I am getting ready to retire two older servers and it raises a question about where I can install the full version MS SQL that comes licensed with SBS Premium. This is my scenario:
Currently we have:
1 Physical server running SBS 2008 (I will call this one "the SBS server" Not getting retired)
1 Physical server running Windows Server 2003 Standard with the copy of MS SQL that came with SBS 2003 Premium. Over a year ago we upgraded to SBS 2008 Premium but never bothered to do anything to this server since it was fine. (in short I will call this the "Old MS SQL server" Getting retired)
1 Physical server running Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard that is just a host for two virtual servers ("Old VS Host" Getting retired): 1 virtual server - we have a full license for Windows 2008 R2 and it is our RDS server ("RDS server" would like to just migrate this virtual server), 2nd Virtual Server is the "additional server edition" of Windows 2008 Standard that comes with SBS 2008 Premium. This server is hosting an application that is pervasive based ("Pervasive server" would like just migrate this virtual server)
New possible scenario if the SQL license that comes with Premium can be used on any server on the network:
1 Physical Server - "SBS Server"
1 New Physical Windows 2008 R2 physical server that is the "New VS Host" for: 1 virtual server -"RDS Server", 2nd virtual server "New MS SQL Server" that is a new full copy of Windows 2008R2 Standard running the version of MS SQL that comes bundled with SBS Premium, and a 3rd virtual server that is the same "Pervasive server" that is still using the version of Windows 2008 Standard that comes with SBS 2008 Premium edition.
My question is, will I be able to put the version of MS SQL that comes with SBS 2008 Premium on the "New MS SQL Server" or will I have to move all of the data off of the "Pervasive server" because MS SQL can only be put on the additional 2008 server that comes with SBS premium? More simply put, can I put the copy of MS SQL that comes with SBS Premium Edition on any server on the network as long as the SBS server is present on the network and on the same domain?
I have already asked Microsoft's licensing support this question and I had to repeat the scenario at least 4 times and I never was confident she understood my question because she gave me a different answer every time I explained it. Her final answer was "no, you cannot separate the SBS components" which I dread to hear because it is going to double the labor cost to my client because I will have to build much more from scratch and migrate manually. So I want to be sure that is true before proceeding.
Thanks and hopefully there is somebody out there that can answer definitively because they have come across a similar scenario.