SQL Licensing - All You Need To Know

Each week I get numerous questions in relation to SQL licensing so I thought that this would be an ideal opportunity cover off the main areas of SQL licensing.

There are a number of ways to License SQL Server but the most common are Per Processor or Server and User/Device CALs.

If you decide to license SQL in a per processor mode then you would purchase a processor license for every physical CPU on the server. The processor license will allow an unlimited number of users access the server.

You may choose to license your database using the Server plus CALs models and for this you would need to purchase a server license for each server and a user/device CAL for every user/device you have accessing the server software.Regardless of whether the access to the SQL Server is direct or indirect, if licensing with the CAL model,you will still need a CAL for every user/device who access the data on the server. This is referred to as multiplexing.

Further details on SQL Licensing can be found here.

Please feel free to post any comment or queries you may have.

Speak to you soon.

Ciara Murphy

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