SQL Server Per Core floor
Catalog row in Vendor License Rules · Cited
- Kind
- Floor / minimum
- Statement
- PT-SQL (latest listed change 10 August 2026): Licensing by Physical Core: “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.” 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.” Product SKUs are sold as “2-packs of Core Licenses.” Do not import the Windows Server 8-per-processor / 16-per-server floor onto SQL Server.
- Applies when
- Licensing SQL Server by Physical Core on a Server, or by Individual Virtual OSE (subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only).
- Applies to
- SQL Server Enterprise Core and Standard Core under the Per Core License Model. Not Windows Server.
- Aliases
- SQL four cores; SQL 4 per processor; SQL 4 per Virtual OSE; 2-packs
- Related metrics