With DPM 2010 now on the Microsoft price list, I wanted to take the opportunity to clarify some changes in the licensing between DPM 2007 and DPM 2010. Please note, I am not a certified licensing specialist, nor am I staring at a SKU chart.  The best official resources are on the DPM licensing and System Center licensing web pages.

My goal is to give you the big picture for licensing DPM 2010, so that you have an idea how to apply the new licensing models.  Hopefully, this will help you when working with your Microsoft representative, partner or licensing specialist.

In DPM 2007, there were up to four kinds of SKUs that you might purchase (not including discounts or Software Assurance):

C-DPML - our “client agent” for protecting Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7

S-DPML - our “file agent” for protecting files on Windows Server 2003 through 2008 R2

E-DPML - our “application agent” for protecting Exchange, SQL, SharePoint or Virtualization.

DPM Management Server - the backup server (or appliance) software itself

Now, let’s look at DPM 2010.

First, let’s talk about the agents. The functionality and breakdown are the same between DPM 2007 and DPM 2010 as they have been (C-DPML, S-DPML and E-DPML). Technically, the new management license names don’t abbreviate as “D P M L” ‘s anymore (not sure why), but the functionality is the same:

“Client” management licenses are for protecting Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7

“Standard” management licenses are for protecting Files (only) on Windows Server 2003, 2003 R2, 2008 and 2008 R2

“Enterprise” management licenses are for protecting workloads such as Exchange or SQL databases, SharePoint farms, virtual machines from the host, etc.

But more and more, we are seeing folks get their DPM agents as part of the System Center suites.

System Center Management Suites (SMSE/SMSD)

SMSE’s and SMSD’s include not only an Enterprise management license for DPM, but the comparable management licenses for Configuration Manager, Operations Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, Service Manager and Opalis. The primary difference for DPM fans between the SMSE & SMSD is that the SMSE (E=Enterprise) allows you to install the DPM agent in up to 4 virtual guests to use the agents at no additional charge, while the SMSD (D=Datacenter) allows for an unlimited number of virtual guests to use the agents without charge. Essentially, these “4” and “unlimited” models map to the same tiers that Windows Server Enterprise and Windows Server Datacenter line up with.  There is more to the SMSE/SMSDs than that, which you can check out at on the System Center licensing page.

Microsoft ECAL (effective June 2010)

Starting June 2010, ECAL includes the SC Client Management Suite (CMS). The CMS includes a DPM Client management license.

SC Essentials Plus suite (new July 2010)

Just as our enterprise products have a suite, our midmarket offerings will be available as a discounted bundle, as well. In this case, there are two SC Essentials Plus suites:

SCE+ Server management license - which includes an Enterprise DPM management license

SCE+ Client management license - which includes a Client DPM management license

Is the DPM 2010 Server software now free?

“Free” is not the correct licensing term, however you no longer purchase a separate SKU for the DPM 2010 server software.  Instead, “use rights are granted” for the DPM Server software when you purchase one or more DPM management licenses.  

So, if you have purchased:

· C-DPML’s, S-DPML’s, E-DPML’s

· SMSE’s or SMSD’s

· ECAL’s

· Or SCE+’s

Then, you can install the DPM 2010 server without an additional charge!! This is one more way that Microsoft is making it easier to acquire and deploy the latest in data protection technology. You own the agents, so install the server and start backing them up.  My guess is that if you are using an alternative technology to DPM, you are probably paying for your backup server software (maybe quite a bit).  :-)

The difference between Agent Functionality and Management Licenses

DPM 2010 installs one agent everywhere (either x86 or x64).  There are not separate binaries for Exchange, SQL, Hyper-V or file functionality -- and no open-file handlers or library management modules.

So, you can install the agent everywhere, using a software deployment mechanism such as System Center Configuration Manager (for enterprises) or System Center Essentials (for midsized organizations).

The single unified agent will expose any DPM-protectable workloads to the DPM server and its UI.  When you configure a Protection Group within DPM, DPM will enumerate your license count – based on what kinds of data you are protecting.

If your agent is on a Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine – the DPM server will add one to your Client license count

If your agent is on a Windows Server OS machine, and you only select files for protection – the DPM server will add one to your Standard license count

If your agent is on a Windows Server OS machine, and you select application/VM data for protection – the DPM server will add one to your Enterprise license count

This makes your deployment as easy as it possibly can be – just install the same agent software everywhere.

This hopefully makes your acquisition easy too – simply track what is actively being protected (Client, Standard or Enterprise) from the counters on the DPM servers

Some MVLS portals show two downloadables: (Enterprise) and (Standard)?

Some folks may be initially confused when you look at the MVLS downloads, because it appears that there is an “Enterprise DPM” and a “Standard DPM” download.  They are the same ISO (really).

It is a little confusing (and we are working on cleaning it up), but what you are purchasing is the Enterprise agent and/or the Standard agent – hence the two downloads.

So download either of them.  Both of the MVLS downloads have the same 64-bit DPM 2010 server software and the same 32-bit and 64-bit DPM agent software, which can be installed everywhere and will later be enumerated as Client, Standard or Enterprise “management licenses in use” as you select data for protection

So …

Summary

If you already have ECAL, then you already have the Client licenses for DPM 2010 and can begin protecting your Windows client machines (and probably not have to renew whatever third-party backup software is currently backing up your workstations).

If you already have the System Center SMSE or SMSD suites, then you can protect your Windows application, file and virtualization servers because you already own Enterprise licenses for DPM. See money saving note above.

And if you are a midsized organization that has been excitedly looking forward to SC Essentials 2010, then you will soon be able to purchase the SC Essentials Plus suites for both your clients and your servers.

I hope this was helpful - and I return you to your Microsoft partner, sales team or other licensing specialist.

Thanks for reading,

This video has nothing to do with Microsoft, System Center, Data Protection Manager, Essentials 2010, Boy Scouts or Video Games.

But if you are a dad (or know one) … then this video is worth 2.5 minutes of your day:

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

One of the coolest parts of my job is actually seeing materials go from ‘inside my head’ to ‘microsoft.com’ -- though there are a few steps along the way.  :-)

Here are 5 new datasheets describing different capabilities within DPM 2010:

Product Overview of DPM 2010

How to Protect Microsoft SQL Server with DPM 2010

How to Protect Microsoft Exchange with DPM 2010

How to Protect Microsoft SharePoint with DPM 2010

How to Protect Windows Clients with DPM 2010

Respective whitepapers for each of these are also coming to microsoft.com/DPM …

But hopefully, these will get you started on understanding how DPM 2010 fits in your environment.