The edition for when your server no longer runs one application, but your entire infrastructure.
The difference from Windows Server Standard is virtualisation: Standard allows two virtual machines per licensed hardware, Datacenter allows as many as the machine can carry.
If your operation spins virtual servers up and down regularly, or you already run more than two on the same hardware, Datacenter pays for itself.
From the fourth or fifth virtual machine onward, buying additional Standard licences ends up costing more than a single Datacenter licence.
It also includes the software defined datacenter features Standard leaves out: Storage Spaces Direct to build high availability storage from the disks in your own servers, Storage Replica to keep a synchronised copy at another site, software defined networking and shielded virtual machines.
On licensing: it is by physical server cores, all of them must be covered, and the manufacturer's minimum is 16 cores per server and 8 per processor, even if the machine has fewer.
In practice, a single processor server with 8 cores still requires 16 licensed cores, that is 8 two core packs.
And beyond the operating system, every user or device accessing the server needs its own Client Access Licence (CAL). That is not optional and applies exactly as it does with Standard.
The subscription model on a 12 month term lets you build the infrastructure without the upfront investment of a perpetual licence, and the cost is recorded as operating expense rather than capital investment.
We calculate how many packs your server needs, confirm whether Datacenter is genuinely the right fit or Standard is enough, define your CALs and support your team through implementation.
