Determine if SQL Server is an MSDN licensed installation

  • Does anyone know if there's a way to tell if a SQL Server 2005 instance is an MSDN licensed installation?

  • To the best of my knowledge - they all have ServerProperty('licensingMode') set to DISABLED.

    Of course - that also applies to dev edition (whether or not you got it through MSDN).

    So - if you have a copy installed called Enterprise Edition, but with licensingMode disabled, then MSDN.

    Of course - that's a misnomer, since it means you're essentially NOT licensed for it. MSDN gives you the ability to eval, or test, with it, but that's the extent of the appropriate use (but I suspect you know and wish to fix that).

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?

  • Thanks Matt. When I attempt to query the serverproperty('licensetype') for any of our SQL 2005 servers, I get 'DISABLED' returned and I know that we're licensed for them. I'm not sure that SQL Server 2005 stores licensing information anywhere since I don't remember being prompted to specify that during the installations but, we've just inherited a new SQL 2005 server and I suspect that it was an MSDN installation... I just can't determine how to prove it.

    More on getting licensing info: http://blogs.msdn.com/sqlblog/archive/2006/11/10/tracking-license-information-in-sql-2005.aspx

  • Did you ever get an answer as to how to tell if any particular install is MSDN vs. non MSDN? Thanks!

  • Paste the output of following

    SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'),

    SERVERPROPERTY ('edition')

  • I ran your query and it returned the version, the SP, and the edition but nothing telling me whether it was a MSDN version or non MSDN.

    Thanks

  • As per http://www.bigresource.com/Tracker/Track-ms_sql-GXEo9RFV/

    Not found a way post-installation. Since sql2k5 no longer track licensing per code, this kind of information isn't that important anymore.

    Anyway, the "only" way to tell for me is during unattended installation. For MSDN version, if you specify PIDKEY value in your initialization file, the setup will barf at you - the product key is embedded for MSDN version. The opposite is true for the retail version. You must enter a valid PIDKEY else it won't install.

    Also, same is stated at http://www.sqldev.org/sql-server-database-engine/msdn-license-87631.shtml

    (That is right, the only difference is that the MSDN versions / edition are prepidded and have the key already built in.).

  • I guess my thought is that it might be nice to know but if you truly do have the licenses for them then in the end it really doesn't matter what media was used to install them. MS got paid, you get to use the software.

    CEWII

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply