We are decommissioning our ESXi hosts and plan to migrate several Windows Server 2019 Standard virtual machines to a new Proxmox environment. The licenses were obtained as retail or nonprofit-discounted versions through TechSoup. What licensing steps or restrictions should we consider when moving the VMs to different physical hosts? We are also planning to upgrade to Windows Server 2022 or 2025 next year.
3 Answers
It is worth checking with a Microsoft licensing reseller, VAR, or MSP before the migration. Nonprofit organizations are not limited to one purchasing channel; many authorized resellers can validate the nonprofit status and offer eligible pricing. They can also verify the core counts, virtualization rights, Software Assurance status, and downgrade or upgrade rights for your specific agreement.
Windows Server Standard licensing generally allows one properly licensed server to run up to two Windows Server virtual machines, but the licenses covering those VMs need to be assigned to the same physical host. The physical server must also be licensed for its processor cores, with a 16-core minimum per server and at least 8 cores per processor. Check how many core licenses were actually purchased, since some nonprofit orders only covered a small number of cores and were not sufficient for a full server license. Moving the VMs to Proxmox does not remove those licensing requirements; you should document the new host and verify that it is adequately licensed.
I am having trouble locating the purchase details after the licensing portal moved under Microsoft 365. The fulfillment email says the donated licenses may receive automatic upgrades for two years if they are covered by Software Assurance, so I am trying to confirm whether our seven Standard instances still have that benefit.
The key issue for the planned 2022 or 2025 upgrade is whether the licenses include active Software Assurance. Perpetual licenses without Software Assurance generally do not grant automatic access to newer versions, so you may need to purchase new licenses. Licenses with current Software Assurance can provide upgrade rights and other benefits. Review the original TechSoup agreement and fulfillment documents, then confirm the interpretation with Microsoft or a licensing specialist.
Our nonprofit has used a licensing reseller for recent purchases, so TechSoup is not necessarily the only option. The reseller can usually handle the nonprofit verification with Microsoft.