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Licensing

System Center 2012 R2 Licensing

Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 offers solutions for managing datacenter resources, private clouds, and client devices. It delivers unified management across on-premises, service provider, and Microsoft Azure environments, thereby enabling the Microsoft cloud operating system. Learn more:
 
  • Buyer’s Guide for an interactive experience on licensing-related information about use rights, upgrades, and migration paths.
  • Licensing editions to find out more about the System Center 2012 R2 licensing model.
  • How to buy for an overview of pricing and licensing options.
  • FAQs for the most frequently asked questions about System Center 2012 R2 licensing.
Licensing editions FAQ

Licensing editions

Compare server and client management license offerings, and learn how you can plan for deployment.
System Center 2012 R2 server management licensing maximizes your private cloud value while simplifying purchasing. All server management licenses (SMLs) include the same components and the ability to manage any workload. System Center 2012 R2 SMLs will be released in two editions differentiated by virtualization rights only.
 

Licensing overview

System Center 2012 R2 licensing summary:
  • License required only for endpoints being managed. No additional licenses are needed for management servers or SQL Server technology.
  • Consistent licensing model across editions. Processor-based license, covering up to two processors, for server management. User-based or operating system environment (OSE)–based license for client management.
     

Server management license edition comparison

The following table compares the two server management license (ML) editions
Datacenter Standard
Number of physical processors per license

2

2

Number of managed OSEs per license

Unlimited

2

Includes all System Center server management components

√

√

Right to run management server software and supporting SQL Server Runtime (SQL Server Standard Edition)

√

√

Manage any type of supported workload

√

√

Open No Level (NL) License and Software Assurance (L&SA) 2-year price

$3,607

$1,323

Components included in the server MLs are not available separately.

Licensing managed clients

 
Client MLs are required for managed devices that run non-server OSEs. The following table compares the three System Center 2012 R2 client ML offerings:
 
 
Configuration Manager Client ML Endpoint Protection Subscription Client Management Suite Client ML
Components included

Configuration Manager

Virtual Machine Manager

Endpoint Protection

Service Manager

Operations Manager
Data Protection Manager

Orchestrator
Included in Core CAL Suite

√

√


Included in Enterprise CAL Suite

√

√

√
Open NL L&SA 2-year price

$62

$22

$121
Client MLs are available on a per OSE or per user basis. Components included in the client MLs are not available separately.
 

Transitioning to the new client licensing model

If you have Software Assurance coverage on your current System Center licenses at the time of System Center 2012 R2 General Availability, you will receive the System Center 2012 R2 client ML grants listed in the following table.
 
 
Current License
New License
System Center 2012 Client Management Suite Client ML

System Center 2012 R2 Client Management Suite Client ML

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Client ML

System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager Client ML

System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection subscription

System Center 2012 R2 Endpoint Protection subscription

Note: There are no step-up paths for client MLs.
 

Planning for System Center 2012 R2

If you are planning to deploy System Center 2012 R2, either through upgrades or new licenses, remember the following:
  • Renewing Software Assurance is the best way to protect investments and provide access to new versions, Deployment Planning Services, and technical assistance.
  • Select your edition of System Center 2012 R2 based on virtualization rights:
  1. Datacenter edition for highly virtualized private clouds
  2. Standard edition for lightly or non-virtualized private clouds
  • Core Client Access License (CAL) and Enterprise CAL Suites will continue to be the most cost-effective way to purchase client management products.
For more information, download the System Center 2012 R2 licensing guide (PDF, 411 KB).

FAQ

Find answers to questions about licensing, purchasing, and determining the right edition for your server management needs.

  • System Center 2012 R2 server management licensing does not change from System Center 2012.

  • As with System Center 2012, System Center 2012 R2 server management licenses will be released in two editions differentiated by virtualization rights only:

    1. Datacenter: Maximizes cloud capacity with unlimited operating system environments (OSEs) for high density private clouds.
    2. Standard: For lightly or non-virtualized private cloud workloads.

    There is no differentiation between the types of workloads you can manage with either edition. The only difference between the editions is the number of OSEs that you can manage per license. Datacenter edition allows for the management of an unlimited number of OSEs per license. Standard edition allows for the management of up to two OSEs per license.

  • Server MLs are required for managed devices that run server OSEs. Licenses are processor-based, with each license covering up to two physical processors. For Datacenter edition, the number of server MLs required for each managed server is determined by the number of physical processors in the server. For Standard edition, it is determined by either the number of physical processors in the server or the number of OSEs being managed (whichever is greater).

    • System Center 2012 R2 Datacenter: Each license covers up to two physical processors. You must count the number of physical processors on the server, divide that number by two, round up to the nearest whole number, and acquire and assign that number of licenses to your server. Provided you acquire and assign to your server the required number of Datacenter edition server management licenses, as described above, you can manage any number of OSEs on that server.
    • System Center 2012 R2 Standard: For each managed server, count the number of physical processors and the number of managed OSEs. You need the number of licenses to cover the greater number (processors or OSEs).

    Processor Count - Each license covers up to two physical processors, so you must count the number of physical processors on the server, divide that number by two, and then round up to the nearest whole number.

    Managed OSE Count - Each license permits you to manage up to two OSEs, so you must count the number of OSEs you will manage on the server, divide that number by two, and round up to the nearest whole number.**

    **An exception to this rule is when the physical OSE on your server is being used solely to run hardware virtualization software, provide hardware virtualization services, and run software to manage and service OSEs on that device. In that case, you count only the number of virtual OSEs you will manage on the server, divide that number by two, and round up to the nearest whole number.

    Examples:

    Datacenter Server                 Standard Server 
    MLs Required                       MLs Required

    One 1-processor,                            1                                         1
    non-virtualized server

    One 4-processor,                            2                                         2
    non-virtualized server

    One 2-processor server                  1                                         2*
    with 3 virtual OSEs

    One 4-processor server                  2                                         4*
    with 8 virtual OSEs


    *Multiple System Center 2012 R2 Standard licenses may be assigned to the same server to license the number of managed OSEs.

  • No. The System Center 2012 R2 Server Management components are part of an integrated offering to create and manage private cloud environments. They are available only as part of System Center 2012 R2 Standard and System Center Datacenter MLs.

  • No, a single Server ML cannot be used to license two one-processor servers.

For answers to additional frequently asked questions, download the System Center 2012 R2 datasheet (PDF, 442 KB).
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Related resources 

System Center 2012 R2 product page
Get details on how to evaluate, purchase, and deploy System Center 2012 R2.

System Center 2012 R2 licensing guide
(PDF, 411 KB)
Download detailed information about licensing System Center 2012 R2.

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