Dual-core processors stir up licensing mess

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DENI CONNOR ON SERVERS
07/26/05
Today's focus: Dual-core processors stir up licensing mess

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Software licensing in the age of dual-core processors
* Links related to Servers
* Featured reader resource
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VoIP, poses many questions, among them; vendors vs. carriers,
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Challenges, Drivers, Hurdles, and Recommendation analyzes the
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Today's focus: Dual-core processors stir up licensing mess

By Deni Connor

The advent of the first dual-core processors from Intel has sent
independent software vendors scrambling to re-evaluate the
licensing plans for their software.

Both Oracle and VMware, an EMC company, last week unveiled
licensing for customers using servers with dual-core processors.
VMware will license its software by the socket, so software
running on a dual-core machine will require just one license.

Oracle's licensing <http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3752>
is more complicated. It consists of multiplying the number of
cores by 0.75. For instance, a chip with eight cores and four
sockets would require a six-processor license. But if, for
instance, a customer is using a 10-core, five-socket server,
multiplying by 0.75 would result in 7.5 licenses. In that case,
Oracle would round up to eight licenses and charge the customer
for the difference.

Microsoft
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2004/1019micronoex.html?rl>,
Novell and Red Hat price their software on a per-socket basis -
the simplest model for customers to follow. IBM only licenses
software for its x86-based servers this way. For its
PowerPC-based servers it licenses software by the number of
cores.

VMware's licensing makes all kinds of sense, considering that
the company's whole mode of operations is to virtualize physical
servers and make it seem to users that they have more processing
power available to them.

Oracle's licensing is more confusing and adds to an already
complicated licensing scheme. As other ISVs address this issue
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers2581>, I hope they will
evolve toward socket-based licensing. It makes it easier for
users with limited IT budgets to absorb.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Verizon joins managed security game
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3753>

2. Future-proof your network
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3547>

3. VoIP security threats: Fact or fiction?
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3754>

4. The ROI of VoIP <http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3550>

5. Appliances replace DNS, DHCP software
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3548>

Today's most forwarded story:

Verizon joins managed security game
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlservers3756>
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Deni Connor

Deni Connor is a Senior Editor at Network World covering
storage, Unix, Novell, Macintosh and IT in Healthcare. You can
reach her at <mailto:dconnor@nww.com>.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Fluke Networks
Download the Special Report: VoIP: Challenges, Drivers, Hurdles,
and Recommendation

VoIP, poses many questions, among them; vendors vs. carriers,
end-user adoption, management complexity, etc. Once these
questions are answered then the benefits of convergence can be
realized. Through research the following special report VoIP:
Challenges, Drivers, Hurdles, and Recommendation analyzes the
questions and the best practices behind implementing a converged
network.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=108861
_______________________________________________________________
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THE NEW DATA CENTER: SPOTLIGHT ON STORAGE

This Network World report takes a look at storage trends such as
virtualization, encryption and archiving. Here you will also
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storage encryption can help ease the threat of identity theft,
why one exec believes its all about the information and more.
Click here:
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