To subscribe to the Cloud directly is easy, is a simple transaction based on consumption, however the co-existence of old traditional Volume licensing, or Service Provider licensing programs with the new Cloud subscriptions is not that easy. In fact to make sure that new benefits for the Cloud enablement like the Software Assurance Mobility Rights are properly used requires attention to the licenses allocated to the servers on Windows Azure, for example. Understanding the real rights and possibilities is another variable to contemplate when measuring compliance.
Hosted providers do not offer much guidance with respect of what their clients can allocate on licensing into the Cloud environments, and is often a conflict of responsibilities when the vendor audits the hosted provider or the end-user client.
In the Microsoft Product Use Rights for example we can observe the limitations of the licenses covered by SA with respect to their Cloud options with the Mobility Rights: (see table below)
Understanding the right coverage of the license is important in order to maintain not only compliance but also to predict Cloud budgets.
Clients with an Azure consumption negotiated on their Enterprise Agreement can use any of the services and increase without difficulty, and as they evolve using the Cloud services will be important to understand the ROI of the existing licenses versus the newly consume and fully subscribed licenses. In a way Cloud has enable transitions of existing licensing investments however at the same time is creating a conflict:
Is the Cloud subscription directly on Microsoft Azure a better option than the SA Mobility Rights?
As prices vary, the Cloud footprint extends and upgrade cycles arrive, the SA renewal will be confronted by the commitment to Azure subscriptions in a way that customers will choose one or the other.
For Microsoft clients using other third-party hosted providers the question is:
Have I allocated the compliant rights of use on the Cloud? and if I consume SPLA, is my hosted provider compliant? Am I compliant? Or am I at risk due to hosted provider error?
I can confidently say that Software Asset Management has become more relevant in the Cloud era.
(SAM Mobility Rights table as per PUR July 2014)
PRODUCT LICENSINGMODEL | PRODUCT OR PRODUCT TYPE | LICENSE | PERMITTED NUMBER OF OSES PERLICENSE/PERMITTED NUMBER OF
CORES PER LICENSE |
Server/CAL | External Connector Licenses | Each External Connector license with active Software Assurance coverage | 1 OSE per license |
Server/CAL | SQL Server | Each Server license with active Software Assurance coverage | 1 OSE per license |
Per-Processor | All eligible Products | Each Processor license with active Software Assurance coverage | 1 OSE with up to 4 virtual processors per license |
Per-Core | All eligible Products | Each Core license with active Software Assurance coverage | One virtual core (subject to the Product Use Rights including the requirement of a minimum of 4 cores per OSE) |
Management Servers | System Center ServerManagement Licenses
(versions prior to System Center 2012) |
Each Server Management license with active Software Assurance coverage | 1 Managed OSE per license |
Management Servers | System Center Server Management Suites | Each SMSE or SMSDlicense with active Software Assurance coverage | 4 Managed OSEs per License |
Management Servers | System Center 2012 R2 Standard | Each System Center 2012R2 Standard Server Management license with active Software Assurance coverage | 2 Managed OSEs per license |
Management Servers | System Center 2012 R2 Datacenter | Each System Center 2012R2 Datacenter Server Management license with active Software Assurance coverage | 8 Managed OSEs per license |
Management Servers | Visual Studio Deployment 2013 Standard | Each Visual StudioDeployment 2013
Standard Server Management license with active Software Assurance coverage |
2 Managed OSEs per license |
Management Servers | Visual Studio Deployment 2013 Datacenter | Each Visual StudioDeployment 2013
Datacenter Server Management license with active Software Assurance coverage |
8 Managed OSEs per license |
Specialty Servers | HPC Pack Enterprise | Each Server license with active Software Assurance coverage | 1 OSE per license |