Windows Licensing Issue?
 

Eh?
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/h...multicore.mspx

Ok, can the Mac guys come in and explain how Apple's licensing works sicen they sell a twin-dual core system?

All it's saying is that Micro$hafts license agreement covers processors. So you could have a single multicore processor and only have to worry about one license.

You only have to license for as many processors as your system uses.

In laymans terms: you won't have to pay more for software because you decide to keep up with technology.

Errrm... That means that dual-processor machines have to pay for two licenses?

yup

Windows XP Pro covers up to two processors. Having more doesn't mean that XP actually uses the left over processors. In that case, you need to go with Windows Server 2000/2003 where the different editions will allow more then 2 processors to be used. It's still just one OS license.

It's when you go with clustering that you need to realise that an active/passive system, or an active/active one, is not a single server, even if you have a virtual server name that covers the single instance. Therefore, you need to buy a license for each server you're installing... Enterprise Edition of 2003 will for example cover a single computer with up to 8 processors inside.

Microsoft changes the number of supported processors from time to time, especially for the Datacenter edition which used to support 32 processors, and then R2 editions and 64bit versions went to 64 and 128-way systems...

This is independent of having a cpu with two cores btw, for example a P4 cpu with 2 cores would still be just one cpu physically, and you could place two such CPU's in a PC with XP, and it would run just fine using both CPU's, even though the task manager would actually show 4 cpu's in use.

btw: this is of course only for the Windows OS. They specifically say:
i.e. 2 licenses for a pc with two processors.

This would probably be the case for some type of software which uses such licensing schemes. Database applications would often fall under such licensing methods.

The company I work for however has a volume licensing deal, and thus I can install any number of licenses on any number of computers I want, without incurring extra licensing fees.

I wasn't aware that XP could read up to 4 processors. So you're telling me that if I build a PC with two dual-core Xeon's a la Macpro, I can still run XP, and XP would read and be able to utilize all 4 cores?