Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Edition 2 Core Pack Perpetual License
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Edition 2 Core Pack Perpetual (DG7GMGF0VNGX:0006) - Local Support
This Is a Perpetual Licence, Bought Once
This is a one-time purchase. You buy the licence and you own it; there is no annual renewal and no expiry date attached to the right to use the software. What a bare perpetual licence does not include is Software Assurance, and several rights people assume they have depend on it.
We also list SQL Server 2025 Enterprise edition as a two-core annual subscription. Which is right for you turns less on price than on how you deploy: a subscription licence carries benefits similar to Software Assurance, including the right to license an individual virtual machine and eligibility for Azure Hybrid Benefit. A bare perpetual pack carries neither.
Confirm with us which model your deployment needs before you order. Sizing a SQL Server estate wrongly is expensive to unwind.
Enterprise Edition Is Licensed Per Core Only
Microsoft does not offer Enterprise edition under the Server plus CAL model. The licensing guidance states it directly: “Server + CAL licensing is only available with Standard edition and is not available with Pay-as-you-go billing.” If you need Enterprise, per-core licensing is the only route, and you buy no CALs at all.
The compensation is that Enterprise removes the scale ceilings. Standard is limited to the lesser of four sockets or 32 cores and a 256 GB buffer pool; Enterprise runs to the operating system maximum on both. Standard caps columnstore segment cache and memory-optimised data at 32 GB each; Enterprise has no such cap.
The features that most often force the step up to Enterprise are Always On availability groups (Standard gets Basic availability groups only), online and resumable index create and rebuild, and Transparent Data Encryption. If your availability design needs multiple readable secondaries or your maintenance window will not tolerate offline index rebuilds, Standard will not do.
Core Minimums Decide How Many Packs You Actually Need
A two-core pack is a unit of licensing, not a complete licence for a server. Microsoft sets a floor of four core licences per physical processor and four per virtual machine, so the smallest lawful deployment on a single-processor server is two of these packs. Count your physical cores (or virtual cores), round up to at least four, and order in pairs.
Licensing an individual virtual machine requires a subscription licence or active Software Assurance. Microsoft's Product Terms attach the condition “Available for subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only” to the per-virtual-OSE option. A perpetual core pack bought on its own, with no Software Assurance, must be used to license the physical cores of the server, subject to the four-per-processor minimum. This is the single most common costing mistake in SQL Server orders — tell us how you intend to deploy and we will size the licences with you.
Microsoft also confirms that the SQL Server Core Factor Table no longer applies from SQL Server 2016 onward, so there is no multiplier to apply to your core count — you license the cores you have, subject to the minimums.
Buying Through SourceIT in Singapore
We are a Singapore reseller and we quote in Singapore dollars with a GST invoice. Microsoft's own published list price for this SKU is US$15,123, described by Microsoft as an “open no-level (NL) estimated retail price”, captured on 8 September 2026. Microsoft's footnote on its own pricing datasheet reads: “Pricing represents open no-level (NL) estimated retail price. For your specific pricing, contact your Microsoft reseller.” That is what our quotation is for.
This is a licence, not hardware, so it carries no hardware warranty. What it carries is local support: we handle the licensing questions, the sizing, the renewal dates and the paperwork, and Microsoft's own documentation places first-line support for partner-purchased licensing with the partner.
Supplied by SourceIT in Singapore with a GST invoice and local support. For a written quotation, current stock position or delivery lead time, contact our team.
Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Enterprise 2 Core Pack Datasheet — Licensing, Core Minimums and Specifications
Licence
| Product name | Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Enterprise edition |
| Unit | 2 Core Pack — one SKU grants two core licences |
| Part number (SourceIT) | DG7GMGF0VNGX:0006 |
| Licensing model | Per Core. No Client Access Licences required |
| Licence type | Perpetual — a one-time purchase, no Software Assurance included |
| Minimum per physical processor | 4 core licences (2 of these packs) |
| Minimum per virtual machine | 4 core licences (2 of these packs), and this option requires a subscription licence or active Software Assurance |
| Microsoft published list price | US$15,123, open no-level estimated retail, captured 8 September 2026 |
| Local support (Singapore) | Supplied by SourceIT with local support and a GST invoice |
The Per-Core Rules Microsoft Publishes
| Pack size | Microsoft: “SQL Server core SKUs are sold in packs of two-core licenses each. Meaning a single two-core SKU includes two core licenses.” |
| Minimum, physical server | Four core licences per physical processor. Microsoft's Product Terms: “The number of Licenses required equals the number of Physical Cores on the Licensed Server subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Physical Processor.” |
| Minimum, virtual machine | Four core licences per virtual OSE. Product Terms: “The number of Licenses required equals the number of Virtual Cores in the Virtual OSE, subject to a minimum of four Licenses per Virtual OSE.” |
| Hardware threads | Product Terms: “If any Virtual Core is at any time mapped to more than one Hardware Thread, Customer needs a License for each Hardware Thread to which it is mapped.” |
| Core factor table | Not used. Microsoft: “The SQL Server Core Factor Table is no longer used to calculate the required number of core licenses needed for SQL Server 2016 and later versions.” |
| Client Access Licences | Not required. Microsoft: “Unlike the Server + CAL model, unlimited users and devices can access SQL Server under this model without Client Access Licenses (CALs).” |
Edition Scale and Feature Limits, as Microsoft Publishes Them
| Maximum compute, Database Engine | Enterprise: operating system maximum. Standard: limited to the lesser of 4 sockets or 32 cores |
| Maximum buffer pool memory per instance | Enterprise: operating system maximum. Standard: 256 GB |
| Maximum columnstore segment cache | Enterprise: unlimited. Standard: 32 GB |
| Maximum memory-optimised data per database | Enterprise: unlimited. Standard: 32 GB |
| Maximum relational database size | 524 PB on both Enterprise and Standard |
| Always On availability groups | Enterprise only, including distributed and contained availability groups |
| Basic availability groups | Standard only |
| Always On failover cluster instances | Enterprise and Standard |
| Online and resumable index create or rebuild | Enterprise only |
| Transparent Data Encryption | Enterprise only |
| Table and index partitioning, data compression, In-Memory OLTP | Enterprise and Standard (Standard capped at 32 GB memory-optimised data per database) |
| Resource Governor | Enterprise and Standard — new to Standard in SQL Server 2025 |
What Microsoft Does Not Publish for This SKU
Microsoft publishes no Singapore-dollar list price for the two-core packs; the only SGD figure on the Microsoft Store Singapore is for the Standard 1 Server plus 10 CAL bundle. Microsoft also publishes no Software Assurance pricing on the SQL Server pricing datasheet. We would rather leave a field blank than print a figure we cannot substantiate.
Core Minimums, Virtualisation and Azure Hybrid Benefit
A two-core pack is a unit of licensing, not a complete licence for a server. Microsoft sets a floor of four core licences per physical processor and four per virtual machine, so the smallest lawful deployment on a single-processor server is two of these packs. Count your physical cores (or virtual cores), round up to at least four, and order in pairs.
Licensing an individual virtual machine requires a subscription licence or active Software Assurance. Microsoft's Product Terms attach the condition “Available for subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only” to the per-virtual-OSE option. A perpetual core pack bought on its own, with no Software Assurance, must be used to license the physical cores of the server, subject to the four-per-processor minimum. This is the single most common costing mistake in SQL Server orders — tell us how you intend to deploy and we will size the licences with you.
Microsoft's Azure Hybrid Benefit page states the eligible licences are “SQL Server core licenses with active Software Assurance or qualifying subscription core licenses”. A perpetual core pack bought without Software Assurance does not qualify. Microsoft also warns: “If you choose not to renew your Software Assurance when it expires, you'll need to remove your Azure Hybrid Benefit selections from your resources.”
Lifecycle, Support Dates and Extended Security Updates
SQL Server 2025 reached general availability on 18 November 2025 and sits under Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy. Buying the current version rather than an older one buys you the longest support runway available.
| Release (general availability) | 18 November 2025 |
| Lifecycle policy | Fixed Lifecycle Policy |
| Mainstream end date | 7 January 2031 |
| Extended end date | 7 January 2036 |
| Dates published in | Pacific Time, per Microsoft's lifecycle database |
| Applies to | All editions on Windows and on Linux |
Where the Older Versions Stand
| SQL Server 2022 | Released 16 November 2022. Mainstream ends 12 January 2028, extended ends 12 January 2033 |
| SQL Server 2019 | Released 4 November 2019. Mainstream support ended 1 March 2025; extended support runs to 9 January 2030 |
| SQL Server 2017 | Extended support ends 13 October 2027 |
| SQL Server 2016 | Extended support ended 15 July 2026 per Microsoft's lifecycle page. This version is out of support. Microsoft's Extended Security Updates FAQ renders the same date as 14 July 2026; we publish the lifecycle page figure and name the discrepancy rather than choosing silently |
| SQL Server 2014 and earlier | Out of support. Microsoft offers no Extended Security Updates for SQL Server 2012 and earlier |
Extended Security Updates
Microsoft describes the programme as “a last resort paid option for customers who need to run certain legacy Microsoft products past the end of support… not intended as a long-term solution, but rather as a temporary bridge”. Extended Security Updates deliver critical security updates only — no new features, no non-security bug fixes, and no general technical support. They run for up to three years past the extended end date and are available for Enterprise and Standard editions only; Express, Web and Developer are not eligible. Microsoft publishes no list price for SQL Server Extended Security Updates, so neither do we.
Support and Warranty Position
A software licence carries no hardware warranty. SourceIT supplies this licence with local Singapore support and a GST invoice. No warranty term is quoted or implied.
Compatibility, Deployment and System Requirements
| Processor architecture | x64 only. Microsoft: “Installation of SQL Server is supported on x64 processors only.” Intel and AMD x86-64 CPUs, up to 64 cores per NUMA node |
| Processor speed | Minimum 1.4 GHz; Microsoft recommends 2.0 GHz or faster |
| Memory | Minimum 1 GB (Express 512 MB). Microsoft recommends at least 4 GB, increased as the database grows |
| Disk space | Minimum 6 GB available, and 6 GB must be free on the system drive even when components are installed elsewhere |
| .NET | SQL Server 2025 requires .NET Framework 4.7.2 |
| Supported Windows | Windows Server 2025, 2022 and 2019 (all editions, including Server Core); Windows 11 or greater; Windows 10 or greater |
| Supported Linux | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.x and 10.x; Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04; Docker Engine 1.8+ on Linux. File systems XFS or ext4 |
| No longer supported | SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. Microsoft: “Starting with SQL Server 2025 (17.x), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is no longer supported.” |
Discontinued and Deprecated in SQL Server 2025
Microsoft lists the following as discontinued in SQL Server 2025: Data Quality Services, Master Data Services, Azure Synapse Link, Purview access policies, Web edition, and Express with Advanced Services. Hot add CPU and lightweight pooling (fiber mode) are deprecated. Check any dependency on these before you upgrade.
What Is New in SQL Server 2025
The headline additions are AI and vector features: a native vector data type storing single- or half-precision floating point values, the scalar functions VECTOR_DISTANCE, VECTOR_NORM, VECTOR_NORMALIZE and VECTORPROPERTY, external AI model management through CREATE EXTERNAL MODEL, and the AI functions AI_GENERATE_CHUNKS and AI_GENERATE_EMBEDDINGS.
Read this before you plan on them: Microsoft states that vector indexes and VECTOR_SEARCH require the PREVIEW_FEATURES database scoped configuration even in the released product, as do change event streaming and the fuzzy string matching functions. They are shipped but flagged preview. The vector data type and the vector and AI scalar functions carry no such flag.
Beyond AI, SQL Server 2025 adds optimized locking, tempdb space resource governance, ZSTD backup compression, persisted statistics for readable secondaries, regular expression functions, native binary JSON, Data API builder, backup to immutable blob storage, backups on any secondary replica, PBKDF2 password hashing on by default, TLS 1.3 with TDS 8.0, and mirroring into Microsoft Fabric.
Official Microsoft Sources & Downloads
- SQL Server 2025 licensing guidance — microsoft.com/licensing
- Core-based licensing models — microsoft.com/licensing
- Microsoft Product Terms, SQL Server
- Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2025 — Microsoft Learn
- What's new in SQL Server 2025 — Microsoft Learn
- Hardware and software requirements for SQL Server 2025 — Microsoft Learn
- SQL Server 2025 on Linux release notes — Microsoft Learn
- SQL Server 2025 lifecycle — Microsoft Learn
- SQL Server Extended Security Updates FAQ — Microsoft Learn
- Azure Hybrid Benefit — azure.microsoft.com
Supplied by SourceIT in Singapore with a GST invoice and local support. For a written quotation, current stock position or delivery lead time, contact our team.
Frequently Asked Questions — SQL Server 2025 Enterprise Edition 2 Core Pack Perpetual
How many of these packs do I need?
Count the physical cores on the server, or the virtual cores in the virtual machine, and round up to a minimum of four. Divide by two. A single-processor server with six cores needs three packs; a four-core virtual machine needs two. Send us your core counts and we will size it with you.
Do I need Client Access Licences as well?
No. Microsoft states that under the per-core model “unlimited users and devices can access SQL Server… without Client Access Licenses”. CALs belong to the Server plus CAL model, which Microsoft offers on Standard edition only.
Can I use this to license just one virtual machine?
Only with a subscription licence or active Software Assurance. Microsoft's Product Terms make licensing by individual virtual OSE “available for subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only”. A bare perpetual pack does not meet that condition, so it must be applied to the physical cores of the server.
What is the difference between Standard and Enterprise?
Standard is capped at the lesser of four sockets or 32 cores with a 256 GB buffer pool; Enterprise runs to the operating system maximum. Enterprise adds full Always On availability groups, online and resumable index rebuild, and Transparent Data Encryption. Partitioning, compression, In-Memory OLTP and Resource Governor are in both.
Does Enterprise come with a Server plus CAL option?
No. Microsoft publishes Server plus CAL for Standard edition only. Enterprise is per-core.
How long is SQL Server 2025 supported?
Mainstream support ends 7 January 2031 and extended support ends 7 January 2036, under Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy.
Is there a warranty?
Not a hardware warranty — this is a software licence and no such warranty exists. SourceIT provides local Singapore support and a GST invoice.
