Windows Server license issue

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Snormossel

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Hi all

Have a bit of predicament here....

What I have is Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard edition running on Dell R910 server, a lot of HDD space and 32Gig's of memory.
Now the guys have put an additional 32Gig's of memory in it because well we need it.....

Anyway's the server is only seeing 32Gig's of memory after a reboot.
Upon further investigation it seems like the standard edition only supports 32Gig's of memory.

This is where it gets tricky, when I phone around for prices/quotes or just what to do I get different opinions.

The first quote said that I need the following:

1. MS.MP73-05762 Microsoft® Windows® Server Standard 2012 Sngl OPEN 1 License No Level 2 PROC x 2

2. MS.MR18-04281 Microsoft® Windows® Server CAL 2012 Sngl OPEN 1 License No Level User x 5

3. MS.MP72-04345 Microsoft® Windows® Server Enterprise 2008 R2 64Bit English Disk Kit w/Service Pack 1 Microsoft Volume License DVD 5 MLF x 1

Onother quote says that I must buy a datacentre license but then I am buying functionality which I am never going to use.

The price difference between the quotes are quite large.

Anyone with experience, please tell me what licenses do I need to get to upgrade the server with to get 64Gig's of memory to work on this box.

Also 2012 is not an option becuase it has not been tested with the software that is running on the box so it must be 2008.
 
Do you have any virtual machines running on it ?

MS have simplified their server licensing for server 2012 and the license is backwards compatible for server 2008 R2. For every server 2012 std license you purchase you get 2 virtual instances of server 2012 included.

IIRC server 2012 Datacentre or whatever it's called now, you get unlimited virtual instances.
 
Nope, no virtual machines on this box and I don't think there is going to be.

Just a normal install at the moment.

They were also saying that 1 license covers 2 CPU's.

I have 2 Quad Core's in there but they cant tell me about the memory.
 
abandonallhope said:
Do you have any virtual machines running on it ?

MS have simplified their server licensing for server 2012 and the license is backwards compatible for server 2008 R2. For every server 2012 std license you purchase you get 2 virtual instances of server 2012 included.

IIRC server 2012 Datacentre or whatever it's called now, you get unlimited virtual instances.
Click to expand...

For Server 2012 Datacentre- it will be unlimited virtual instances per host. Sure you meant that though.

OP- get Server 2012 Standard. Should just be an upgrade on your existing license if I am not mistaken? And even with the new licensing model it might be cheaper than a 2008 R2 license.
 
Last edited:
Enterprise edition is what you need. Google Microsoft Server and RAM restrictions.

We had same problem when our idiot IT manager decided to buy a new server with 64GB RAM, to act as a virtual server, and loaded Server 2008 standard, instead of letting me install Ubuntu 64 bit and loading Virtual box. We running 6 VMs, most of them Ubuntu based, in a small environment. His solution. Take out 32GB, and we can buy another server without RAM.
 
Snormossel said:
Nope, no virtual machines on this box and I don't think there is going to be.

Just a normal install at the moment.

They were also saying that 1 license covers 2 CPU's.

I have 2 Quad Core's in there but they cant tell me about the memory.
Click to expand...

Whoever told you this is talking rubbish...

2008 Standard covers four CPU's. Again, this means you need to get at least Enterprise Edition, both from a RAM and CPU perspective.

You may have a quad core, but you only have two CPU's (if I understand your statement correctly). So you would only need one Server 2012 Standard license.

Get that. It is backwards compatible / downgradeable (i.e. usable) to Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, which is what you should be running.

Also- are you running 32bit or 64bit? If on 32bit, consider upgrading as you have hit the maximum RAM limit allowed in Server 2008.
 
Maverick Jester said:
Whoever told you this is talking rubbish...

2008 Standard covers four CPU's. Again, this means you need to get at least Enterprise Edition, both from a RAM and CPU perspective.

You may have a quad core, but you only have two CPU's (if I understand your statement correctly). So you would only need one Server 2012 Standard license.

Get that. It is backwards compatible / downgradeable (i.e. usable) to Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, which is what you should be running.

Also- are you running 32bit or 64bit? If on 32bit, consider upgrading as you have hit the maximum RAM limit allowed in Server 2008.
Click to expand...

R2 doesn't offer a 32bit version
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

Will give the guys a shout on how to get a enterprise license.
If they dont have an enterprise license then I will get a 2012 license and then just downgrade it to a 2008.
 
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