Full details on the transition and migration path for existing customers on SMSE and new customers moving to SMSD

System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise is versionless and product use rights are determined by the status of System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise Software Assurance coverage.  If coverage lapses, access rights under perpetual licenses are determined based on the product use rights in effect prior to the lapse in coverage. 

License Grant:

One-time License Grant of System Center Server Management Suite Datacenter (SMSD) to License Holders of System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise (SMSE):

As a one-time exception in connection with the transition of SMSE* from a suite that allows for the management of any number of OSEs on a licensed device to a suite that allows for the management of up to four OSEs on a licensed device, we are granting Select, Enterprise, Open License, Open Value, and Campus and School customers with active Software Assurance on SMSE as of July 1, 2009 the following:

• Four complimentary SMSD licenses for each qualifying SMSE license with active Software Assurance the customer has as of July 1, 2009.
• Each set of four granted SMSD licenses must be assigned to a single device, and may not be separated for use on two or more devices.
• The management rights associated with the complimentary SMSD licenses are granted in place of the management rights associated with the qualifying SMSE license. Upon the assignment of the granted SMSD licenses, the customer forfeits its management rights under the corresponding SMSE license.

Note: Any licenses granted under this offer are subject to the following limitation: Each set of granted SMSD licenses must be assigned to a single device.

Options at Software Assurance Renewal

Any licenses granted under this offer include Software Assurance Coverage that terminates when coverage on the corresponding qualifying licenses expires. Upon expiration of the Software Assurance coverage customers may renew their Software Assurance under one of the following options:

• Customers may renew coverage for their original SMSE license. The management rights under the SMSE Software Assurance coverage will be determined by the rights applicable to the SMSE at the time of renewal. Upon renewal of the original SMSE license, the customer forfeits the rights to the four complimentary SMSD licenses.
• Customers may renew coverage for the complimentary SMSD licenses:
  • Customers may renew coverage for all SMSD licenses in the set of four complimentary SMSD licenses granted under this offer.
  • Under this option, the requirement to assign the set of four licenses to a single device is waived.
  • Customers renewing their Software Assurance before July 1st, 2011 may renew coverage for two licenses in the set of four complimentary SMSD licenses granted under this offering. If they do so, they will be deemed to have renewed coverage for the four SMSD licenses within the same set. Under this option, the requirement to assign the set of four licenses to a single device will continue to apply upon renewal. In the subsequent Software Assurance renewal, customers may renew coverage for the SMSD licenses they need within each set of four complimentary SMSD licenses. At that time, different from the first renewal, any SMSD license for which coverage is not renewed will not continue to have Software Assurance coverage. The requirement to assign a set of four complimentary SMSD licenses to a single device is waived upon this subsequent renewal only if the coverage for all four SMSD licenses is renewed.

Removing the limitation that each set of granted SMSD licenses must be assigned to a single device

Any time prior to the first Software Assurance renewal after this grant, customers may remove the requirement that each set of granted SMSD licenses be assigned to a single device.

They can do so by purchasing Software Assurance coverage for two SMSD licenses within a given set of four complimentary SMSD licenses.

Customers’ right to use the software under the complimentary SMSD licenses is evidenced by this product condition note and evidence of their corresponding qualifying licenses. A customer’s use of the software under this offer will be subject to the terms and conditions of its license agreement and the product use rights for the software. The right to use the software under the complimentary licenses expires when the right to use software under the qualifying licenses expires. Customers may not transfer the licenses granted under this offer separately from the corresponding qualifying licenses.

*SMSE licensing changes are effective for System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 and for new releases of the other products included in the System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise (e.g. System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2).

System Center Server Management Suite Datacenter

Customers purchasing System Center Server Management Suite Datacenter (SMSD) licenses to cover the management of servers with a minimum of four physical processors are eligible for the following offer. With each SMSD license purchased between July 1, 2009 and February 28th, 2010, a Volume Licensing Agreement customer will be deemed to have:

• 1 complimentary SMSD license with Software Assurance coverage

For example, a customer with a four-processor server may be fully licensed for SMSD for that server by purchasing two SMSD licenses and receiving two complimentary SMSD licenses through this offering.

Use of software under this offer will be governed by the terms and conditions of the customer’s license agreement and the product use rights for System Center Operations Manager, System Center Configuration Manager, System Center Data Protection Manager, and System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

The customer’s right to use software under this offer is evidenced by their license agreement, evidence of their qualifying SMSD licenses, and this product condition note. The complimentary licenses granted under this offer expire upon expiration or termination of the qualifying SMSD licenses.

Upon expiration of Software Assurance coverage for the qualifying licenses customer has the option to renew Software Assurance for complimentary licenses granted under this offering.

Additional Offer

Customers renewing their Software Assurance coverage before July 1st, 2011 are eligible for the following additional offer. Upon renewal of Software Assurance coverage for the qualifying SMSD licenses, customers will be deemed to have renewed Software Assurance coverage for the corresponding complimentary SMSD licenses. Coverage for the complimentary SMSD licenses will expire when the renewed coverage on the qualifying licenses expires. At that time, customers will have the option to renew coverage for both the qualifying licenses and the complimentary licenses. In that subsequent Software Assurance renewal, different than in the first renewal, coverage will lapse for any SMSD license (qualifying or complimentary) for which coverage is not renewed.

*SMSE Note. These use rights apply to use of the System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise license with versions of the corresponding System Center products released on or after July 1, 2009.  For products released prior to that date, customers may continue to manage OSEs on the licensed device as permitted in the product use rights for those products. If you are managing four virtual OSEs on the licensed device and the physical OSE is being used solely to run hardware virtualization software, provide hardware virtualization services, and run software to manage and service operating system environments on that device, then you may also manage the physical OSE