Microsoft Licensing Primer
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
@brianlittlejohn said:
@Dashrender said:
That 12 VMs isn't just 12 on a single host for normal operations - if the plan is to move VMs around for failover, you're down to a max of 6 on each server before buying DC makes sense.
Yea, we were talking about the most that can run on a machine including all DR/Maintenance issues.
In that case, you're limited to 6 VMs per host otherwise you're better off buying DC for each server.
Only if you want them to float individually. If you only move them at the time of a system failure, the licenses would migrate to the new host with you.
The point is that moving the license at time of failure means you are restricted to every 90 days. This discussion is around where the cut over is to be basically as flexible as datacenter, yet not purchasing datacenter.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
@brianlittlejohn said:
@Dashrender said:
That 12 VMs isn't just 12 on a single host for normal operations - if the plan is to move VMs around for failover, you're down to a max of 6 on each server before buying DC makes sense.
Yea, we were talking about the most that can run on a machine including all DR/Maintenance issues.
In that case, you're limited to 6 VMs per host otherwise you're better off buying DC for each server.
Only if you want them to float individually. If you only move them at the time of a system failure, the licenses would migrate to the new host with you.
Also, in addition to JB's post, You can't move them back after the failure is resolved for 90 days, legally. If you can afford to live without the second server for those 90 days, then why have the second server in first place, just build a better single server.
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On the server side, this would also be a good use for SA in smaller environments as you are allowed to have a cold boot server for DR purposes, right?
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How would you have a cold server? The VM host itself? You don't need SA for a turned off Hyper-V host... and the VMs are useless in a cold state, they would not be up to date, so they are pointless.
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@BRRABill said:
On the server side, this would also be a good use for SA in smaller environments as you are allowed to have a cold boot server for DR purposes, right?
Normal backups are considered cold. You never need a license for a cold system. That's just a copy on disk.
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Looks like this got covered. Licensing is only needed for warm and hot spares, not cold ones.
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What about in my Datto example?
Every hour there are incremental backups made, and appended to the image. Once a day it boots it to be sure it is bootable, then kills the VM. Or, in the case of DR, I can boot the VM, and have it up and running on the network within minutes.
Wouldn't that be considered a cold boot DR server?
From the MS definition:
Backup for Disaster Recovery provides additional licenses for servers used as offline (“cold”) backups, to help you recover in case of a catastrophic event. Cold backups help users regain access to critical data and applications following disasters and help protect the mission-critical solutions of your organization. For each server license you have with Software Assurance, you have the right to install the same software product on a “cold” backup server for disaster recovery. -
@BRRABill said:
Every hour there are incremental backups made, and appended to the image. Once a day it boots it to be sure it is bootable, then kills the VM. Or, in the case of DR, I can boot the VM, and have it up and running on the network within minutes.
Clearly not cold. Cold means not running. If you run it, it is not cold during the time that you are running it. It's cold while not running it, of course, but the licensing issues hit you when you run it.
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@BRRABill said:
Wouldn't that be considered a cold boot DR server?
As long as you keep it cold and don't fire it up.
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@BRRABill said:
From the MS definition:
Backup for Disaster Recovery provides additional licenses for servers used as offline (“cold”) backups, to help you recover in case of a catastrophic event. Cold backups help users regain access to critical data and applications following disasters and help protect the mission-critical solutions of your organization. For each server license you have with Software Assurance, you have the right to install the same software product on a “cold” backup server for disaster recovery.Cold is offline. Your description of how you intend to use Datto is not cold or offline.
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I did a little further digging, and of course you are correct. I may have already mentioned this, but ML is now added to the short list (currently including only my wife) of people I just will in the future assume to always be right.
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The Software Assurance benefit around cold server backup for disaster recovery includes the ability to install the server software, to configure it, to test disaster recovery procedures periodically, for example several times a year, and of course to move the backup server into production mode in the event of an actual disaster.
Other than this limited group of actions, cold server backups should be turned off. If they are turned on and used in any active mode, such as backup of production data, they are considered “warm” backups and should be licensed separately as any production server. As noted previously, warm backups are not included in this Software Assurance benefit.
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But firing up to test is included in the SA benefits, that's good to know. So what the Datto does to see if a VM can fire up and sends a screenshot and immediately shuts down should be covered.
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@scottalanmiller said:
But firing up to test is included in the SA benefits, that's good to know. So what the Datto does to see if a VM can fire up and sends a screenshot and immediately shuts down should be covered.
I would disagree, as what I also posted in that post says:
"If they are turned on and used in any active mode, such as backup of production data, they are considered “warm” backups and should be licensed separately as any production server." -
But the SA says: "includes the ability to install the server software, to configure it, to test disaster recovery procedures periodically"
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@scottalanmiller said:
But firing up to test is included in the SA benefits, that's good to know. So what the Datto does to see if a VM can fire up and sends a screenshot and immediately shuts down should be covered.
Wow.. I agree with Scott here, It looks like as long as you have SA, you're covered for that that backup product does. Interesting.
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@BRRABill said:
@scottalanmiller said:
But firing up to test is included in the SA benefits, that's good to know. So what the Datto does to see if a VM can fire up and sends a screenshot and immediately shuts down should be covered.
I would disagree, as what I also posted in that post says:
"If they are turned on and used in any active mode, such as backup of production data, they are considered “warm” backups and should be licensed separately as any production server."In my opinion you're not violating the license because you aren't firing up the VM to perform the backup, instead you are firing it up to confirm the backup. It's a subtle but important difference.
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@Dashrender said:
Wow.. I agree with Scott here, It looks like as long as you have SA, you're covered for that that backup product does. Interesting.
Then how can you argue against:
"If they are turned on and used in any active mode, such as backup of production data, they are considered “warm” backups and should be licensed separately as any production server."Isn't the device backing up production data?
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@BRRABill said:
@Dashrender said:
Wow.. I agree with Scott here, It looks like as long as you have SA, you're covered for that that backup product does. Interesting.
Then how can you argue against:
"If they are turned on and used in any active mode, such as backup of production data, they are considered “warm” backups and should be licensed separately as any production server."Isn't the device backing up production data?
At the moment that they are on, they are warm. When you turn them off, they are cold. The Microsoft terms that you quoted clearly state that cold backups are allowed and that you are allowed to have them warm momentarily to test with an SA license.
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@BRRABill said:
Isn't the device backing up production data?
It's the warm vs. cold that we are discussing. That it is production isn't the concern here, we are assuming that it is all production.
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@BRRABill said:
@Dashrender said:
Wow.. I agree with Scott here, It looks like as long as you have SA, you're covered for that that backup product does. Interesting.
Then how can you argue against:
"If they are turned on and used in any active mode, such as backup of production data, they are considered “warm” backups and should be licensed separately as any production server."Isn't the device backing up production data?
You are not backing up while it's warm, you do the backup before you make it warm. Therefore you're clear.
What they want to avoid is you spinning up a machine, using that machine itself to do the backup, then turning it off.. that would against the license.
