Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard 2 Core

Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard 2 Core – scalable licensing without CALs for virtualisation. Get yours now.

Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard 2 Core offers a modern, powerful database platform for professional workloads. The per-core licence covers exactly the CPU cores you need and is therefore ideal for physical servers as well as virtualised environments. This keeps you flexible as applications grow, and you avoid limits caused by user or device access.

The Standard edition combines proven stability with practical features for security, availability and performance. From line-of-business applications and reporting to web back ends, you benefit from a robust engine, transparent tuning and familiar administration tools. The 2-core pack provides a precisely fitting basis for setting up your instance in compliance with licensing and in a scalable way.

Features

• Proven database engine: Relational platform for OLTP, reporting and hybrid application scenarios.
• High availability (Standard): Basic Availability Groups support fail-safe deployments in typical small and medium-sized business setups.
• Security features: Protection mechanisms such as Always Encrypted, Row-Level Security and Dynamic Data Masking support the handling of sensitive data.
• Performance & transparency: Query Store and intelligent optimisations make for plan-stable, high-performance queries.
• UTF-8 & modern objects: UTF-8 collations, temporal tables and extended management options for modern data models.
• BI & integration: Support for Reporting, Integration and Analysis Services (installable separately, use depends on edition).
• Data connectivity: Option to connect external sources (e.g. via PolyBase, depending on setup and requirements).
• Management tools: Administration with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and T-SQL workflows.
• Scalable per core: 2-core packs allow a precisely fitting coverage of your physical or virtual cores.

Benefits & value

With per-core licensing, no CALs are required, which simplifies planning and compliance when user numbers fluctuate or external access is planned. At the same time you get a balanced mix of features and cost – practical for small to medium-sized environments and dedicated workloads.

SQL Server 2019 Standard helps you run applications reliably, protect data consistently and execute queries efficiently. Familiar administration with SSMS, integrated security features and mature availability options ensure that projects are implemented quickly and run reliably.

Compatibility & licence notes

This licence corresponds to a 2-core pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard. For physical servers, all physical cores must be licensed (licensing in packs of 2; minimum requirements apply per processor). In virtual environments, the assigned vCores are licensed per VM (also with a minimum number per VM). With the per-core model, no CALs are required. Alternatively, the Standard edition can also be licensed in the Server+CAL model; in that case, each accessing device or user needs a valid CAL. Licensing models should not be mixed within one instance.

Platform: SQL Server 2019 is designed for 64-bit Windows operating systems. For production deployments we recommend Windows Server; current 64-bit Windows clients are suitable for development and testing. Virtualisation (e.g. Hyper-V or other hypervisors) is possible – the respective licensing rules of the environment apply.

Alternatives & recommendations

• Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard (Server/CAL) – makes sense when the number of users/devices is clear.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Standard – for existing environments with longer release cycles.
• Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Standard – for legacy applications with conservative requirements.
• Compare all SQL Server versions – editions and licensing models at a glance.

System requirements

Get Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard 2 Core now and license your environment flexibly per core.