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Our 5 developer MSDN license is about to expire. We are using TFS 2012. Do we really need to renew the license so that we keep using the TFS 2012 server?
I always thought the MSDN licenses were perpetual licenses. Meaning you keep using whatever software you have downloaded and installed after the MSDN license has expired. Recently, I tried searching for the word perpetual in the license agreement but it seems that Microsoft has removed the word.
I have talked to the resellers and they are saying that I need to buy the MSDN subscription but to be honest salespeople are always trying to sell you stuff even if you don't need it.
Can anyone shed more light on the subject please?
MSDN licenses are as far as I know limited to the term of the license. Think of them as a rental of software for the duration of the license. When it expires, they want their software back, just like a rental car agency.
If you are trying to keep your costs down, you may want to look at the following options to stay in compliance:
Microsoft Visual Studio Online, formerly TFS Online (https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-online-pricing-vs.aspx)
5 free users
VS Community Edition for free
VS Professional available for $45/month per user
Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/us/Pages/Membership/action-pack.aspx)
$475 / year
Provides software for up to 10 users
Provides limited MSDN licenses for 3 developers, including VS2013 Professional
I think it is latest version of software only which is why I am putting limited.
Azure Credits
Lots of other benefits: https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/us/pages/membership/action-pack-application-design-development.aspx#Market
So while I can understand the sticker shock of renewals (I feel them every year myself), using a few of Microsoft's programs for small businesses (if you qualify) sure makes it easier on the bank account.
From this link:
Microsoft licenses TFS under the Server/Client Access License (CAL) licensing model. You must have a license for each running instance of TFS and, with certain exceptions, a TFS CAL for each user or device that accesses it.
So you definitely need a subscription for a running TFS instance, however 5 MSDN accounts may not be needed. You do however get TFS with your MSDN subscription:
Eligible MSDN subscribers receive TFS and a TFS CAL as part of their subscription benefits.
In any case, read more about CAL here. And contact MS directly to get a license that best fits your needs.
Related
Does Azure Marketplace images include with Active Software Assurance or not? For an example, in Azure marketplace "SQL Server 2019 on Windows Server 2019" image comes with Software Assurance or not?
The Software Assurance varies product to product. Many products includes Software Assurance with the product while others have optional purchase.
I suggest you to go through the official Microsoft Software Assurance. Go through the links/PDFs under Getting Software Assurance and Learn more about Software Assurance sections.
Also, the same question has been asked and answered on Microsoft Q&A. Please see here.
I am working on a business case for using SQL Server CE for the upcoming project and I have a hard time convincing the upper management to go with this database solution. Their impression is that SQL Server CE will not be supported by Microsoft in the future. During my research, I have not found any evidence for this but I also have not found any official roadmap that indicates otherwise. Does anyone know any good references that I could use in my business case? I have also emailed the CE team with the same question, but I have not heard back from them yet.
Thank you in advance.
I can't find a support lifecycle for the recently released SQL Server CE 4, but the previous version 3.5 will be supported until 2013:
Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search
Products Released | General Availability Date | Mainstream Support End Date
SQL Server Compact 3.5 | 19/02/2008 | 09/04/2013
so chances are the new build will be supported for about five years too - or longer if it gets bundled with the next version of Visual Studio as it'll likely pick up the VS support lifetime. Their general Business and Developer products support policy is
Microsoft will offer a minimum of 10 years of support for Business and Developer products. Mainstream Support for Business and Developer products will be provided for 5 years or for 2 years after the successor product (N+1) is released, whichever is longer. Microsoft will also provide Extended Support for the 5 years following Mainstream support or for 2 years after the second successor product (N+2) is released, whichever is longer. Finally, most Business and Developer products will receive at least 10 years of online self-help support.
I need to know wether or not to buy the VS 2010 premium or not. I have the Visual StudioTeam System 2008 Database Edition working on my own version of vs 2008 team suite. My coworkers only have VS2008 professional. We are moving to VS2010 now. We do not have MSDN licenses for our company right now. We are looking to buy just the VS2010 no MSDN. It is very pricey to get 6 licences of VS2010 premium. We need to get our database into source control. We are currently email scripts around, and it very difficult to keep track off. Are there any non-microsoft solutions that would be the same features and be free?
Does the entire team need the Premium functionality? Contrary to the title of your question, VS2010 Professional does include the Database Project. What you don't get is schema compare, data compare, data generator, unit testing, refactoring, and static code analysis. So one compromise option would be to get one Premium for the person who needs the above tools, and leave everyone else with Professional?
How much time do you lose on your projects emailing data model changes around? How much extra time does the team spend debugging because of using that process? If you add up all that time, look at what could have been built instead and general developer happiness; maybe the price for VS Premium isn't so bad.
I'm just saying its easy to be blown away by sticker shock on tools until you add up all the lost time that could have been going to money making product development.
For database projects you definitely need what they call a "data dude" (Database Edition) or Team System (for 2008).
For 2010 it's either Premium or Ultimate.
Another option would be to move database development into the main (non-database project) by using some ORM tool. Either Linq2Sql, Entity Framework or a third party solution like nHibernate.
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I have to test my product with SQL Server database. Based on the search, I know I have to get hold of Developer Edition. I need to know whether for my team of 10 to access the database for testing needs 10 CALs or 10 developer licenses?
I searched enough in the net but couldn't find a straight answer.
My test setup will be like, SQL Server Developer Edition will be installed in a Test QA machine and my team will connect to that machine to test our product with.
Thanks,
ramanr
For SQL Server 2008 Developer, Microsoft's licensing page states:
You must acquire a license for each user you permit to access or use the
software. You may install any number of copies on any number of devices for
access and use by one user to design, develop, test and demonstrate
programs. Only licensed users may access the software.
They also state:
Demonstration. In addition to the licensed user, any person that has
access to your internal network may install and use copies of the software
to demonstrate use of your programs with the software.
ISTR SQL Server 2005 is similar: i.e., one copy per developer.
In addition to Chris J's answer, the licensing also provides:
II) Additional Licensing Requirements and/or Use Rights.
User Testing. Your end users may access the software to perform acceptance tests on your programs.
Microsoft answers:
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2005/en/us/developer.aspx
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I've written a plugin for a game that connects to a PHP page and sends it information from the game. The PHP page takes this information, connects to a SQL Server 2005 instance, then inserts the information given into a variety of tables.
I am using Apache (WampServer) to host the PHP page and SQL Server 2005 Express for hosting the database server. This setup is 'okay' as far as development goes, but I wish to release this plugin to other players. Their version of the plugin would be identical to mine in that it would connect to a remote PHP page to either add data to the database or query information from the database.
Since 'clients' are not directly hitting the database, would SQL Server 2005 require a paid license of some type for me to 'legally' use it in this way? What is the standard definition of 'production server?'
Note: I am not making any money from this plugin or PHP page however the game the plugin is written for does require a paid subscription. I am not the developer or in any way affiliated with the game however (other than a paid subscription myself).
SqlExpress is free no matter what the deployment, you just have to accept the limitations
Single CPU
1GB RAM Max Usage
4GB Database size limit (not including logs)
Based on your description I think that the SQLExpress would work fine for your application.
Here's a reference from MS http://www.microsoft.com/Sqlserver/2005/en/us/compare-features.aspx
Express is free and does not require a license fee
If you upgrade to a regular (Standard, Enterprise etc) SQL Server version then typically you get a per CPU license for a web server
SQL Server typically requires a license in your scenario, which is multiplexing.
If you are redistributing Express, meaning sending it to people that install it on their machines to use your plugin, yuo need to register (http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2005/en/us/express-redistribute.aspx).
If you have Express on some server that people hit from a web page, you are OK, though you might run into performance issues with the 1GB ram limit.