License SQL

[Anonymous]

Hi guys

i understand the license of SQL Server ent core with an EA can be used to install Power BI Report Server. 
but my question is

 1) can you use the same key on a spearate install on a different server

2) if not, can you install it on a current sql ent seever with other database already install or does it need to be separate and a fresh install. 

thank you as I can find that part of the documentation anywhere. 

[Anonymous]

They are saying I need to buy a new sql ent licence and can't use the same sql server where we have already purchased SQL Ent core on an EA

[d_gosbell]

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@Anonymous wrote:

They are saying I need to buy a new sql ent licence and can't use the same sql server where we have already purchased SQL Ent core on an EA

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So from a licensing perspective I do not believe this is not correct. The SQL license allows you to run any of the SQL product family - the database engine. SSAS, SSIS, MDS, DQS or PBIRS on those cores.

But if the existing server is already heavily loaded and does not have the capacity in terms of available RAM and CPU then from a resourcing perspective then it is probably not possible to use the same server. And Ideally it is better not to mix workloads on the one server if you can, but for small departmental solutions you can sometimes get away with it. 

[d_gosbell · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

 1) can you use the same key on a spearate install on a different server

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You can use the same key, but it depends on how many cores you purchased and how many are used. So if you purchased 8 cores of SQL Enterprise with Software Assurance and only install SQL Server on a machine with 4 cores. Then you could install the remaining 4 cores of that license on another machine and install PBIRS on that. If however you are using all of the cores for your current license you would either have to install PBIRS on the same server as SQL Server or you would need to buy additional licenses (or reduce the number of cores on your SQL Server)

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@Anonymous wrote:

2) if not, can you install it on a current sql ent seever with other database already install or does it need to be separate and a fresh install. 

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PBIRS is basically a web application and it is a separate install from SQL Server. So you could install onto your existing server and then configure it to use the existing SQL instance for its databases.

Note that if you install both PBIRS and SQL on the same machine you will need to make sure that the resources on that machine are sufficient to run both applications. And you should configure the memory limits on SQL so that it leaves some memory for PBIRS (by default SQL Server will attempt to use as much memory as it can)

[Anonymous]

Thank you for this @d_gosbell 

Cann you please provide links that state this can be done. This is my understanding, but my support is stating otherwise and it needs to be on a dedicated sql server

[d_gosbell]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thank you for this @d_gosbell 

Cann you please provide links that state this can be done. This is my understanding, but my support is stating otherwise and it needs to be on a dedicated sql server

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There are links here to documents on both ways of licensing Power BI Report Server https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/report-server/get-started#licensing-power-bi-report-server. Last time I looked at the volume licensing stuff they were huge word documents covering lots of products and you had to search through them to find the sections specific to PBIRS.

What specifically are your support staff saying?