Microsoft Licensing on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Microsoft bring your own license (BYOL) lets you use Microsoft Server software licenses that you already own to deploy software on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, without any additional licensing fees.

Customers provide their own Microsoft Server subscription licenses or Software Assurance licenses and can use the new Flexible Virtualization Benefit. With the new benefit, customers are no longer limited to deploying on dedicated hosts, now customers can deploy to shared services in the cloud. The new benefit applies broadly to all products including Windows Server, desktop applications, developer tools and other server applications. For more information on the Flexible Virtualization Benefit see: Using software products under the Flexible Virtualization Benefit.

Platform images

These Windows Server versions are available for platform images:

• Windows Server 2016: Datacenter, Standard, Standard Core
• Windows Server 2019: Datacenter, Standard, Standard Core
• Windows Server 2022: Datacenter, Standard, Standard Core

Bring Your Own Image (BYOI)

Yes, Windows Server 2022 is available as a platform image.

Yes, you can import your own Windows Server 2022 image for virtual machines only. For source image requirements and steps to import an image, see Importing Custom Windows Images.

Yes, you are permitted to import your own generalized custom image of Windows Server.

The cost of a Microsoft Windows Server license is an additional cost, on top of the underlying compute instance price. You pay separately for the compute instance and the Windows Server license. For more information about Microsoft Windows Server pricing, see Compute Pricing.

Billing for the Windows Server license is based on per-OCPU, per-second usage. Billing starts when an instance is in the "running" state and ends when you terminate (delete) the instance.

When an instance is stopped, billing for the Windows Server license depends on the shape that was used to create the instance. Billing pauses for instances that use a Standard shape or a shape in the VM.GPU.A10 series. Billing continues for instances that use a Dense I/O shape, HPC shape, or any other GPU shape.

Depending on the shape, you might also be billed for the underlying compute instance when the instance is stopped.

For Microsoft BYOL licensing, you will not be charged. See Microsoft Licensing on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

You must update your VCN's security list to enable egress traffic for port 80 (HTTP) and port 443 (HTTPS) to install patches from Microsoft. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure enables automatic updates for Microsoft Windows Server and uses the default settings for applying Windows Server patches.

Yes, there are several options available:

• Create a custom image: Creates a custom image that you can use to launch other instances. Instances that you launch from your image include the customizations, configuration, and software installed when you created the image.
• Clone a boot volume: Makes a copy of an existing boot volume without needing to go through the backup and restore process. A boot volume clone is a point-in-time direct disk-to-disk deep copy of the source boot volume, so all the data that is in the source boot volume when the clone is created is copied to the boot volume clone.
• Back up a block volume: Makes a point-in-time backup of data on a block volume. You can restore a backup to a new volume either immediately after a backup or at a later time that you choose.
• Back up a boot volume: Makes a backup of a boot volume. Boot volume backup capabilities are the same as block volume backup capabilities and are in-region only. Windows boot volume backups cannot be copied across regions.

Yes, exporting custom Windows Server operating system images is supported.

When exporting Windows-based images, you are responsible for complying with the Microsoft Product Terms and all product use conditions, as well as verifying your compliance with Microsoft.

For steps to export an image, see Image Import/Export.

Oracle Support provides limited assistance for Microsoft Windows Server platform images if the Windows Server version has not reached end of support with Microsoft. All other Microsoft software is supported directly by Microsoft Support.

Oracle Support can help verify that the operating system boots, that the operating system connects to the network, and that attached storage connects and performs as expected. If you encounter other issues with Microsoft Windows Server, work directly with Microsoft Support to resolve the issue. For more information, see Support Options for Microsoft Windows.

To upgrade to a newer version of Windows Server, you can do either of the following things:

• Obtain the installation media from Microsoft or your Microsoft reseller, and then upgrade the existing compute instance. The license issued by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure remains in effect.
• Create a new compute instance using the desired version of the Windows Server platform image, and then migrate your applications and data to the new instance.

Yes. Follow these steps change to a Windows Server license from a Linux custom image.

1. Open the navigation menu and click Compute. Under Compute, click Custom Images.
2. Click the custom image that you're interested in.
3. Under Custom image information locate the Operating system field.
4. Click Edit. The Edit operating system dialog is displayed.
5. Select Windows.

   Next:

   • Select the Windows version.
   • Certify that you are following Windows license requirements.

6. Click Save changes.

Yes, Windows Server platform images include cloudbase-init installed by default. You can use cloudbase-init to run PowerShell scripts, batch scripts, or other user data content on instance launch. Cloudbase-init is the equivalent of cloud-init on Linux-based images.

Yes, Microsoft Windows Remote Management (WinRM) is enabled by default on Windows Server platform images. WinRM enables you to remotely manage the operating system.

Microsoft establishes the support lifecycle policy for its products. When a product reaches the end of its support lifecycle, Microsoft no longer provides security updates for the product. You should upgrade to the latest version to remain secure.

Windows Server 2012 R2 reached the end of its support life cycle on October 10, 2023. Although you can continue to import your own Windows 2012 R2 images and run your existing instances, you are at a higher risk of security issues, incompatibility, or failures. Oracle does not provide any operating system support for end-of-support operating systems. See Operating System Lifecycle and Support Policy

OCI does not provide new platform images after the end-of-support date. However, you can import your own image and launch it on a shared host VM.

There are no restrictions to running end-of-support operating systems on bare metal machines on a dedicated host. You may bring your own image (BYOI) of a Windows Server 2012 R2 image, but you must import a custom OS image and run the image on a dedicated host.

Yes, you can purchase Extended Security Updates (ESUs) from Microsoft for use on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

For VMs on shared infrastructure, you must have an enterprise agreement in place with Microsoft. With that agreement in place, you can purchase ESUs per virtual core matching the number of OCPUs per VM instance, with a minimum requirement of 16 virtual core licenses per VM instance.

For bare metal machines, you must have an enterprise agreement in place with Microsoft. With that agreement in place, you can purchase ESUs per physical core of the dedicated bare metal host.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure cannot purchase ESUs on your behalf.

You are fully responsible for purchasing the correct number of ESUs for your instances. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure does not keep track of whether you have enough ESUs.

Yes, Oracle is an Authorized Mobility Partner.

Any Microsoft Server licenses permitted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure must be eligible according to the latest Microsoft Product Terms. It is your responsibility to verify that the licensing agreements with Microsoft permit you to bring on-premises perpetual Microsoft licenses to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (see: Microsoft Flexible Virtualization Benefit) and are eligible licensed products according to the latest Microsoft Product Terms.

Charges for Windows Server and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Compute instances apply separately. Billing continues for Microsoft SQL Server Standard, Compute Instance and Windows Server License when the instance is stopped. To halt billing, you must terminate the instance (minimum still applies).

Minimum 744 Hours Billing Requirement

If the Microsoft SQL Server instance is terminated within 744 hours of launch, billing for Microsoft SQL Server Standard, Compute Instance and Windows Server License continues until 744 hours are reached. After 744 hours, billing for Microsoft SQL Server Standard, Windows Server License and Compute instance stops when the instance is terminated. If multiple instances are terminated within 744 hours of launch, billing for Microsoft SQL Server Standard will continue for each instance until 744 hours are reached.

Important

In effect, if you launch a Microsoft SQL Server instance you are billed for 744 hours of usage. Even if the instance is terminated immediately, you are still billed for 744 hours of usage.

Total minimum Microsoft SQL Server Standard charges per each instance can be calculated as follows: Per hour price from Marketplace listing * Num OCPUs in Instance * 744.

The Microsoft SQL Enterprise listing in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Marketplace does not include licenses for Power BI. Oracle's reseller agreement doesn't allow Power BI licenses to be included with Microsoft SQL Enterprise.

You can purchase Power BI licenses in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Marketplace separately from Microsoft SQL Enterprise.

Yes, you can use your Visual Studio (MSDN) subscription license for non-production purposes on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure on either bare metal or virtual machine instances. You are responsible for complying with the Visual Studio subscription terms.

No, Oracle does not sell Visual Studio (MSDN) subscriptions. Contact Microsoft or your Microsoft reseller.

No, Visual Studio (MSDN) subscription licenses are for development, testing, or demonstration purposes only.

Follow the steps to connect to a Windows instance. Windows operating systems permit remote access for a maximum of two users using Remote Desktop Services (RDS) for Administration purposes.

RDS Client Access Licenses (CALs) are required for each user or device using Remote Desktop.