Forum Discussion
Power BI Report Server Licensing
I plan to upgrade from SQL Server Standard 2008 to SQL Server Standard 2016 later this year. If I want to use Power BI Report Server do I have to buy a Power BI Premium license, or can I download and run Power BI Report Server alongside or as a replacement for SSRS based on the licenses I purchase for SQL Server Standard 2016
You have two options.
You can buy Power BI Premium, this allows you to license the same number of cores that you purchase in capacity in the premium license on premises for your Power BI Report Server.
You can purchase SQL Enterprise Edition + Software Assurance. This give you license to install the Power BI Report Server.
Only the Content Creators (those building reports) need to have a Power BI Pro license in both cases.
Alternatively, can I use Power BI Pro Service and publish content for consumers with the understanding each consumer must also have a Power BI Pro License? The Pro license gives you the ability to share content in the Power BI Service. You don't get the Power BI Report Server in this license. You are correct, report creators and end users need Pro licenses.
In this scenario, you would have a normal SSRS report server, and the Power BI Service. They would not communicate, and you couldn't put PBI Reports on the SSRS Server.
Anonymous
1- yes
2- yes, only caveat is that it is SQL Server Enterprise Edition with Software Assurance.
Either method to get the PBIRS requries a Pro licence for Report creators/Authors.
If we already have SQL Server Enterprise Edition 2016 but without SA, can we add SA to it if that route is more cost effective than purchasing Power BI Premium P1 Node at $5k per month?
I'm struggling to find information on Software Assurance - I'm guessing it is licensed per core?
We are in a unique scenario where we are a small company but with heavy industry regulations on data. Data and reports cannot be hosted in the cloud and explicitly must live on premise.
But Power BI Premium seems geared toward very large scale deployments with large companys. We are finding ourselves in a gap here where we need an on premise solution that is cost effective for hosting Power BI reports. If it weren't for our industry specific regulations on data, we would otherwise simply purchase 3 to 5 cloud Power BI Service user licenses at the $9.99 per month for report developers who would use Power BI Desktop and publish to the cloud service, and then there would be a couple of dozen report users who would access the reports.
Is there any path for a company in a scenario like ours constrained to an on premise Power BI report hosting solution that doesn't cost tens of thousands per year?
See "Getting Software Assurance" on this page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/licensing-programs/software-assurance-default.aspx. If you're already working with a Microsoft account team and/or Microsoft partner, they should be able to help, and if you're not, follow the "How to buy" link (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Licensing/how-to-buy/how-to-buy.aspx) to contact Microsoft or a partner.
