A straight forward no-nonsense guide to licensing a SQL Server. Whether you're after client tools licenising or need a license for a monster Enterprise Edition server, or whether you want know how virtual environment differs from physical environment licensing, this article describes how to license SQL Server for each.

Click here to access a calculator that will take details input by yourself and give you a good idea of which licensing model to choose for a new SQL Server. The calculator consists of a dynamic wizard that takes you through a maximum of 10 steps, each step dependant on previous steps, and finalises with a summary of costs for each licensing model. You can then make a calculated decision on which licensing route you may prefer to go down.

Please note that this calculator was developed by myself and is not connected with Microsoft or my employer in any way.