Licensing Options for Microsoft Windows
You can choose to bring your own license (BYOL) for Microsoft applications that you want to run on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or use a license that is issued by Oracle.
The following table describes the licensing models that are available for using Microsoft Windows images on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
| Image | License | Additional Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Platform image | Issued by Oracle |
VM instances on a shared host, bare metal instances, and VM instances launched on a dedicated host are all permitted. BYOL for platform images is not available. |
| Bring your own image (BYOI) | Issued by Oracle |
VM instances on a shared host, bare metal instances, and VM instances launched on a dedicated host are all permitted. Import the image. Oracle will issue a license when an instance is created using the imported image. |
| Bring your own image (BYOI) | BYOL |
Instances must be launched on a dedicated host. Create a bare metal instance using the KVM image from Marketplace. Then, copy your Windows guest OS to the hypervisor. |
| Bring your own Hyper-V | Issued by Oracle |
Instances must be launched on a dedicated host. Create a bare metal instance using the Windows Server Datacenter platform image. Then, copy your on-premises guest OS to Hyper-V on the bare metal instance. |
Bringing Your Own Microsoft License
You can BYOL for Microsoft application licenses that are eligible for License Mobility with active Software Assurance onto virtual machines and dedicated hosts. According to the Microsoft Product Terms, some of the applications that are permitted for BYOL include the following:
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Microsoft Exchange Server
- Microsoft SharePoint Server
- Microsoft System Center
- Microsoft Dynamics products
Any Microsoft Server licenses permitted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure must be eligible according to the latest Microsoft Product Terms. It is your responsibility to verify that the licensing agreements with Microsoft permit you to bring on-premises perpetual Microsoft licenses to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and are eligible licensed products according to the latest Microsoft Product Terms. Microsoft application products that are currently eligible for License Mobility require an active Software Assurance benefit to move your license. For more information, see Moving Microsoft Licenses to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure: Microsoft License Mobility.
For Microsoft Windows Server OS, there are restrictions. BYOL is only permitted for eligible Windows OS licenses with active Software Assurance running on a dedicated bare metal host or a dedicated VM host using a KVM hypervisor.
For Windows clients (Windows 8 and Windows 10), BYOL is permitted for Enterprise Agreement licenses with an active Software Assurance benefit or with Windows Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) licenses.
Activating licenses can either be scripted on startup using the slmgr.vbs command line tool or by using your own Microsoft Key Management Service (KMS) server.
Activating Licenses on a Dedicated Host
When you bring your own Microsoft licenses, you are responsible for validating that your licensing agreements with Microsoft permit you to move your own licenses to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with all Microsoft product terms and product use conditions.
For More Information
For more information on setting up your Windows instance, see: