on a physical box or a virtual machine? If you don't know the hardware details maybe you can ask the hardware vendor what they supplied.

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Answer 3

Its a virtual machine. (VPS)

Answer 4

You may want to ask the service provider to supply the licensing or consider standing up on Azure.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/updated-licensing-rights-for-dedicated-cloud

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Answer 5

OK - finally got this sorted out - I able flabbergasted how little documentation was on Microsoft's website and other support sites. I swear it seems like I am the very first person to ever attempt this!

My VM was a new VM built with the Windows 2019 Standard Server ISO - evaluation edition. I had to first apply the host machines 25 digit code to the VM.

DISM /Online /Set-Edition:ServerStandard /ProductKey:xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxxF /AcceptEula

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.17763.1697

Image Version: 10.0.17763.2268

Starting to update components...
Starting to install product key...
Finished installing product key.

Removing package Microsoft-Windows-ServerStandardEvalEdition~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~~10.0.17763.1
[==========================100.0%==========================]
Finished updating components.

Starting to apply edition-specific settings...
Finished applying edition-specific settings.

The operation completed successfully.
Restart Windows to complete this operation.
Do you want to restart the computer now? (Y/N)

reboot

then run from CMD: SLUI 4

this launches the licensing for "off-line" activations. follow the steps and then should be good to go.

but pray you dont have to get Microsoft support on the phone - 100% worthless.