Licence minimisation

"MarkH" wrote in message
news:5BA97375-0CA0-42CF-BE54-D5F12C4A7950@microsoft.com...
> We currently have deployed a number of externally accessible web front
> ends
> which hook into numerous backend SQL servers. I have been given the
> project
> to minimise our licence costs with respect to these. Some of the backend
> SQL
> boxes are 4-way or 8-way boxes.
>
> I understand we need licensing for each SQL server exposed based on a per
> processor licence.
>
> What I am looking for is novel or best practice ways at reducing this
> cost.
> For example would the use of a link server reduce this or is the fact that
> this is basically an intermediary not change the exposure.

My current reading of the I would say this would not change the license
situation.

Basically MS appears to care how many physical CPUs are ultimately used to
serve the site.


> this is the case. The other way is that we could migrate all db's onto a
> single proc SQL server and re-point all external web apps at that. This
> however will require a lot of reverse engineering and as such I would like
> to
> avoid this.

That's about it, reduce the number of physical CPUs.


>
> Anyway help / suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Regards
>
> Mark



--
Greg Moore
SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html

"MarkH" wrote in message
news:5BA97375-0CA0-42CF-BE54-D5F12C4A7950@microsoft.com...
> We currently have deployed a number of externally accessible web front
> ends
> which hook into numerous backend SQL servers. I have been given the
> project
> to minimise our licence costs with respect to these. Some of the backend
> SQL
> boxes are 4-way or 8-way boxes.
>
> I understand we need licensing for each SQL server exposed based on a per
> processor licence.
>
> What I am looking for is novel or best practice ways at reducing this
> cost.
> For example would the use of a link server reduce this or is the fact that
> this is basically an intermediary not change the exposure.

My current reading of the I would say this would not change the license
situation.

Basically MS appears to care how many physical CPUs are ultimately used to
serve the site.


> this is the case. The other way is that we could migrate all db's onto a
> single proc SQL server and re-point all external web apps at that. This
> however will require a lot of reverse engineering and as such I would like
> to
> avoid this.

That's about it, reduce the number of physical CPUs.


>
> Anyway help / suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Regards
>
> Mark



--
Greg Moore
SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html