Windows Server and Windows CAL License for SP 2013?

Question

We are planning to set up a SP 2013 farm with 4 servers.

• 1 App
• 1 WFE
• 1 Search
• 1 Database

Could someone explain what are the different licenses we would need for each server?

e.g. Windows server + windows CAL, SQL (per core/CAL), SharePoint server + Standard CAL.

Also we would be going for SP Standard CAL's and using Windows server 2012 and SQL server 2014.

Answer 1

Well,

For Windows Server 2012 Standard

One Windows Server 2012 Standard license can be use to :

• Set up one physical instance and two virtual instances on the same physical server

• If you use an other hypervisor, then you can set up two virtual instances on the same physical server.

For example : let's say you use VMware ESXi and you have 2 physical servers, then you only need 2 Windows server license to run 4 Windows servers 2012 Standard.

Plus : One Windows Server 2012 Datacenter can be use to set up as many Windows server as you want on the same physical server.

For SharePoint

You will need one license for each SharePoint server.

CAL requirements :

Scenario 1 - Intranet Deployment

• Internal users : one CAL per user/device

Scenario 2 - Extranet Deployment

• Internal users : one CAL per user/device
• External users : no CALs required

Scenario 3 - Internet Deployment

• Internal users : no CALs required
• External users : no CALs required

For SQL

Standard edition :

• Server + CAL license
• Core-based license

Enterprise edition :

• Core-based license

For SQL, what you need to know is whether you set up the Standard or Enterprise edition.

If you go for the Standard edition, then you need one SQL CAL per user plus one Server license per SQL server.

If you go for the Enterprise edition, then you need one license per core and no CALs.