Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor
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I'm going to build a Veeam backup server. I've got Windows 10 Enterprise volume license keys with SA (per device) available in my MS VL license agreement. I'm having a hard time getting a clear answer if I can use that license as a VM on my standalone ESXi server. I understand the VL license key can be used for upgrading an OEM installation. Can I also use the license to install a Windows 10 VM Veeam backup server? The Veeam server will only be accessed for administrative purposes.
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Can you use Windows 10 on ESXi? Yes, its' a VDI license. Can you use it as a server? No, Windows 10 is licensed for client use only and can "never" be used as a server. Windows 10 simply cannot be licensed that way.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
I understand the VL license key can be used for upgrading an OEM installation.
You missed a word: only. Windows 10 Volume License is upgrade only. There is no time that that license can be used without having first purchased an OEM copy or a FRB (full retail box) copy to upgrade from. Volume Licensing for "initial installs" does not exist for Windows clients.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
The Veeam server will only be accessed for administrative purposes.
"Accessed" isn't a factor. Being used like this means it is being used by the entire broad workload set that it is backing up and requires full server licensing.
So you have two issues. One that with VL you can't do a Windows 10 deployment. And second that Windows 10 cannot be used as you are hoping to use it.
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My long time understanding is no.
There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.
Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.
Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.
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What is the typical Veeam backup server OS recommendation for SMB then? Should I be looking at going with a Windows 2016 OS instead?
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@scottalanmiller said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
Can you use Windows 10 on ESXi? Yes, its' a VDI license.
You can virtualize WIndows 10 anytime you want. You do not require VDI. That is false.
The legal use of Windows 10 in a VM without VDI is extremely limited. But it is perfectly legal within those limits.
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@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
My long time understanding is no.
There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.
Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.
Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.
This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
What is the typical Veeam backup server OS recommendation for SMB then? Should I be looking at going with a Windows 2016 OS instead?
If Veeam is legal on Windows 10 physical, it would be legal on Windows 10 as a VM. That part is not in question.
Edit: It obviously installs and runs jut fine. I'm curious what makes it a "server" that @scottalanmiller thinks disqualifies it from being able to run on Windows 10 Pro/Ent.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
My long time understanding is no.
There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.
Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.
Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.
This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.
Not OEM license on those?
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@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
My long time understanding is no.
There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.
Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.
Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.
This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.
Not OEM license on those
OEM Win 7 keys on the physical boxes. I'm going to need retail keys instead correct?
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
My long time understanding is no.
There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.
Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.
Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.
This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.
Not OEM license on those
OEM Win 7 keys on the physical boxes. I'm going to need retail keys instead correct?
You cannot "move" OEM licenses. So you can only use your Windows 10 Ent license on those physical boxes. If you are going to use that key.
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Was really planning on installing the Veeam server as a Win 10 VM. Going back to the drawing board now. Looks like I'm either going to have to install the Veeam box on a physical Win 10 pc, or purchase a Windows Server 2016 license so I can run the Veeam server as a VM. Not sure what makes more sense at the moment. Anyone else deploying Veeam servers as physical pc's?
Edit: A third option may be purchasing a Win 10 retail license and then "move" that license to the VM for paper trail purpose as @JaredBusch mentioned.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
What is the typical Veeam backup server OS recommendation for SMB then? Should I be looking at going with a Windows 2016 OS instead?
Yes.
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@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
Edit: It obviously installs and runs jut fine. I'm curious what makes it a "server" that @scottalanmiller thinks disqualifies it from being able to run on Windows 10 Pro/Ent.
The support workload supplying services to other machines. Running Veeam in a server mode there (not for local consumption.) It's a server service the same as any other unless I'm missing something huge.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
@JaredBusch said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
My long time understanding is no.
There is no license being upgraded when you are using a new VM like this.
Now, do you have a piece of hardware with a non OEM license that you can decommission and "move" the license to the hypervisor host? That would make it legal.
Obviously move is a fake term for paper trail purposes. You do not have to actually P2V anything. Just mark that license as "used" by the Win 10 instance.
This would be easy to do. I've got available decommissioned Win 7 physical pc's that I can just note the product key is being used for the Veeam Win 10 VM.
Not OEM license on those
OEM Win 7 keys on the physical boxes. I'm going to need retail keys instead correct?
You are missing the points. You caught that OEM can't be moved, but other things can, and are missing that even if you can move them, you can't use Windows 10 this way. So you are asking questions that don't make any sense as they don't have any bearing on your resulting options.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
Was really planning on installing the Veeam server as a Win 10 VM. Going back to the drawing board now. Looks like I'm either going to have to install the Veeam box on a physical Win 10 pc...
That won't change that Windows 10 cannot be licensed for use as a server. The Veeam process running on there is a server workload. Check your Windows 10 EULA, it'll tell you that that kind of usage is verboten.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
Edit: A third option may be purchasing a Win 10 retail license and then "move" that license to the VM for paper trail purpose as @JaredBusch mentioned.
No, that's not an option. That's an option to get Windows 10 virtualized, not an option for using it as a server.
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@magicmarker said in Correct license for a Win 10 Veeam backup server on Type-1 Hypervisor:
Not sure what makes more sense at the moment. Anyone else deploying Veeam servers as physical pc's?
Only getting Server licensing makes sense, as all of the other options violate the license and you might as well just pirate it, because it's not licensed once you misuse it.
No one is doing physical PCs, because it doesn't solve anything. If you are going to pirate it, you might as well pirate it well. If you aren't going to pirate it, then you get VM licensing naturally and there is no issue to solve. It's a bizarre middle ground where you would want to violate the license, but in a way that doesn't result in a good setup. Logically, that just doesn't make sense regardless of the ethical philosophies involved.
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@scottalanmiller Really wish Veeam would do a linux appliance for the backup server. Veeam allows the backup software to install on a Win 10 OS. I get it though, I need to install it on a Server 2016 VM. Thanks for you input.
