Re: [Xen-users] How do I get Windows licenses for virtual machines?

[Anthony Wright <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

What we're talking about is a buyback contract for the physical
hardware. I want our customers to own the hardware (often they supply
it), but for the terms of the SPLA licensing agreement from Microsoft my
company has to own the hardware. Thus a buyback contract would allow us
to buy the hardware from the customer for a nominal $1 while it was
needed to provide the service to them, prevent us from selling it to
anybody else, include terms to deal with exceptional circumstances like
company failure and at any time the customer can buy the hardware back
for $1. Buying the hardware back would obviously terminate the contract
with them, since they would no longer be licensed for the software.

Anthony.

Dustin Henning wrote:
>       Wouldn't buyback contracts with an option to buy be Potentially
> dangerous with a virtual machine?  I mean, if they own the virtual machine,
> then do they only own the data, or do they own a potentially perpetual chunk
> of virtual hardware that you might have to host permanently for free?
> Obviously this would allow you to continue to sell bandwidth, but when the
> hardware machine died, the virtual machine didn't really, so the virtual
> machine might have to be considered as infallible.  Sad to say, but in such
> a scenario, perhaps virtuozzo ore HyperV with an Enterprise license would be
> better alternatives.  Keep digging, though, I'm sure the list would love to
> see a solution involving Xen.
>       Dustin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Anthony Wright
> Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 10:39
> To: Nathan Eisenberg
> Cc: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Xen-users] How do I get Windows licenses for virtual machines?
>
> I'm interested to look at a server licensing program, I'm just more
> familiar with the desktop software, and was in a hurry so started there.
> Essentially I have  a dotNET application, and need IIS & the dotNET
> framework to be able to run it (it's not suitable for Mono
> unfortunately). I'm trying to find the cheapest way to do this, and if
> possible one that doesn't involve handling large numbers of boxes or
> licenses.
>
> Any information you could provide on the Server 2008 licensing would be
> really appreciated. Also if you happen to know where I could look at
> some sale & buyback contracts to use as examples, that would be really
> useful too.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Anthony.
>
> Nathan Eisenberg wrote:
>   
>> There's not a licensing program I am aware of that does what you want
>>     
> using the desktop product lineup.  For what you are doing, it sounds like a
> server OS (server 2008 web if your application is appropriate for that OS),
> a SPLA, plus some business arrangements (equipment is sold to your company
> for $1 at the start of the contract, and the customer has an optional $1
> buyback at the close of the contract) are required.
>   
>> Best Regards,
>> Nathan Eisenberg
>>
>>
>>   
>>     
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:xen-users-
>>> bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Anthony Wright
>>> Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:29 AM
>>> To: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: [Xen-users] How do I get Windows licenses for virtual
>>> machines?
>>>
>>> I'm having real problems trying to negotiate through Microsoft to be
>>> able to find a license that I can buy for a Windows XP Pro or Windows 7
>>> Pro DomU, that allows the following things:
>>>
>>> 1) There is no Windows OEM license for the hardware as Linux is the
>>> Dom0
>>> O/S and we only install a Windows DomU on a small proportion of boxes
>>>
>>> 2) Normally the customer owns the hardware not us
>>>
>>> We've just started shipping a product that requires this setup, and
>>> have
>>> investigated Volume Licensing - but that requires an OEM license for
>>> the
>>> box. SPLA licensing but that requires an OEM license & the box to be
>>> owned by us.
>>>
>>> The only option I've had offered by Microsoft is buying retail boxed
>>> licenses, and while I'll go down that route if I have to, it's the most
>>> expensive solution, and it's going to be a real administration headache
>>> with loads of retail boxes and keys flying around.
>>>
>>> Has anybody else had this problem before, and if so do you have any
>>> suggestions. I really am tearing my hair out on this one.
>>>
>>> thanks,
>>>
>>> Anthony Wright.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Xen-users mailing list
>>> Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
>>>
>>>
>>>     
>>>       
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>
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