Microsoft clarifies virtualisation licenses

SOFTWARE GIANT Microsoft has released a white paper to explain how its Byzantine licencing for Window Server works with virtualisation software.

In the paper, with the catchy title "Licensing Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 to Run with Virtualization Technologies," the Vole explains how to license Windows Server 2003 R2 for specific third-party virtualisation technologies, including VMware ESX, VMware Vmotion and SWsoft Virtuozzo. It also has an afterward explaining licensing for Microsoft's own System Centre Virtual Machine Manager.

According to Computerworld, virtualisation has confused the poor Volish licence writers. This is because it allows more than one instance of server software to run on a single server.

The Vole has not worked out what to do once Windows Server 2008 is released at the end of the year. That version, code-named Longhorn Windows Server will have virtualisation built in.

We were amused when we found the white paper on the 'Volbrief' page here which apparently stands for volume briefing rather than any Volish references.

More here. µ