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Re: Windows instance licensing in OpenStack

 

See http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/existing-customers/product-activation-faq.aspx

 

Looks like KMS would be the appropriate means; your MSFT reseller would sell you a KMS license key to use for the appropriate pool of server / app instances, then it is loaded into the KMS server, which then activates the instantiated systems. I checked with MSFT Licensing, the rep said there is no limit on number of uses of a KMS license key, just an aggregate activation threshold. See further http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dd197314.aspx for more details.

 

We don’t use KMS here, so don’t know about the hairy details, sorry...

 

Best,

Will


 


From: Peter Pouliot
Sent: ‎January‎ ‎23‎, ‎2013 ‎12‎:‎04‎ ‎PM
To: Jay Pipes, openstack@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Openstack] Windows instance licensing in OpenStack



Ok,

I am no MS licensing expert, however.   Here is my understanding of it.

If you are using a windows vm on a hypervisor other than windows server with the Hyper-V role enabled you need to license per vm.  



If you are using windows server with Hyper-V enable you can license at the hypervisor/server rather than at the vm level.

This does not include Hyper-V server, which only requires licensing of the windows guests.

p



Peter J. Pouliot, CISSP
Senior SDET, OpenStack

Microsoft 
New England Research & Development Center
One Memorial Drive,Cambridge, MA 02142
PPOULIOT@xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Tel: +1(857) 453 6436

-----Original Message-----
From: openstack-bounces+ppouliot=microsoft.com@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:openstack-bounces+ppouliot=microsoft.com@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jay Pipes
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 9:31 AM
To: openstack@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Openstack] Windows instance licensing in OpenStack

On 01/23/2013 08:41 AM, Balamurugan V G wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I wonder how the Windows Licensing would work in OpenStack. Lets say I
> have a Windows Image which I have already activated. Now if I launch N
> instances of this image, what are the SO licensing implications? Will I
> have to license/re-activate on each of the instances after they boot up?

If you use XenServer or KVM, I believe so, yes. I've heard that if you
use ESXi you can get some sort of license for all Windows images on a
host. Not sure of the details of this, though, I've just heard it
through the IT grapevine...

Best,
-jay

p.s. If you find out any more solid info, please do post back :)

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