Per Core
Catalog row in Vendor License Metrics · Cited
- Unit
- Core
- Aliases
- Per Core (SQL Server); Per Core licensing; Per Core licensing model; core-based licensing; SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Core (2-packs of Core Licenses); SQL Server 2025 Standard Core (2-packs of Core Licenses); 2 core pack
- Definition
- For Products under the Per Core License Model, Customer must choose either Licensing by Physical Core on a Server or Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE. (Microsoft Product Terms — SQL Server, License Model: Per Core.)
- Counting rules
- Licensing by Physical Core on a Server: The number of Licenses required equals the number of Physical Cores on the Licensed Server, subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Physical Processor. For Enterprise edition, Customer may use any number of Instances of the server software on the Licensed Server in a number of Physical OSEs and/or Virtual OSEs equal to the number of licenses assigned to it. For other editions, Customer may use any number of Instances of the server software only in the Physical OSE on the Licensed Server. Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE (available for subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only): The number of Licenses required equals the number of Virtual Cores in the Virtual OSE, subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Virtual OSE. If any Virtual Core is at any time mapped to more than one Hardware Thread, Customer needs a License for each Hardware Thread. Container use: a container is considered to be a Virtual OSE, and the Physical or Virtual Cores available to that container are considered to be Virtual Cores. If hyperthreading is enabled and Customer is licensing use under the Virtual OSE Per Core License Model, Customer must assign a Core License for each Hardware Thread mapped to a container, subject to a minimum of four Licenses. Customer may reassign these Licenses to any Licensed Server in the same Server Farm as often as needed; reassignment from one Server Farm to another is not on a short-term basis (not within 90 days of the last assignment).
- Floors / minimums
- Minimum of four Licenses per Physical Processor (Licensing by Physical Core on a Server). Minimum of four Licenses per Virtual OSE (Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE / container). There is no separate 16-core-per-server floor for SQL Server in the Product Terms.
- Applies to products
- SQL Server
- Applies to editions
- Enterprise Core
- Standard Core
- Applies to versions
- 2025
- Related from
- Product category