Question

Photo of Adam MacLaren

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SQL and CAL Licensing.

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We already have SQL Server installed. What is required to "license" its usage once we purchase some CAL's?

Do we need a separate SQL Server CAL for each user logged into RockRMS? What about for kiosk check-in? Does that use up CAL's?

In other words, if we anticipate X users interacting with RockRMS at any given time, how may CAL's are required?

Can we purchase additional CAL's as our user base increases?\

Thanks!

  • Photo of Jim Michael

    0

    Licensing SQL Server can be tricky, but it all boils down to this: Yes, if you were using CAL licensing, you *would* need a CAL for every user that hits Rock that uses SQL Server, which is of course impractical/impossible. Thus MS has the option of "Core" licensing. This is a model where you license the number of CORES SQL server uses instead of relying on CALs. This then lets anyone hitting the web app be licensed. This is the ONLY way to legitimately license a public-facing web app like Rock that talks to SQL Server, assuming you're self-hosting. If you are hosting in Azure, for example, you can use Azure SQL (basically SQL Server as a service) and not even run your own SQL Server and thus avoid all those licensing issues.

    If you DO still want to run your own SQL Server, things get a little harder to follow when you are running in a VM, but the gist is that you need to get at least 4 "Core" licenses of SQL server to run a single SQL Server Standard VM.


    Here's a couple of blog posts that describe SQL Server licensing well. http://www.mirazon.com/how-is-sql-server-2016-licensed-part-1-the-basics/