Windows 2012 licensing on ESXi

[ajithkt]

In a Windows 2012 standard license we can have only 2 VMs; so in one ESXi server(of any sockets) we can host a maximum of 2 VMs; so in my environment we have 3 esxi hosts in a cluster with each running 2 VMs.

so please let me know how much Windows standard/Datacenter license should I procure.

As per my understanding; i will require 3 datacenter licenses.

We cannot have 3 standard windows license because we can have only 2 VMs per host (3 servers); this is OK in ideal case scenario.

But if we need to move one VM from one ESXi host to another i.e

ESXi 1 having 1 VMs

ESXi 2 having 3 VMs ---> violation of licensing

ESXi 3 having 2 VMs

then it will be a violation of the licensing policies.

Please correct if my understanding is wrong.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

That sounds correct that a single standard license per host may not be enough. Another option is to buy a second standard license per host which would allow any host to run up to four operating system environments concurrent.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/3/9/F39124F7-0177-463C-8A08-582463F96C9D/Windows_Server_201...

https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/C/E/7CED6910-C7B2-4196-8C55-208EE0B427E2/Windows_Server_20...

Also note legal licensing questions are better directed towards your reseller's trained licensing specialist or ask microsoft directly. Any anonymous forums replies (including my own) are opinions at best and in no way legally binding.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/officelocator/default.aspx
or email volume licensing service.https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/supportrequestform/2afa6f15-b710-db46-909a-8346017c802f?sl=en&sc...