I’ve taken a look at some of the highlights of this month’s Microsoft Product Terms document.
Big news is SQL Server 2019 is here – with a new SKU type and expanded fail-over rights.
We now have “SQL Server Big Data Node (BDN)” – available in 2-core packs via EA & EES. Requires a “master node” of SQL Std/Ent core with SA and includes certain SA rights.
Each SQL Server Ent Core license with SA gives 8 BDN licenses and each SQL Server Std Core license with SA gives 1 BDN license, when assigned to a “master node”.
The updated fail-over info is there too, but I’ll look at that properly in a separate article.
New language that M365 & O365 F1 licenses can only be assigned to users without a dedicated device.
“A Dedicated Device is a computing device used for work with a 10.1” screen or larger, used by the user more than 60% of the user’s total work time during any 90-day period”
F1 licenses are aimed at users who tend not have a device – drivers, nurses, warehouse staff etc. but I know some organisations are looking at them as a way to license traditional office workers and reduce costs. This new language looks to prevent that.
The new Project Plan 1, 3, and 5 licenses are added – only available via CSP. Plan 1 not available in France or South Korea for some reason. 🤔
Terms have been added to cover Azure Spot offers. <– Interestingly, I haven’t seen Microsoft use this term themselves until now. They have referred to them as “low-priority VMs” in Azure, with Spot being a term used by Amazon AWS.
Cloudy with a chance of Licensing 