Licensing

If you don’t license all of your SQL Server’s CPU cores, you need to pay particular attention to your server hardware. Say you’re using an HP DL580 with four CPU sockets, each of which has a Xeon processor plugged in with 10 cores. That’s a total of 40 real cores, or 80 logical processors if you’ve enabled…

How SQL Server Licensing Works [Video]

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Licensing, SQL Server, Videos

You have a sneaking suspicion that your servers aren’t all paid for, and you need to get a rough idea of how SQL Server licensing works. You’ve never bought a box of SQL Server before, and you have no idea where to get started. Microsoft Certified Master Brent Ozar will break it down into a…

The Very First Concern with SQL Virtualization: Licensing

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Licensing, SQL Server, Virtualization

Every single thing you do with a virtual SQL Server starts with one very important concern: how are you going to license it? The 3 Common Ways to License Virtual SQL Servers The software licensing section of my local library Developer Edition, by the guest – Developer Edition has all the power of Enterprise Edition,…

SQL Server 2014 Licensing Changes

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Jeremiah Peschka

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With the release of SQL Server 2014, we get to learn all kinds of new licensing changes. While I don’t work for Microsoft legal, I do have a PDF reader and a web browser. You can follow along in the SQL Server 2014 Licensing Datasheet… if you dare. Server + CAL Licensing is Still Around It’s…

What Server Should You Buy?

Last Updated February 9, 2017

When you get a new laptop, you don’t just pick Small, Medium, or Large. You look at all kinds of specs – screen resolution and size, memory size, storage, weight, and of course, price. Eventually you pick the one that’s perfect for you, and then you shake your fist at the skies because you can’t…

The Fastest Query is the One You Never Make

Last Updated February 9, 2017

When someone brings me a query to tune, I start with a few questions: How long does it take to run now? I’m looking for a time at first, and later as I progress through tuning, I’ll measure it more scientifically with logical reads and CPU cycles. How long would you like it to take? …

SQL Gangnam Style

Last Updated February 9, 2017

South Korean musician Psy’s hilarious music video for Oppa Gangnam Style has been tearing up the charts: Sure, it’s catchy, but it turns out there’s a message behind it. Gangnam is an absurdly wealthy area of South Korea, like America’s Beverly Hills meets The Hamptons meets Tokyo. Just like anywhere else in the world, the…

Things Every DBA Should Know (But Most Don’t)

Last Updated February 9, 2017

What if your boss walked up right now and asked you, “How many database servers do we have?” The classic poster Would you start sputtering, “Uh, do you mean production, or dev? Do multiple instances on a cluster count? And by the way, who’s asking?” Or would you confidently answer with an exact, unwavering number?…

My Thoughts on SQL Server 2012’s Licensing Changes

Last Updated June 21, 2022

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced that SQL Server 2012 will no longer be licensed by the CPU socket, and will instead be licensed by the core. You can read more at Microsoft’s recap. After contemplation and discussing the issues with companies, I think of this as a few related announcements. SQL Server is getting…

SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard Supports Less Memory

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Pop quiz: how much memory does SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition support? If you’re like me, you’d head to Microsoft’s site and check the SQL Server edition comparison: SQL Server Edition Comparison Looks pretty straightforward, right? Wrong. As it turns out, the marketing material is incorrect – both Books Online and TechNet show that…

For the record, whining does NOT cause blisters.

Why You Might Want to Buy SQL Server 2008 Now

Last Updated February 9, 2017

When SQL Server 2008 came out, I heard a lot of grumbling at PASS from production DBAs. They didn’t like the focus on business intelligence, and they felt like there wasn’t enough meat on the bones to solve real-world production problems. When SQL Azure came out, they grumbled more. Developers love Azure because they can…

Knowing the Relative Value of Databases

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Licensing, Processes and Practices, Virtualization

All databases are not created equal. Learn how to find greedy databases – ones that are using up more IO than others – and learn what options you have for reducing their loads.

SQL Server 2008 R2 Pricing and Feature Changes

Last Updated February 9, 2017