MICROSOFT SYSTEM CENTER
Microsoft® System Center is the family of IT management solutions that helps customers to proactively plan, deploy, manage, and optimize an IT environment.

• Managed clients need a Client Management License (ML)
• Managed servers running basic workloads such as file and print services need a Standard Server ML
• Managed servers running application workloads such as Microsoft® Exchange Server or Microsoft® SQL Server® need an Enterprise Server ML

It is the workload to be managed which determines the required ML. If there are multiple workloads installed on a single server, but the need is to manage only one of those workloads, then it is that managed workload which will determine whether a Standard or Enterprise ML is needed.

• Microsoft® System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Requires an Operations Manager license for the Management Server, Standard or Enterprise MLs for managed servers (per Operating System Environment (OSE)), and Client MLs for managed clients (per OSE or User)
• Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Requires a Configuration Manager license for the Management Server, Standard or Enterprise MLs for managed servers (per OSE), and Client MLs for managed clients (per OSE or User)
• Microsoft® System Center Data Protection Manager 2010 Requires Standard or Enterprise MLs for managed servers (per OSE) and Client MLs for managed clients (per OSE or User)
• Microsoft® System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 Requires an Enterprise ML for each server being managed (per OSE), and Client MLs for managed clients (per OSE or User). Note that the Workgroup Edition is limited to management of 5 physical host servers per management server console
• Microsoft® System Center Service Manager 2010 Requires a Service Manager license for the Management Server, Server MLs for managed servers (per OSE) and Client MLs for managed clients (per OSE or User)
• Microsoft® System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008 Licensed with a Server / CAL model

MICROSOFT® SYSTEM CENTER ESSENTIALS 2010

System Center Essentials (SCE) is a unified IT management solution to enable IT professionals in midsize organizations to proactively manage a physical and virtual IT environment with increased efficiency.

• An SCE license is required for the Management Server, and Server MLs and Client MLs for managed servers and clients per physical device
• There is a technical limit of 500 Windows clients and 50 servers that can be managed by SCE
• Third party solutions can be managed by SCE. They don’t count towards the technical limits but must still be licensed with the relevant Client or Server MLs
• Available through Full Packaged Product and all Volume Licensing programs

• Typical "clients" are desktops, laptops and mobile devices. They are defined as being managed if the System Center product solicits or receives data about, configures, or gives instructions to that device’s hardware or software. An ML is not required to manage devices such as hubs, routers, printers and modems
• The System Center products are licensed per Operating System Environment (OSE) and so if a physical machine has been virtualized, then each virtual environment to be managed requires an ML. SCE is an exception to this and is licensed per physical client or server device

SERVER MANAGEMENT SUITES

System Center Server Management Suite Datacenter contains Enterprise MLs for Operations Manager, Configuration Manager and Service Manager, and the Enterprise ML and Management Server for Virtual Machine Manager and Data Protection Manager. It allows management of unlimited OSEs per physical server. Note that the components are sold as a single license for use on a single server requiring a license for each processer, with a minimum of two processors.

System Center Server Management Suite Enterprise contains the same products as the Datacenter suite, but allows management of 4 OSEs per physical server. Note that the components are sold as a single license for use on a single server.

CLIENT MANAGEMENT SUITE:
System Center Client Management Suite contains Client Management Licenses for Operations Manager, Data Protection Manager and Service Manager. Note that the Suite is available for purchase per OSE or per User.

SQL Server is a required data repository for some System Center products. SQL Server Express Edition may be used but SQL Server Standard or Enterprise Editions are recommended for larger deployments. SQL CALs are required for every managed device if SQL is licensed in a client/server model.

"With SQL Technology" SKUs
Configuration Manager and Mobile Device Manager have a SKU which include SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition, and Operations Manager, Service Manager and SCE all have a SKU which comes with SQL Server 2008.
The SQL included may only be used to support the System Center product and no SQL CALs are required.

• Microsoft System Center Home Page:
  https://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/
• Licensing information on the Microsoft Partner Network:
  https://partner.microsoft.com/global/licensing