Does this come with Windows Server 2019 as well? It's not just an additional add-on license for an existing set up right? I'm interesting in setting it up in my lab and I don't want to deal with ones that expire in 180 days. I just want to make it all work.

Question

Does this come with Windows Server 2019 as well?  It's not just an additional add-on license for an existing set up right?  I'm interesting in setting it up in my lab and I don't want to deal with ones that expire in 180 days.  I just want to make it all work.

Accepted Answer

This is a client access license. It is not the server OS itself. You would need to purchase that separately with the appropriate number of processor core count coverage with 16 cores covered being the minimum purchase per Microsoft Licensing requirements. To properly license a server OS, you must count the number of processor cores (ex. 1. You have hardware with 1 processor and 16 or fewer cores - You would need to buy a 16 core Server OS  + 1 CAL per user or device that will access the server. ex. 2. You have hardware with 2 10 core processors. You would need to buy the 16 core base server license + Add-on core packs to get to the 20 count for core coverage + 1 CAL per user or device that will access the server.

When you buy the Windows Server 2019 Std OS, you are entitled to run up to two virtual server OS instances on one physical server.  I did this in my lab. I used the VMware Free ESXi as a hypervisor and run two Windows 2019 Standard VMs as domain controllers. I purchased the 1 user to cover me as the sole user.

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