Handling Software Assurance Transition Problems

SQL Server 2008 R2 changes licensing rules and the packaging of features into editions. Some changes actually remove features or rights that were present in previous versions. This creates problems for Software Assurance (SA) customers, who paid far ahead of time for upgrades to a version that some might now deem inferior to prior versions. Microsoft has not published any programmatic solutions for the licensing problems created by SQL Server 2008 R2 for SA customers, in contrast to public pronouncements the company has made with other products in the past. However, Microsoft’s past actions in similar situations can give customers ideas for solutions that they can discuss with their sales representatives.

Below are the three potential problems for SA customers created by the changes in SQL Server 2008 R2 licensing, and possible solutions for those problems, based on similar solutions Microsoft has offered in years past.

Step-Up Straddles Two Licensing Models

Step-up licenses allow SA customers to move to a higher edition of a product for (approximately) the price difference between editions. In most cases a step-up is straightforward since the licensing model is consistent across editions. However, for customers who have SQL Server Enterprise edition licensed under the server-CAL model, the step-up has to straddle two licensing models because the new Datacenter edition is only licensed per-processor.