Citrix asks “What is a Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA)?” April 2, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Application virtualization, Cloud Computing, datacenter.Tags: Citrix, Licensing, Microsoft, virtualization, XenApp
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Microsoft has the best definition as they have been in this business for years now. They define a SPLA in the following way, “A licensing program that enables service providers and ISVs with a hosted offering to license Microsoft products on a monthly basis to provide services and hosted applications to their end customers.”
Some qualifying questions for entry into a SPLA program might be the following:
1. Do you provide software services and hosted apps on a rental, subscription or services basis?
2. Are you a hosting provider, an ASP, a SI or an ISV that provides software as a service?
3. Is one of your primary objectives to avoid up-front license fees and minimum commitments?
4. Is your goal to maximize the number of end-user served from the same underlying software?
5. Will your customers accept not owning the software or having it located at their site?
If you can answer YES to most of these questions then most likely a SPLA program would fit your business model.
According to Microsoft there are many benefits to using a SPLA. Because the license is subscription based over time it will often cost more than a perpetual license for the same software. However, the benefits far outweigh the cost if the business model is structured correctly.
The following is a list of benefits Microsoft uses for their SPLA program:
• No Upfront Costs
• Most Current Product Versions – You have access to the most current versions of the products available in the program
• Pay Based On Usage – Monthly usage-based cost means you pay only for what was made available the previous month
• Worldwide Distribution – Use Microsoft licensed products to sell your services in any part of the world
Please take a look here and vote!
Another Microsoft Licensing Policy Update: What’s Good? What’s Left? January 23, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Application virtualization, Server Virtualization, desktop virtualization.Tags: Hyper-V, Licensing, Microsoft, virtualization, VMware, XenServer
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Last Friday, Microsoft’s latest round of licensing changes were released to the public as two documents:
- “Licensing Windows Server 2008 to Run with Virtualization Technologies“
- “Licensing Microsoft Server Products in Virtual Environments“
There is definitely some good news here. CAL requirements for “indirect access to Windows 2008″ were lifted. So organizations will only need CALs for Windows guest OSs and the applications that run within them. The previous policy impacted customers running Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor and did not affect licensing on any other hypervisor.
No Virtualizing Without A License — Disaster Recovery September 11, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Citrix, Licensing, Microsoft, VMware
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Mike Healey posted an article on licensing in a virtualized environment.
Licensing rules vary by vendor, so it’s a good idea to compile a full software list and review it with licensing vendors to be sure you’re in compliance.
Full article here
Microsoft virtualization: no more licensing concessions September 8, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Licensing, Microsoft
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As Microsoft formally launches its virtualization plans, SVP Bob Muglia sits down with CIO.com’s Kevin Fogarty to talk about licensing gripes from customers and winning the battle with VMware. Microsoft’s not looking to make VMs more mobile, he says. Full article here.
Lost in Microsoft licensing for virtualized environments with W2K8 June 10, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Licensing, Microsoft
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Let us be honest licensing is one the most complex things in virtualization. You have vendors that go onto concurrent-use, you have vendors that go to named-use and then … you have Microsoft.
First things first: if you have W2K8 STD you have the right to implement one virtual machine. If you have W2K8 ENT you have the right to implement four virtual machines and if you run the W2K8 DATAC edition make as much VMs as you wish. Now where is the balance point between enterprise and datacenter: 10 to 20 virtual machines per physical server.
If you look to VDI environments, make sure you SA is OK on your Microsoft licenses as this has a major influence on your licensing cost for VDI licenses !
More advice/tips can be found here.
Lost in XenDesktop licensing-translation and features? June 2, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Licensing, Microsoft, VECD, XenDesktop
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As of today XenDesktop is available and the general availability is foreseen for June 20th, with its 5 versions it is not always that easy to get the right type of product.
XenDesktop comes in 5 flavors: express, stnadard, advanced, enterprise and platinum. All products do the same, they generate a virtual desktop infrastructure in which a full desktop OS is active.The more you pay, the more you get 
Lets start with the standard version, this version is OK up to 100 desktops, it provides the virtual machine infrastructure, desktop access management. Do not forget that there is no provisioning foreseen in this edition, we will try to find out if Provisioning Server for Desktops will work as well.
The advanced edition is a more extensive version that acutally gives you the provisioning and secure remote access. Here is a little catch: the remote access provides access to an Access Gateway Standard edition and not to an Access Gateway Enterprise edition.
The price difference between advanced and standard is 120 USD. This 120 USD gives you an Access Gateway Standard CCU license (which costs around 100 USD) and the Provisiong services for desktops (which costs around 150 USD), so you pay 120 more and get 250 in place. Hmm … difficult decission. Furthermore the SA renewal fee for XenDesktop Enterprise is lower than the combination of the SA Renewal of XenDesktop Standard + AG Standard License + Provisioning Server for Desktops.
The enterprise edition is even more extensive and provides additional support for XenApp of Virtual Desktops. Here it is important to note that this feature is based on the streaming technology, so you can stream applications into your VDI, this way you can keep the OS pristine. We will post more about this aspect shortly.
The platinum edition is the rolls royces under XenDesktop and also provides WANscaler clients, Edgesight clients (altough it is not 100% clear to us if you apply the EdgeSight client to the access device or to the VDI), GoToAssist (1/200ccus), a secure access license to connect to AG Standard or Enterprise.
One point that have not covered here is the Microsoft licensing in this environment. it is clear that altough Citrix is ccu-licensing, Microsoft remains the big one here with its named-user licensing. Rob Hammersmith (Citrix Inc.) wrote an entry for Brianmadden about licensing costs and the Microsoft licensing cost in a XenApp, XenDesktop environment, you can find the post here.
