Windows Server 2019 licensing for P2V migration

Question

Hi,

I need some help with Windows Server licensing for a physical-to-virtual move

• I have an Dell T340 (8-core Xeon E-2288, 128GB RAM) running Windows Server 2019 (Standard, Retail license) on bare metal.
• I would like to transfer the system to a VM running on XCP-NG (on the exact SAME HARDWARE, but virtualized)
• I plan to use Disk2VHD to do the transfer
• I would also like to have another VM on the same system for a primary Domain Controller, also running Windows Server 2019
• I might also have a second server (also 8 cores) for disaster recovery and backups, which will also run XCP-NG and a second DC (with a separate windows license). This system will never run more than 2 instances of Windows Server.

My questions are:

• What is the best way of transferring the license to the new VM? The VM will be on the same hardware, but running on top of XCP-NG
• Can I have the second Windows Server VM (the DC) on the same hardware with the same license?
• For the second system, do I need anything other than a second Windows Server 2019 Standard license? The system will always be running a secondary DC, and would only run the main VM from the other system in case of failure of the primary server. It would only be running 2 VMs at once at most.

Please help me figure this out. The answer seems pretty simple when running Hyper-V, but I couldn't figure it out with another hypervisor.

Thank you very much!

Answer 1

Hello FK-MIA,

thank you for posting on the Microsoft Community Forums.

To transfer the Windows Server 2019 license to the new VM, you will need to deactivate the license on the physical server before activating it on the virtual machine. You can do this by using the slmgr.vbs script in an elevated command prompt on the physical server. Once the license is deactivated, you can activate it on the virtual machine using the same script.

Regarding the second Windows Server VM, you will need a separate license for it. Each instance of Windows Server requires its own license, even if it is running on the same hardware as another instance.

For the second system, you will need a second Windows Server 2019 Standard license to run the secondary DC and the main VM in case of failure. As long as you are only running two instances of Windows Server at a time, you should be compliant with licensing requirements.

Kind regards,

Lei

Answer 2

Lei,

Thank you for your response. So on the second server you only need 1 license for 2 VMs? How does that work?

I understood that each license for Windows Server 2019 allows for 2 OSEs (VMs) on the same hardware. Is that only on Hyper-V or can I use other hypervisors too?

Thanks!

Answer 3

Hello,

yes, on the second server you only need 1 license for 2 VMs. Each Windows Server 2019 license allows you to run two VMs on the same hardware, regardless of the hypervisors used.

Answer 4

Lei,

Thank you for the clarification, but I am still a bit confused. I do not understand the difference between the two servers. Why does the original server need a separate license for each instance (the original + the DC), but the second server only needs 1 license for 2 VMs (the secondary DC + the original when the first server fails)

Thanks!