[RndTbl] win server licence

[Trevor Cordes]

On 2020-03-30 Dan Keizer wrote:
> 
> he's looking at trying to save money on the licence, so does anyone
> have 2016 or 2008 server licences on dead machines that can be
> repurposed? wondering if the likes of MER may as well....

What you could do is look for ancient machines that have the MS
Server license and CALs already.  You could then try to revive the box
and make it useful, or attempt to do a fresh install and reuse the
licenses on the newer box.  They may transfer over and activate.  50/50
chance, maybe with some hoops.  Just say your old box died and you had
to replace the mobo.

Adam is correct: you'll need an OEM licensed box and most corps use the
corp volume licensing, which is of no use to you.  Smaller businesses
will be the ones possibly selling old OEM licensed boxes.  No big corp
will have them.

I've looked extensively in the past at whether it's "real" that you
need Win Server or whether Win X Pro will be good enough.  It looks
like the only thing they artificially limit on non-Server is the
simultaneous SMB connections.  They always talk about limiting TCP
connections but I've never actually run into that, even with offices
with 10-20 boxes.  So what I do is I usually setup an office with Linux
as the SMB server and use Win Server just for the custom app and maybe
domain control and GP's.

YMMV.  Happy hunting.

P.S. I hate Windows and its artificial limitations and punishing legit
paying customers.