When you want to deploy your business in a Microsoft software-based environment, Microsoft licenses can be provided through Alibaba Cloud.
- Use Microsoft licenses provided by Alibaba Cloud
Purchase Microsoft licenses from Alibaba Cloud. These licenses are included in Windows Server public images that are provided by Alibaba Cloud or Alibaba Cloud Marketplace images that have SQL Server pre-installed.
- Bring your own license
If you have purchased a Microsoft license, apply for Microsoft License Mobility through Software Assurance to bring your own license (BYOL) to Alibaba Cloud.
Use Microsoft licenses provided by Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud is licensed by the Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) to provide Microsoft licenses . Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service (ECS) and ApsaraDB RDS provide software licensed by Microsoft, such as Windows Server images and ApsaraDB RDS for SQL Server databases. Client Access Licenses (CALs) are not required for Alibaba Cloud ECS instances that run Windows Server images. By default, each Windows Server instance has two connections that are used only for management purposes. If you need more connections or want to use the connections for non-management purposes, an extra Remote Desktop Services CAL (RDS CAL) is required.
You can select an appropriate Windows Server image or database type when you create an ECS instance. For more information, see Create an instance by using the wizard. The following table lists the versions of Windows Server images and SQL Server versions provided by Alibaba Cloud.
| Windows Server version | SQL Server version |
|---|---|
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Bring your own license
- Microsoft licenses without Software Assurance coverage If your Microsoft license does not have Software Assurance coverage, you can use ECS bare metal instances or dedicated hosts. The resources offered by these instances or hosts are exclusive for your use, so you can use your own Microsoft licenses even though these licenses do not have Software Assurance coverage. For more information, see Overview and What is DDH?.Important To meet compliance requirements, you must have obtained your license before October 1, 2019 and the operating system versions must have been released before October 1, 2019.
All Microsoft software covered by the Microsoft Product Terms can be deployed on ECS bare metal instances or dedicated hosts. Examples include:
- Microsoft Windows Server
- Microsoft Exchange Server
- Microsoft SharePoint Server
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Microsoft System Center
- Microsoft Dynamics
- MSDN
- Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (user CALs)
- Microsoft licenses with Software Assurance coverage
You can migrate your Microsoft license to Alibaba Cloud and continue to use it by using the Software Assurance and Microsoft Volume Licensing programs. For software covered by the license terms of valid Microsoft products, you can apply for License Mobility through Software Assurance before you migrate services to ECS. For more information, see Apply for License Mobility and What is SMC?.
The following list describes eligible Microsoft applications and services:
- Microsoft Exchange Server
- Microsoft SharePoint Server
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Microsoft System Center
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft BizTalk Server
- Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (user CALs)
- Microsoft Skype for Business Server
Statement of rights and responsibilities
Microsoft offers a comprehensive set of applications and services that are performance-oriented, secure, and stable. Select the solution that fits your requirements, and always comply with Microsoft licensing policy. This document is for reference only and not to be construed as legal advice. For answers to questions about the authorization and reserved rights of Microsoft applications and services, consult your legal team, a law firm, Microsoft, or Microsoft partners.