Forum Discussion
Helper IIPower BI Report Server Licensing - Can we get a documented answer?
Hello,
I did contact our Microsoft account team and the response you provided is incorrect. Here is their official response:
PBI RS use rights come with either Power BI Premium Capacity or SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA. Since you are using the Product Key from your SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA to activate PBI RS, that instance of PBI RS would need to reside on the same machine/VM as your SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA. If you decide to move the PBI RS instance to another server, and that server does not have SQL Server Enterprise Edition licenses (in this case you have a SQL Server Standard Edition installed/licensed on Server B and Standard Edition does not have use rights for PBI RS), then as far as I am aware you would need to acquire licenses for the cores on Server B which will now host PBI RS either with SQL Server Enterprise licenses with SA or with Power BI Premium Capacity licenses. Using the same Product Key from Server A on Server B would only work if you were to transfer the licenses from Server A to B by removing all components of SQL Server Enterprise Edition from Server A (PBI RS, RDMS, SSAS, etc.), and then transferring those core licenses to the cores on Server B.
So, bottom line is, you cannot install PBIRS on any server other than the one where the SQL Enterprise SA license is installed. This will have a major impact on our planning, as we will be essentially wasting a very expensive Enterprise licence for the sole purpose of running a report server.
Super Usermjbernier i understand your concern, here is the brief explanation regarding the licensing requirements for Power BI Report Server (PBIRS). The licensing rules can sometimes be complex, but I'll try to provide a clear answer.
According to Microsoft's licensing documentation, the licensing requirements for Power BI Report Server depend on the edition of SQL Server being used. Here's a summary:
1. **For SQL Server Enterprise Edition with Software Assurance (SA)**:
- With SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA, you are entitled to use Power BI Report Server without any additional licensing cost.
- You can install Power BI Report Server on any server within your organization's environment, regardless of the SQL Server edition running on that server.
2. **For SQL Server Standard Edition**:
- With SQL Server Standard Edition, you are not entitled to use Power BI Report Server without additional licensing.
- You need to separately license Power BI Report Server. This typically involves purchasing a Power BI Premium subscription, which includes the right to use Power BI Report Server.
Based on this information, if you have SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA, you can install Power BI Report Server on the server running SQL Server Standard Edition without any additional licensing cost. However, if you only have SQL Server Standard Edition, you would need to acquire separate licensing for Power BI Report Server.
To ensure compliance and to get the most accurate information regarding your specific licensing situation, I would recommend reaching out to Microsoft Licensing Support or your Microsoft account representative. They can provide you with official guidance and documentation that you can present to your management. Additionally, you can refer to Microsoft's official licensing documentation for Power BI Report Server and SQL Server for more detailed information.
Helper IIHello,
I did contact our Microsoft account team and the response you provided is incorrect. Here is their official response:
PBI RS use rights come with either Power BI Premium Capacity or SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA. Since you are using the Product Key from your SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA to activate PBI RS, that instance of PBI RS would need to reside on the same machine/VM as your SQL Server Enterprise Edition with SA. If you decide to move the PBI RS instance to another server, and that server does not have SQL Server Enterprise Edition licenses (in this case you have a SQL Server Standard Edition installed/licensed on Server B and Standard Edition does not have use rights for PBI RS), then as far as I am aware you would need to acquire licenses for the cores on Server B which will now host PBI RS either with SQL Server Enterprise licenses with SA or with Power BI Premium Capacity licenses. Using the same Product Key from Server A on Server B would only work if you were to transfer the licenses from Server A to B by removing all components of SQL Server Enterprise Edition from Server A (PBI RS, RDMS, SSAS, etc.), and then transferring those core licenses to the cores on Server B.
So, bottom line is, you cannot install PBIRS on any server other than the one where the SQL Enterprise SA license is installed. This will have a major impact on our planning, as we will be essentially wasting a very expensive Enterprise licence for the sole purpose of running a report server.