SQL Server Licenses?

teeter

Hello,

I have a client who wants to upgrade to 5.0 and SQL server 2005. My questions are on licensing with sql server. Does the client need to buy 1 license per NAV user? Do these licenses come with their NAV user licenses? Is there a way to find out if they already have everything they need by looking at the NAV license/granule file? My sales/marketing guy is out and this developer is getting bombarded with questions he has no answers to

Thanks,
Joel

stryk

Hi Joel,

well, it depends ...

Normally you would buy the SQL Server separately, then you have to purchase a Server license plus CAL; e.g. see http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2005/en/us/pricing.aspx

But there is also an option to purchase a so called "SQL Server Runtime" license actually as part of the NAV license. Here you have to pay a certain amount per user which includes the Server and CAL.

For example:
1 x NAV SQL Runtime SQL 2005 Enterprise = 350 USD
If you have 20 users, then it would be 20 x 350 USD = 7000 USD which be cheaper than with common licensing
plus: the runtime is part of the NAV license, thus the customer has to pay the "business Enhancement Plan" fee; but this means that further SQL updates are already covered by this fee, too!

BTW: why not moving to SQL 2008 anyway?

Regards,
Jörg

teeter

Wow, thanks for the quick reply!

Just saw that 2008 runtime licenses are available as of the start of the year, I'll suggest that for sure as they have only a few users.

bbrown

The runtime does have its limitations. It can only be used for the system for which it was purchased. If you decide to move NAV to another system (with a full license) later, you cannot use the runtime license elsewhere. Runtime can be an economical choice when you intend to only ever have 1 server but the savings can quickly go away if you need to add addtional servers. For example, the runtime allows you to run related products but only on the same server. If you were to run a BI system, on the same server, you would be licensed. However if you decide to move that BI system to its own server, a likely scenario when the database grows, you would need to puchase both client and server licensing as the runtime would not cover either.

When selecting licensing it is important to consider future plans and not only focus on current needs.