Microsoft SQL Server licensing options

This document describes Microsoft licensing options for running Microsoft SQL Server in Google Cloud VMware Engine private clouds. You can license Microsoft SQL Server in VMware Engine in one of the following ways:

  • Purchase on-demand licenses through License Manager (Preview).
  • Bring your own licenses (BYOL) using Microsoft's License Mobility through Software Assurance program.

    Purchase on-demand licenses with License Manager (Preview)

    You can purchase on-demand licenses for Microsoft SQL Server running on Google Cloud VMware Engine through License Manager. License Manager lets you activate, manage, and track licenses without long-term commitments or managing compliance yourself.

    With License Manager, you purchase licenses in the form of "2 Core Packs" for a fixed monthly price per pack. Assign a core license to each virtual CPU (vCPU) on your virtual machine instance. Each instance requires a minimum of four cores. Instances with fewer than 4 vCPUs are charged for 4 vCPUs to comply with Microsoft requirements.

    Supported versions and editions

    License Manager supports the following editions of SQL Server:

    • Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise
    • Microsoft SQL Server Standard
    • Microsoft SQL Server Web

    License Manager supports the following versions of SQL Server:

    • 2017
    • 2019
    • 2022

    Before you begin

    To use License Manager for SQL Server on VMware Engine, you must first enroll in the Preview program. Contact license-manager-onboarding@google.com with your project numbers, VM locations, and administrator email address to request enrollment.

    After you are enrolled, follow the instructions in Configure and use License Manager to enable the API, create a license configuration, and update license settings on your VMs.

    Bring your own SQL Server licenses with License Mobility

    If you have Microsoft SQL Server licenses with active Software Assurance (SA), you can use License Mobility to bring these licenses to VMware Engine. License Mobility is a Software Assurance benefit that lets you deploy eligible server application licenses on-premises or in the cloud in an authorized partner's data center, including Google Cloud.

    With License Mobility, you can use your existing SQL Server licenses for virtual machines in your private cloud without needing to purchase new licenses from Google or pay for software licenses on Compute Engine VMs.

    Eligibility requirements

    To use License Mobility with VMware Engine, you must meet the following requirements:

    • Your SQL Server licenses must have active Software Assurance (SA).
    • SQL Server is an eligible product for License Mobility.
    • You must follow Microsoft's License Mobility terms, including completing a license verification process with Microsoft within 10 days of deployment.

    For more information about License Mobility, see Software Assurance License Mobility and Customer License Mobility Verification Guide.

    Licensing SQL Server with License Mobility

    When using License Mobility, you license the individual virtual machines running SQL Server based on the number of vCPUs, according to your Microsoft licensing agreement. This is different from the Windows Server BYOL option for licenses purchased before October 1, 2019, which requires licensing all physical cores in a node.

    Other options

    If you choose not to use the License Manager Preview or if you don't have SQL Server licenses with active Software Assurance for BYOL, consider the following alternatives to running SQL Server on VMware Engine:

    • Run SQL Server on Compute Engine: You can run SQL Server on Compute Engine VMs using pay-as-you-go licenses or BYOL.
    • Use Cloud SQL: Migrate to Cloud SQL, Google's fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.
    • Purchase licenses with Software Assurance: Purchase or renew SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance to become eligible for License Mobility.