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@ MMS 2008 there was a session about Licensing for the System Center Suite. Normally Licensing looks like University Math but they made it easier. When you are using SMS and MOM 2005 your would pay for each product and per managed client, were for MOM de clients could be Standard OML or Enterprise OML and for SMS the client and server license would vary as well. With this wide variety of possibilities the calculations for the complete license investment could take quite a while and some checking and cross check the different client and server roles.

But now with the Server Management Suite Enterprise (SMSE) licensing model things are made easy. Normally easier is more expansive and in this case it sometimes is. When your just going to buy SCOM or SCCM licenses and your using standard OML for SCOM you still have to make a good calculation before going to the SMSE license type. 

When you want to use SCCM, SCOM and are on or building a virtual infrastructure the SMSE license will make it cheaper and you can start using Data protection Manager for only the license management server costs.

One of the shown license advantages in a Microsoft client environment was the following monitoring scenarios:

In this case the 100 virtual machines are license covered by the SMSE and your only paying for the hosts not for the virtual machines. according to the Microsoft the System Center Virtual Machine Manager will be added to the SMSE as well so a complete and easy to calculate Server Management platform license can be used.

Microsoft definition of SMSE: Comprehensive solution for end-to-end management of physical and virtual server environments that includes the Enterprise Server management licenses for Operations Manager 2007, Configuration Manager 2007, and Data Protection Manager 2007; the license for Virtual Machine Manager 2007; and, rights to manage an unlimited number of operating system environments on a single server.

Not mentioned in this article are the required Server 200X Standard, Enterprise and Data center licenses. But when your are running a lot of VM’s take al look at the Data center value proposition with the unlimited amount Virtual Machine options!!!

So, a small recap to see if SMSE is the licensing for your organization:

• Your running a big number of virtual machines and want SCOM for monitoring
• Your using SCOM and SCCM to manage your complete environment, running some virtual machines
• Your using SCOM and SCCM to manage your complete environment and want to use DPM or VMM
• Your using DPM and SCCM, SCOM or VMM running some virtual machines
• You want to use SCOM and VMM

For more information visit the Microsoft System Center License Site and save yourselves some money.

Regards,
Walter Eikenboom
http://weblogwally.spaces.live.com

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 10:22 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.