Windows Server 2008 had been released for quite some time, and the new Hyper-V is really a big new player in server playground, which has stunning performance and easy management. Besides these, it is free, not only the Hyper-V add-on in itself, but you are also licensed to use a bunch of virtualized OS.

On Microsoft’s official website for Windows Server 2008, it states:

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So each Windows Server version has a definite number of virtual images that is allowed to run on the host within virtual application, but not limited to Microsoft’s own Hyper-V. All kinds of virtualization software would be okay to enjoy this privilege. More interesting thing is for Datacenter and Itanium, it slate unlimited virtual images for use.

I had searched all over the Internet and couldn’t find a single thorough answer to what it actually means. How would Microsoft make it unlimited for Datacenter? Is it that virtualized system don’t require an activation? And if it does, will it cost any of my activation allowance when these virtualized system activate?

To all these, I found out my answer. If you got the same ones, read on.

While I don’t know Itanium version well, I do had chances to play with a real datacenter and got to know more about the virtual licensing, which turns out to be true on all other versions. Virtulized systems do require activation, though they vary a little in detail. Let me explain it shortly.

For every version of Server 2008, Microsoft had three kinds of license keys to activate their power, which are Retail type, MAK type and KMS type.

For Retail type license, Microsoft pack two license keys into the shipping box, so you got one Physical license for your physical server, and the other Virtual license for the virtual images. Okay, this works perfectly on Standard, but what about Enterprise’s 4 images right?

I just came across this problem when trying to activate the virtual systems. They failed to be activated, only to tell me the maximum allowance is exceeded. The only way to get this solved is a phone call to Microsoft, so I did it and found out more about the licensing.

Well, it’s like this. Microsoft issue license keys for the products they sold, and how many virtual systems you can use here simply means how many of them you are licensed to use, not how many of them that could definitely get activated through Internet. You can always phone Microsoft to get your systems activated to enjoy your right to use everything you are allowed.

For MAK type license, which slashes one instance of activation off the total allowed number each time you activate the system, with that being said, each virtual system would cost you one activation, meaning fully utilizing your Enterprise server would slash 5 counts off the total allowance.

As to the Datacenter, which has the right to use any number of virtual system, Microsoft simply issue a license key that has very many activation allowances, so that theoretically you are in no concern of running out of the allowance for activating all the virtual systems you have, and even if you had used up all that many activations, you can just give Microsoft a call to ask for more.

For KMS type license, which activate every machine that connects to it, it’s just a matter of extra activations which wouldn’t create troubles at all since KMS has immense rights to activate.

So fundamentally, it’s not that these virtual systems don’t ask for activations within virtualized environment, instead they all work just as they did on a physical server, it’s Microsoft’s allowance for extra quest of more activation that really works here.

Actually, Microsoft doesn’t have any license that would enable unlimited use of virtual images all by itself. It’s like a giant oil tank in the car; it is big, but it cannot be big enough to take the unlimited, but if a gas station will help here to give you enough oil every time your car needs it, you are having the unlimited…

And in here, Microsoft is the giant license station to grant your wishes to lift the limit off your keys.