When are multiple BPC RIskManager server licenses required?
Background
We will be acquiring an Enterprise license. We are looking to have RM implemented across a group of companies. They will all be using the same instance with same fields and definitions as the subject matter is the same, but they will each be on different servers, with different IT teams managing them. Can we use a single server license or will we require multiple server licenses?
Answer
Yes, and no. Firstly, the Enterprise license is not the best license for this, but rather a Group license (assuming all the companies are related entities) and you expect them all to adopt the BPC RiskManager system. Enterprise License counting is on production servers and legal entities (so you can have as many test and training servers as you like). Each system can have as many databases as you like (we don't license by the database).
The principal difference between the Group and Enterprise licensing is that the total license fee is capped, on the condition that the entities are all related parties (ie. subsidiaries, or a shared service client group.
At the Enterprise and Group license level, we do not license by client - so you can have as many clients (users) as you like, unless you have negotiated a special restricted enterprise license (which sometimes happens with Government clients). This discussion therefore focusses on production servers. Lets consider a couple of scenarios assuming an Enterprise licensing model:
- One application server, one legal entity, one database = 1 license.
- One application server, one legal entity, many databases = 1 license.
- One application server, multiple legal entities, one databases = 1 license.
- One application server, multiple legal entities, multiple databases, but purpose based rather than entity based = 1 license.
- One application server, multiple legal entities, multiple databases, but entity based rather than purpose based = 1 license primary + multiple add-on licenses
- Multiple application servers, one legal entity, one database = 1 license primary + multiple add-on licenses
In all scenarios:
- Multiple web servers (eg a web farm) hosting the BPC SurveyManager component = 1 license (restricted to internal corporate use)
- Servicing the web generally with surveys unrelated to my BPC RiskManager installation = Contact for agreed licensing arrangement.
Essentially, the Enterprise License is not a single server/single database license, but a server and company based license with additional servers/companies after the first one being heavily discounted via the addon licenses.
The Group License is a multi-server / multi-company license offered at a fixed fee for the group. Group licenses are offered on a per parent organisation basis once we understand you expected use scenarios and expected organisation structure. They are always cheaper than the equivalent Enterprise licensing scenario. In either case, there is a per installation charge for maintenance which includes bug fixing, help desk and access to regular upgrades levied annually in advance. Optionally included in this is a reference database vault - under which we retain copies of each of your multiple databases, fully configured (but possibly without data), so that location specific upgrade scripts can be generated and data recovery is easier.
The Group Licence fee allows any company within a group to access and use the software in whatever configuration is seen fit by the group (and there is a large range of possible structures as you will see in the installation guide). With any large group one database configuration does not fit all and that, while there are some common threads, there will always be configuration differences between databases (company structures, people, categories, reference links, etc.).
