Updated: July 10, 2020 (October 25, 2010)

When Servers Need to Be Licensed

Rob Horwitz analyzes and writes about Microsoft licensing programs and product licensing rules. He also trains organizations on best Microsoft... more

In general, a computer running any one or more components—such as the database engine, Analysis Services, or Reporting Services—included with a fee-based edition of SQL Server requires its own server license under the server-CAL model or processor licenses under the per-processor model. Exceptions include installation and use of developer and management tools, client components, and online help, and for certain servers involved in what Microsoft calls passive failover scenarios.

Passive Failover Scenarios

Many large SQL Server applications use failover technologies, which shift load from primary database servers to secondary (standby) servers when the production server fails or needs to be taken down for maintenance. In general, secondary servers that are passive—meaning that they do not perform any production work except when a primary server fails—do not need SQL Server processor or server licenses. However, there are important limitations that depend on the technology and configurations used.

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