This is a sample report on a synthetic 9-host environment.
Every number below was produced by the same engine that processes real uploads — the infrastructure is fictional, the licensing math is not. Your report looks exactly like this, for your servers.
Licensing Optimization Report
Sample environment · 9 hosts · 68 VMs
Servers Analyzed
9
68 total VMs
Windows VMs
61
requiring licenses
Optimized Cost
$296,770.68
recommended path
Potential Savings
$20,420.64
6% reduction
Recommended License Mix
Total Cost Comparison
Top Servers by Cost (Std vs DC vs Best)
Environment Explorer
4 clusters · 9 hosts · 68 VMs · 246 vCPU · est. $296,771 — hover any row for its roll-up
Key Findings & Recommendations
- →2 hosts recommend Datacenter Edition. Purchasing Datacenter in bulk via an Enterprise Agreement typically yields additional discounts.
- →7 hosts recommend Standard (stacked). Consider consolidating workloads onto fewer, denser hosts — pushing past the 11-VM Datacenter breakeven reduces total license sets.
- →1 host is eligible for VM-based licensing via Software Assurance. Compare VM-based cost against Standard stacking — particularly valuable on hosts with low-vCPU VMs.
- →2 hosts had Microsoft core minimums applied (8 cores/socket or 16-core per-server floor). Verify hardware specs in the source data.
Suggested VM Moves (9)
Datacenter-licensed hosts are flat-cost — every VM moved onto one is licensing-free, and every core drained off a Standard host is money back. Real reports let you accept/reject each move and export the migration plan for your VMware admin. Estimated additional savings: $10,231
| VM | From | To | vCPU | Cores Freed | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BATCH-01 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-02 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-03 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-04 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-05 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-06 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-07 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-08 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-01 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
| BATCH-09 | HV-PROD-03 | HV-PROD-02 | 4 | 8 | $1,136.8 |
All Servers — Full Detail
| Server | Cluster | Billable Cores | Win VMs | Recommended | Std Cost | DC Cost | Best Cost | Insights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQL-PROD-01 | SQL-CLUSTER | 24 | 0 | Standard | $2,046.24 | $11,781.54 | $212,558.4 | Software Assurance (SA) is not active. Adding SA unlocks VM-based licensing, which can significantly reduce costs on hosts where VMs have low vCPU counts. |
| HV-SQL-01 | SQL-CLUSTER | 20 | 4 | Standard | $3,410.4 | $9,817.95 | $26,291.4 | Datacenter breakeven is 11 Windows VMs per host (stacked Standard, no SA). This host has 4 — grow by 7 VMs and Datacenter becomes cheaper. |
| HV-PROD-01 | PROD-CLUSTER | 32 | 22 | Datacenter | $30,011.52 | $15,708.72 | $15,708.72 | 22 Windows VMs exceeds the 11-VM breakeven — Datacenter is the cost-optimal edition for this host. |
| HV-PROD-02 | PROD-CLUSTER | 32 | 15 | Datacenter | $21,826.56 | $15,708.72 | $15,708.72 | 15 Windows VMs exceeds the 11-VM breakeven — Datacenter is the cost-optimal edition for this host. |
| HV-PROD-03 | PROD-CLUSTER | 24 | 9 | Standard | $10,231.2 | $11,781.54 | $10,231.2 | Datacenter breakeven is 11 Windows VMs per host (stacked Standard, no SA). This host has 9 — grow by 2 VMs and Datacenter becomes cheaper. |
| FILE-01 | — | 16 | 0 | Standard | $1,364.16 | $7,854.36 | $7,064.16 | Software Assurance (SA) is not active. Adding SA unlocks VM-based licensing, which can significantly reduce costs on hosts where VMs have low vCPU counts. |
| HV-DR-01 | DR-CLUSTER | 20 | 6 | Standard | $5,115.6 | $9,817.95 | $5,115.6 | Datacenter breakeven is 11 Windows VMs per host (stacked Standard, no SA). This host has 6 — grow by 5 VMs and Datacenter becomes cheaper. |
| BRANCH-HV-01 | — | 16 | 3 | Standard | $2,728.32 | $7,854.36 | $2,728.32 | Datacenter breakeven is 11 Windows VMs per host (stacked Standard, no SA). This host has 3 — grow by 8 VMs and Datacenter becomes cheaper. |
| LEGACY-APP-01 | — | 16 | 2 | Standard | $1,364.16 | $7,854.36 | $1,364.16 | Per-VM licensing headroom: 16 billable virtual cores vs a Datacenter breakeven of 93 (DC÷Std price ratio 5.76 × 16 billable host cores). |
What this sample demonstrates
Datacenter vs Standard
HV-PROD-01 and HV-PROD-02 run enough Windows VMs that one Datacenter license beats stacking Standard. HV-PROD-03 and below stay on Standard — the engine shows the math for both on every host.
Microsoft minimums & SA
BRANCH-HV-01 has 8 physical cores but bills 16 (the per-server minimum). LEGACY-APP-01 has Software Assurance, which unlocks per-VM licensing the other hosts can't use.
SQL & CALs
SQL-PROD-01 carries a 24-core Enterprise instance; HV-SQL-01 runs two Standard instances (note the 4-core minimum). FILE-01 has a known user base, so the engine prices CALs.
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Start Free AuditReports are planning estimates built from the provided inventory, the stated assumptions, and published Microsoft licensing rules and list prices at generation time — not a compliance determination or legal advice. Confirm positions with your licensing partner before acting. WinSQLTool is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.