Windows Server 2022 Hyper-V licensing costs

Question

Hi,

I manage the IT department of a small company in Australia.

We are currently using VMWare per CPU based perpetual license purchased prior to Broadcom acquisition on 4 hosts + VCenter Server

Currently I am considering to only use a single host with 64 physical cores (2x 32core CPUs)

With the new subscription model intruded by Broadcom TCO will go through the roof.
We currently own Server 2019 40 license MAK.

If we migrate to HyperV setup. Can we still use the existing 40 licenses we own?

Is there a limit to how many VMs can be run on a HV host ?

Answer 1

Hello Charm Abeywardana,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

You cannot use a Windows Server 2019 MAK (Multiple Activation Key) to activate Windows Server 2022. Each version of Windows Server requires its own specific product key for activation. Therefore, you will need to obtain a MAK specifically for Windows Server 2022 to activate it.          

And if you chose to use Hyper-V on Windows server, there are some considerations and limitations you need to know:

1. License Usage: Each host needs to be licensed. A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor, and a minimum of 16 core licenses is required for each server. Core licenses are sold in packs of two. The Standard Edition provides rights for up to 2 Operating System Environments (OSEs) or Windows Server containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores in the server are licensed. For each additional 1 or 2 VMs, all the physical cores in the server must be licensed again
2. VM Limits: The Standard Edition allows for up to 2 VMs per license. If you need to run more than 2 VMs on a single host, you will need to license all the physical cores in the server again for each additional 1 or 2 VMs. The DataCenter Edition, on the other hand, provides rights for unlimited Operating System Environments or Windows Server containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores in the server are licensed
3. Activation: When you activate the host with a MAK license, you will use one activation for the host and another activation for each VM's OS. This means that you will need to ensure you have enough activations available for all the VMs you plan to run.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

============================================

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.

Answer 2

Hello Charm Abeywardana,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

You cannot use a Windows Server 2019 MAK (Multiple Activation Key) to activate Windows Server 2022. Each version of Windows Server requires its own specific product key for activation. Therefore, you will need to obtain a MAK specifically for Windows Server 2022 to activate it.          

And if you chose to use Hyper-V on Windows server, there are some considerations and limitations you need to know:

1.License Usage: Each host needs to be licensed. A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor, and a minimum of 16 core licenses is required for each server. Core licenses are sold in packs of two. The Standard Edition provides rights for up to 2 Operating System Environments (OSEs) or Windows Server containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores in the server are licensed. For each additional 1 or 2 VMs, all the physical cores in the server must be licensed again

2.VM Limits: The Standard Edition allows for up to 2 VMs per license. If you need to run more than 2 VMs on a single host, you will need to license all the physical cores in the server again for each additional 1 or 2 VMs. The DataCenter Edition, on the other hand, provides rights for unlimited Operating System Environments or Windows Server containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores in the server are licensed

3.Activation: When you activate the host with a MAK license, you will use one activation for the host and another activation for each VM's OS. This means that you will need to ensure you have enough activations available for all the VMs you plan to run.

Here is the link for your reference:

Automatic Virtual Machine Activation in Windows Server | Microsoft Learn

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

============================================

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.