Well, the first thing to understand is that what you get with the free Hyper-V Server license is a license to run Hyper-V Server. So, you’ve downloaded the free Hyper-V Server, and now people are telling you that you don’t have a license to run Windows Server guest and you need to install a different management operating system. My recommendation is to find some way to clearly denote which physical hardware is getting which license. But, as you’ll see, the transferability of a volume license isn’t a free-for-all. That’s because Volume Licenses are transferable. When you get a Volume License, you don’t get a sticker. That helps you remember where the license belongs. The nice thing about OEM licenses is that the manufacturer usually plops a sticker onto the chassis of the licensed system. Remember the unbreakable rule: the physical CPUs are what is licensed. Why? Because virtual machines can move, that’s why. You can get yourself into a lot of trouble by thinking that your virtual machines are licensed. Yes, you have to plug in keys to activate them, but keys are not licenses, they do not represent licenses, and just because you can get a system to accept a key does not mean that it is properly licensed. Virtual machines are not directly licensed. This is pretty easy to work out from here. A single CPU system requires one license. For 20 R2, the bound hardware is one or two physical CPUs in a single motherboard. The specifics have changed over time, but this fact goes back as far as I can remember. The Unbreakable Rule for Windows Server LicensingĪt least as far as Standard and Datacenter Editions are concerned, there is one absolutely inviolable rule about Windows Server licensing: a Windows Server license is always bound to a specific piece or group of hardware. Usually, the greatest difference is that they are not transferable. Do not assume that an OEM license works the same way as a standard volume license. OEM licenses can be customized by an equipment manufacturer and therefore might have different rules than you find anywhere else. This post will deal with Volume Licenses, which are an agreement you make with Microsoft with the assistance of a reseller. Probably the clearest material that Microsoft publishes on the subject is the Product Use Rights document. It is worth your time to get official answers. There are very steep fines and bounties associated with licensing violations. I have consulted with two resellers extensively on this subject and have never been asked to pay anything for the call. Authorized resellers should have someone on staff that can authoritatively answer licensing questions. For official answers, contact Microsoft Licensing or check with your reseller. We cannot be held responsible for any negative outcomes of the usage of any of the contents of our post, whether it is through an error on our part or a misunderstanding on yours. Neither I nor Altaro software are offering legal advice and this post cannot be construed as such. It does not constitute legal advice or interpretation. The contents of this post are intended to be a guideline to help you understand the concepts of a specific licensing detail. I am not a lawyer and I did not consult with a lawyer on this post. Most of our posts are technical in nature. The phrase, “When the blind lead the blind, they will both fall in a ditch,” comes to mind. It doesn’t help that that a lot of people who really don’t understand it are doing their best to help others. Are you confused by just how virtual machine guest licensing works with Hyper-V 20 R2? I’ve been reading a lot of blog and forum posts, and it seems like this might be the most confusing subject in the world of Hyper-V right now.
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