CAL and POS software

I have a client that is migrating to SQL Server as the D/B for their POS software. The software uses a Pool Manager to exchange data with the D/B. The pool maintains 3 active connections to the D/B per module instance. The POS clients connect to the Po
ol Manager. Considering that their are only 3 connections to SQL per instance, and the POS clients connect to the Pool Manager instead of the SQL D/B, do each of the POS clients still require a CAL or would the server only require CALs to cover the maxim
um Pool D/B connections? Given 3 open modules, this would be a maximum of 9 connections which would require 9 CALs vs. 30. At around $150 per CAL, this could mean a cost difference of $2000 in a SQL+CAL vs. SQL Processor license. Although the obvious i
s to avoid the issue and go for the processor license, $2K is a significant chunk of my client's money in a typically strained budget.
This is what is known as multiplexing and it's explained in the SQL Server
2000 Pricing and Licensing white paper available at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobu...licensing.asp. The part that
pertains to you is:
MULTIPLEXING: USE OF MIDDLEWARE, TRANSACTION SERVERS, AND MULTI-TIERED
ARCHITECTURES
Sometimes organizations develop network scenarios that use various forms of
hardware and/or software that reduce the number of devices or users that
directly access or utilize the software on a particular server, often called
multiplexing or pooling hardware or software. For example, say a client PC
is using a server application that calls the Microsoft Transaction Server
(MTS) component of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server on one server, which in
turn pulls data from a Microsoft SQL Server database on another server. In
this case, the only direct connection to Microsoft SQL Server is coming from
the server running MTS. The client PC has a direct connection to the server
running MTS, but also has an indirect connection to SQL Server because it is
ultimately retrieving and using the SQL Server data through MTS. Use of such
multiplexing or pooling hardware and/or software does not reduce the number
of CALs required in order to access or utilize SQL Server software. A CAL is
required for each distinct device or user to the multiplexing or pooling
software or hardware front end. If, in the above example, 50 PCs were
connected to the MTS server, 50 SQL Server Device CALs would be required.
This is true no matter how many tiers of hardware or software exist between
the SQL Server and the client devices that ultimately use its data, services
or functionality.
Sincerely,
Stephen Dybing
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"microchp" <anonymous@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E090746F-3208-4042-9E35-0554766D6908@.microsoft.com...
> I have a client that is migrating to SQL Server as the D/B for their POS
software. The software uses a Pool Manager to exchange data with the D/B.
The pool maintains 3 active connections to the D/B per module instance. The
POS clients connect to the Pool Manager. Considering that their are only 3
connections to SQL per instance, and the POS clients connect to the Pool
Manager instead of the SQL D/B, do each of the POS clients still require a
CAL or would the server only require CALs to cover the maximum Pool D/B
connections? Given 3 open modules, this would be a maximum of 9 connections
which would require 9 CALs vs. 30. At around $150 per CAL, this could mean
a cost difference of $2000 in a SQL+CAL vs. SQL Processor license. Although
the obvious is to avoid the issue and go for the processor license, $2K is a
significant chunk of my client's money in a typically strained budget.