Microsoft, of all companies, continues to lead the way with free and loose licensing terms around server virtualization software and multi-core processors. As of Oct 1, Windows Server Datacenter Edition operating system customers will have the right to run "an unlimted number of virtualized Windows Server instances". This policy applies to licenses covering new servers and previous licenses upgraded with new version rights. All told, it means that you pay to run Windows Server Datacenter Edition on a server with a set number of processors and can then divvy that box up with any combination of Windows Server Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition and/or Datacenter Edition without needing to count the number of virtual machines being created or pay for extra Windows Server licenses.
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Member since:2005-11-10
Lord I forget Windows users are not very technical.
Aesiamun, VMware server is not designed for the enterprise (Which is why it's free) Anyone running Windows Datacenter Edition would not use VMware server!
LOL! They are not saying you can run Windows 2003 server and do this, or Small business server and do this or even 2003 Enterprise! Only Datacenter cerver!
This is what the CEO of SWsoft who makes Virtuozzo says:
"While the Microsoft move is a good step in the right direction, there is still a need to enable virtualization friendly licensing for Enterprise and Standard Editions of Windows Server. Further, our customers expected Microsoft to treat virtual environments (VEs) very differently from virtual machines (VMs) since they leverage one Windows instance and not multiple ones."
MS is like the Bush administration. They tell you one thing to your face and it sounds good, but the proof is in the details. And the details say that 99% of companies out there who use Windows cant even afford Windows Server DE and will not even benefit from this license!
Member since:2005-06-29
Calling me a windows user is only assuming that my saying that it runs on Windows means I'm a windows user. I'm not, I run a Mac and OpenBSD at home. I don't have a windows computer left in the house.
Insult me all that you want, it means little to me. But, you do say that VMWare server is not designed for the enterprise...which explains why it is free...apache is free, linux is (F|f)ree, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD are free. None of them cost me anything...yet people claim they are enterprise ready. I don't run a data center, I don't care to. I'm not going to run Windows Data Center at my house to run virtual windows boxes in order to play WoW or anything like that.
Member since:
2005-06-29
VMWare Server is free and it DOES run on windows...
MS does not say you have to run the virtual machines in their Virtual Server, it only says that you have unlimited licenses if you run them in A virtualized environment