Here is an example diagram, simplified for the sake of this article. However, we find that in most cases, it is not applied correctly, and organisations pay more than for alternative licensing options. SQL Server Enterprise indeed provides the Unlimited Virtualisation benefit. License all your server hardware, they say, with SQL Server Enterprise and run as many SQL Server workloads on the servers as you want. SQL Server Enterprise is often pitched as the "licensing headache saviour" based on the benefit of "Unlimited Virtualisation". Unlimited Virtualisation is a cost-saving myth It means that if you have a team of 10 developers working in an environment supported by 100 other IT persons, you need 110 Visual Studio subscriptions.Ĭompared to that, SQL Server Developer is free of charge, and except for the prohibition to use it with production data, no other strings are attached. However, please remember that they have a significant licensing risk compared to the SQL Server Developer edition.Įvery person involved in deploying, maintaining, administering, supporting, and even backing up the Visual Studio software instances must also have a Visual Studio subscription. Of course, you may also use SQL Server Enterprise and SQL Server Standard bundled with Visual Studio subscriptions. What is "non-production"? These purposes: This is the most effective cost-saving measure.Īnd by the way, all the above also applies to Azure SQL Server. On average, up to 80% of instances of Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise may be downgraded ("down-editioned") to Standard, Developer or even Express without loss of functionality and resilience, Your existing licenses and strategic plans for the upcoming Microsoft Enterprise Agreement renewal,Īdditional cost-saving measures like consolidation, When you plan for downgrades, also consider the following: You may lose support if you migrate to a lower edition. Often, these requirements are unfounded, but we aren't here to judge the application vendor's choices. For example, we have seen business applications that insisted on SQL Server Enterprise as the only supported edition. There may be limits imposed by the application vendor, however. But detailed analysis discovers that most requirements can be met with SQL Server Standard at a fraction (1/4 or 25%) of the SQL Enterprise cost. If they need a particular feature, it is guaranteed that it is included in the Enterprise edition. We find that DBAs prefer SQL Server Enterprise for peace of mind. Tip: For every version of SQL Server, there is a feature comparison article on Microsoft's website. It is also entirely free of charge.Īs the first step, we send an elementary questionnaire based on the list of features exclusive to Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise to every DBA. SQL Server Developer is a technical equivalent of SQL Server Enterprise for any use except production. On the downside, it is technically limited and has fewer features than SQL Standard. SQL Server Express is free of charge and free to use for any purpose, with no strings attached. SQL Server Standard has fewer perks than SQL Server Enterprise but still packs a hefty list of business-critical features. Its cost is about four times more than the cost of SQL Server Standard. SQL Server Enterprise – most feature-packed and, therefore, most expensive. Nowadays, SQL Server comes in four editions: But do you need all the expensive features? It is one of the first questions we ask in SQL Server optimisation exercises. SQL Server Enterprise is the most expensive edition of SQL Server, as well as the edition that includes most of the features.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |