System Center
About System Center
System Center delivers a simplified datacenter management experience to keep you in control of your IT—whether on-premises, in the cloud, or across platforms. It builds on the experience and depth of the previous versions, and you can take your management capabilities even farther with Azure security and management capabilities, giving you visibility and control of data and applications that live across multiple systems from a single solution.
How to Buy
System Center can be used to manage server Operating System Environments (OSEs) and/or client OSEs. Server management licensing maximizes your private cloud value while simplifying purchasing. All server management licenses (server MLs) include the same components and the ability to manage any workload.
Server and Client Management Licenses
System Center server MLs are available in two editions, which are differentiated by virtualization rights only:
- System Center Datacenter: Ideal for managing highly virtualized servers and licensed under the Management servers* (core-based) licensing model.
- System Center Standard: Ideal for managing lightly virtualized or non-virtualized servers and licensed under the Management servers* (core-based) licensing model.
*All physical cores on the server must be licensed, subject to a minimum of 8 core licenses per physical processor and a minimum of 16 core licenses per server.
There are three types of Client Management Licenses:
- Per User ML: A User Management License permits management of any OSE accessed by one user.
- Per OSE ML: An OSE Management License permits management of one OSE accessed by any user.
- Device ML: A device Management License (Core CAL or Enterprise CAL Suite) permits management of any OSE on one device.
Feature comparison
Server management features
Server management licenses (server MLs) are required for managing server operating system environments (OSEs), including virtual machines (VMs), Hyper-V isolation, and Windows Server containers. The following table compares the two System Center server ML editions:
Feature/Right |
Datacenter edition |
Standard edition |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of managed OSEs/Hyper-V isolation |
Unlimited
|
2*
|
|
| Number of managed Windows Server containers |
Unlimited
|
Unlimited
|
|
| Configuration Manager |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| Data Protection Manager |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| Operations Manager |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| Service Manager |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| Virtual Machine Manager |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| SQL Technology: right to run management server software and supporting SQL Server Runtime (SQL Server Standard edition) |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| Manage any type of supported workload |
✓
|
✓
|
*Standard edition permits management of the physical OSE on the licensed server (in addition to two virtual OSEs), if the physical OSE is used solely to host and manage virtual OSEs.
Note: Components included in the server MLs are not available separately.
Client management features
Client management licenses (client MLs) are required for managing devices that run non-server operating system environments (OSEs). The following table compares the three System Center client ML offerings:
Feature/Right |
Configuration Manager |
Endpoint Protection |
Other Management products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Component included |
Configuration Manager
Virtual Machine Manager |
Endpoint Protection
|
Service Manager
Operations Manager Data Protection Manager Orchestrator |
| License requirements |
Client ML* (per user/OSE)
|
Subscription* (per user/device)
|
Client ML* (per user/OSE)
|
| Included in Core CAL Suite |
✓
|
✓
|
|
| Included in Enterprise CAL Suite |
✓
|
✓
|
*Client MLs are required for management of non-server OSEs.
Note: Components included in the client MLs are not available separately.
FAQ
-
Core licenses are sold in packs of two (a 2-pack Core License) and each processor needs to be licensed with a minimum of eight cores (four 2-pack Core Licenses). Each physical server, including single-processor servers, will need to be licensed with a minimum of two processors and 16 cores (eight 2-pack Core Licenses). Additional cores can then be licensed in increments of two cores (one 2-pack Core License) for gradual increases in core density growth.
-
- Core-based licensing. System Center server management licensing is based on the number of physical cores on the servers under management, consistent with the Windows Server model.
- Consistent licensing model for server management and client management, respectively. Core-based licenses for server management. User-based or operating system environment (OSE)–based license for client management.
- Licenses required only for endpoints being managed. No additional licenses are needed for management servers or SQL Server technology used in System Center.
-
System Center server management licenses have two editions differentiated by virtualization rights only:
- Datacenter: For managing highly virtualized servers.
- Standard: For managing non-virtualized or lightly virtualized servers.
There is no differentiation between the types of workloads you can manage with either edition. The only difference between the editions is the number of operating system environments (OSEs) that you can manage when all physical cores on the server are licensed. Datacenter edition allows for the management of any number of OSEs (virtual machines or Hyper-V containers) when all physical cores on the server are licensed. Standard edition allows for the management of up to two OSEs (virtual machines or Hyper-V containers) when all physical cores on the server are licensed. Datacenter and Standard edition both allow for the management of any number of Windows Server Containers.
-
No. The System Center Server Management components are part of an integrated offering to create and manage private cloud environments. They are available only as part of System Center Standard and System Center Datacenter server management licenses.