Calculation of Required Licenses for Transition from WinSer22 Standard Evaluation to WinSer22 Standard

Hello @Iakushev Georgii

Welcome to Microsoft QnA!

Licensing Requirements:

• Core Licenses: You must license all physical cores of the host server to be compliant. Since your server has 32 cores (2 CPUs * 16 cores each), you'll need licenses for all 32 cores. You mentioned having licenses for 16 cores, so you'll need to purchase an additional 16 core licenses.
• VM Licenses: With Windows Server 2022 Standard, you have the right to run two VMs. Since you have four VMs, you'll need to purchase two additional Windows Server 2022 Standard licenses.
• The incorrect expiration timer you experienced might be due to a few factors:
  • Evaluation Mode: VMs in evaluation mode might have different timer behaviors compared to fully licensed VMs.
  • Activation Issues: There could have been a temporary issue with the activation server or your network connection.
  • Incorrect Licensing Configuration: Double-check that your core licenses are correctly activated and that your licensing server (if applicable) is functioning properly.

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I hope this helps!

Kindly mark the answer as Accepted and Upvote in case it helped!

Regards

Hello @Iakushev Georgii

Thanks for the Input

Let's break it down:

Absolutely! Let's break down how to verify the core licenses and explore options for your VM licenses.

Verifying Core Licenses:

SLMGR:

• Open a PowerShell prompt as Administrator.
  • Run the following command: slmgr /dlv
    • This will display the Windows Server license information, including the number of cores licensed and the edition.
      • Verify that it shows 16 cores for the base license and an additional 16 cores for the additional license, totaling 32.
      System Information:

      - Press the Windows key + R, type `msinfo32`, and press Enter.
      
         - In the System Summary section, look for "Processor" and "OS Name."
      
            - Verify that the "OS Name" indicates Windows Server 2022 Standard and that the number of cores listed under "Processor" matches the total number of cores on your server (32 in this case).
      
            **HPE iLO:**
      
               - If your server has HPE iLO (Integrated Lights-Out), you can check the licensing information there.
      
                  - The iLO interface should show the installed licenses, including the Windows Server licenses.
      
                  **Contact HPE or Microsoft Support:**
      
                     - If you have any doubts or discrepancies, contact HPE or Microsoft support. They can assist you in verifying the activation status and resolving any licensing issues.
      

VM Licenses - Options and Considerations:

• Temporary Grace Period: Windows Server 2022 Standard typically has a 180-day grace period for VMs. This means you can run two VMs for a limited time without additional licenses while you wait for the distributor's response.
• Reactivating VMs: If the VMs were activated initially but are now deactivated, you might be able to reactivate them within the grace period using your existing Windows Server license key. Try running slmgr /ato within each VM.
• Extended Grace Period: In some cases, Microsoft might grant an extended grace period. You can contact Microsoft support to inquire about this possibility.
• Alternative Licensing: If obtaining the additional licenses takes longer than expected, you could temporarily consider:
  • Consolidating workloads onto one VM to reduce the immediate need for licenses.
    • Using a different hypervisor that might offer more flexibility with licensing.

Important Note: It's crucial to comply with Microsoft's licensing terms. Ensure that you have the necessary licenses for all VMs you are running on Windows Server 2022 Standard.

Let me know if you have any further questions or need help with the commands!Absolutely! Let's break down how to verify the core licenses and explore options for your VM licenses.

Verifying Core Licenses:

SLMGR:

• Open a PowerShell prompt as Administrator.
  • Run the following command: slmgr /dlv
    • This will display the Windows Server license information, including the number of cores licensed and the edition.
      • Verify that it shows 16 cores for the base license and an additional 16 cores for the additional license, totaling 32.
      System Information:

      - Press the Windows key + R, type `msinfo32`, and press Enter.
      
         - In the System Summary section, look for "Processor" and "OS Name."
      
            - Verify that the "OS Name" indicates Windows Server 2022 Standard and that the number of cores listed under "Processor" matches the total number of cores on your server (32 in this case).
      
            **HPE iLO:**
      
               - If your server has HPE iLO (Integrated Lights-Out), you can check the licensing information there.
      
                  - The iLO interface should show the installed licenses, including the Windows Server licenses.
      
                  **Contact HPE or Microsoft Support:**
      
                     - If you have any doubts or discrepancies, contact HPE or Microsoft support. They can assist you in verifying the activation status and resolving any licensing issues.
      

VM Licenses - Options and Considerations:

• Temporary Grace Period: Windows Server 2022 Standard typically has a 180-day grace period for VMs. This means you can run two VMs for a limited time without additional licenses while you wait for the distributor's response.
• Reactivating VMs: If the VMs were activated initially but are now deactivated, you might be able to reactivate them within the grace period using your existing Windows Server license key. Try running slmgr /ato within each VM.
• Extended Grace Period: In some cases, Microsoft might grant an extended grace period. You can contact Microsoft support to inquire about this possibility.
• Alternative Licensing: If obtaining the additional licenses takes longer than expected, you could temporarily consider:
  • Consolidating workloads onto one VM to reduce the immediate need for licenses.
    • Using a different hypervisor that might offer more flexibility with licensing.

--

I hope this helps!

Kindly mark the answer as Accepted and Upvote in case it helped!

Regards

Hello @Konstantinos Passadis

I just completed the suggested steps

SLMGR.
I have added a screenshot with the obtained information. However, I cannot find information regarding the licensing of all cores. I have the "Proof of License" with the tracking ID for the additional core license and the WinSer22 Standard ROK.

Additionally, when I try to activate the license from the HW Server (Hyper-V) on one of the VMs, I receive a message stating that the key is invalid.

Hello @Iakushev Georgii

Thanks for the Input

Based on the Screenshot i can assume you have licensed correclty all cores

You can also try

slmgr.vbs /dlv can show detailed license information including whether additional core licenses have been applied.

For the key issue :

1. Key Type Mismatch

• OEM Keys: If the Windows Server license key you're using is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) key, it might be tied to the physical hardware and not valid for use on virtual machines.
• Volume License Keys: If you're using a volume license, ensure that the key is for a version of Windows Server that is allowed to be used on virtual machines.
• AVMA Keys: Windows Server Datacenter Edition includes a feature called Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA). If your host is running Windows Server Datacenter, you can use an AVMA key to activate VMs without needing a separate key for each VM. However, this requires the host server to have been activated with a Datacenter edition key.

manual activation :

slmgr.vbs /ipk <Your-Product-Key>

slmgr.vbs /ato

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I hope this helps!

Kindly mark the answer as Accepted and Upvote in case it helped!

Regards