Hello,

I've been extensively researching the licensing aspects for MS SQL 2000 , and have come across the following in the EULA for the product:

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From: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/servlicense.asp
And Also: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/serverproc.asp

3. NO RENTAL/NO COMMERCIAL HOSTING. You may not rent, lease, lend, or provide commercial hosting services with the Product.
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I have not found a straight answer anywhere, but it appears that if you are a web hosting service provider, you have to enroll in the Microsoft Certified Partner program. The requirements for this program are the following: 1.) $1150/year 2.) Your company must employ at least 2 Microsoft Certified Professionals.

SO... what do you guys think about this? It states pretty clearly that you can't use the product for commercial hosting.

I just think this is just getting ridiculous. I started out thinking that I would buy a $700 SQL license, then I was convinced I needed to go with the per CPU license (at $5,000). Finally caved in and was about to go for that, and I happen upon the above clause in the EULA.

I am wondering how many hosting companies out there did not see the clause, and are using CPU licenses for web hosting???

Needless to say I'm feeling very frustrated right now... :angry: :angry:

Thank god for mysql! That truly shows how greedy bill is :)

I just took this from the mysql.com website.

MYSQL LICENSES
For circumstances under which a commercial MySQL license is required, you need a license per database server (single installed MySQL binary). There are no restrictions on the number of connections, number of CPUs, memory or disks to that one database server.


A commercial license is $200 or $395.

Why do web hosts keep thinking mysql is free on a commercial web server?

because they don't enforce it or even make it well known. It's still cheaper (and better IMO) than MS SQL :)

Originally posted by neufusion
Thank god for mysql! That truly shows how greedy bill is :)

Also, From their site:
ISP MySQL Services

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often host MySQL servers for their customers. With the GPL license this does not require a license.

On the other hand, we do encourage people to use ISPs that have MySQL support, as this will give them the confidence that if they have some problem with their MySQL installation, their ISP will be able to solve the problem for them (in some cases with the help from the MySQL development team).

All ISPs that want to keep themselves up-to-date should subscribe to our announce mailing list so that they can be aware of critical issues that may be relevant for their MySQL installations.

Note that if the ISP doesn't have a license for MySQL, it should give its customers at least read access to the source of the MySQL installation so that its customers can verify that it is patched correctly.



http://www.mysql.com/support/arrangements/example/isp.html

Ok, i missed that. But now how many web hosts pay mysql support?

http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/Using_the_MySQL_software_for_free_under_GPL.html

When you use the MySQL Database Software in conjunction with a web server, you do not need a commercial license (so long as it is not a product you distribute). This is true even if you run a commercial web server that uses MySQL Server, because you are not distributing any part of the MySQL system. However, in this case we would like you to purchase MySQL support because the MySQL software is helping your enterprise.
If your use of MySQL database software does not require a commercial license, we encourage you to purchase support from MySQL AB anyway. This way you contribute toward MySQL development and also gain immediate advantages for yourself. See section 1.4.1 Support Offered by MySQL AB.

If you use the MySQL database software in a commercial context such that you profit by its use, we ask that you further the development of the MySQL software by purchasing some level of support. We feel that if the MySQL database helps your business, it is reasonable to ask that you help MySQL AB. (Otherwise, if you ask us support questions, you are not only using for free something into which we've put a lot a work, you're asking us to provide free support, too.)



p.s. its a shame they do not have the research money to go after MS SQL server since its seems to be the database for the web.

mpope

sorry to throw in the mysql stuff on your thread.

There must be something that allows web hosting or SQL Server with .NET would never happen. Also some of the Microsoft preferred vendors for Frontpage offer database support.

No problem, I would like to keep it on topic though....

Yes, I believe that you need to become a MCP to use MS SQL for web hosting. (I said this in the first post). I would like to hear from people that are doing MS SQL hosting and what their take on this is though!

Microsoft licensing is a nightmare. I'm not a hosting company, but just working out what license to get to host a clients app on a Web server takes hours of phonecalls.

I think there are *a lot* of smaller hosting companies that run their hosting operations with 5 CAL SQL Server licenses or similar, cause so often pricing is so ridiculously low, that to cover the cost of the license, they'd need 5,000 databases per server.

The only way you'll be sure you got the right answer, is to call MS up and ask.

MS can kiss my buttocks. I had the option of licensing SQL7 for $7,000 or licensing MySQL for $200 and sending my DB admin to a $1,500 week-long MySQL training class.

No brainer.

The trick is to get a nice job for microsoft. Then you pay less than 10% on all licenses, and you pay 2% on OS licenses, kinda nice for advanced server ;]

Im not one, but I do know a few who have saved me countless....