How SLM counts compliance?

PiotrBraun asked a question.

February 26, 2020 at 8:00 AM

Hello, can someone explain me how SLM counts Microsoft compliance? I got one datacenter where I got 14 VMs (13 of them are Windows Servers). In application tab I can see Windows Server 2016 and required 400 licenses on this datacenter. Server hardware: Processor = 1 Cores per processor = 10 I am using Windows Server Standard 2019 license with downgrade rights.Can someone explain me why there is required 400? If I count 13 (vms) x 16 (minimal requirment per core) = 208.

Jesper Bodholdt
6 years ago
Hi Björn, When licensing Windows Server Standard OS you always need to license the physical cores. So if you have a Host with 1 CPU with 10 cores you need 16 (minimum requirement) licenses per 2 VM's. So if there is 14 VM's on the host you need 16*7 licenses = 112 licenses. The issue is if the Host is not a standalone host, but is clustered in a Datacenter with more hosts. If your Datacenter for example have 3 hosts each with 1 CPU with 10 Cores, and there are running 14 VM's on each, Snow will license the Worst scenario. So if 2 hosts crash and all VM's move to 1 Host you suddenly have a Host with 42 VM's. This Host will require 16*21 licenses = 336 licenses. Hope this help explain the complexity. Jesper
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- PiotrBraun
  6 years ago
  Thank you very much for your response. What you are saying is clear to me but I am still not sure if it is calculated correctly. In my case: I have a Datacenter with 3 hosts. On this I got 21 VMs (15 of them are Windows Servers). On this 3 hosts: I got required: 112, 112, 112. Should I count 16x7 or 16x8? If I count 16x7=112 and thats correct. (15/2 = 7,5) Yea, what in situation if the quantity can't be divided by two? Are we taking smaller number? Other example: I have a Datacenter with 3 hosts. On this I got 27 VMs (21 of them are Windows Servers) Required is: 160, 160, 160. That means I have to count 21/2 = +-10, then 16 (minimal requirment) x 10 = 160? Is that correct?
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  - ATEAnders
    6 years ago
    You are forgetting an vital part of the equation. The number of Cores on the hosts. We have to know that in order to calculate a license requirement. Once we know the license requirement we can say if Snow is showing the right numbers or not. Snow is very often a case of manually calculating compliance and then go back to verify Snow has done the correct calculations/if you set up the licenses correct.
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    PiotrBraun
    6 years ago
    In second example (160 required) I got 3 hosts: all of them got 1 proc 10 cores (so probably that means we got 16 minimum requirment?). And in other case if we get 2 proc 10 cores we use 20 licenses so 20 x (VM quantity / 2)?
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    Jesper Bodholdt
    6 years ago
    In case one you need 176 licenses per host as you have to round up. In case two you need 11 * 20 = 220 licenses for each host as you need 20 licenses per 2 VM's
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    Jesper Bodholdt
    6 years ago
    In case one you need 176 licenses per host as you have to round up. In case two you need 11 * 20 = 220 licenses for each host as you need 20 licenses per 2 VM's
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Bjorn S
6 years ago
Hi! Have you made any changes to the Windows Server 2016 application, like under License settings - Minimum number of licenses? Björn
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- PiotrBraun
  6 years ago
  Hi, No I didn't. I am using default settings.
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  - ATEAnders
    6 years ago
    My guess is that it’s counting on the license requirement for the underlying hardware. If a virtual standard server(well two to be accurate) is running in a cluster with 4 hosts with 16 cores in each host, you must license each of the individual host cores. I.e the Standard license requirement is 4*16=64 Cores. one should also note that Snow is mirroring the esx setup. And sometimes what you consider to be separated clusters/hosts are in snow considered a single cluster where all virtual machines can travel between all hosts
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PiotrBraun
6 years ago
Thank you all!
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