Pervasive PSQL Vx Licensing Primer
The licensing for Pervasive PSQL Vx Server 11 is completely different from that of the other, mainstream (a.k.a. "Classic") edition. Please review this information very carefully, and if you still have any remaining questions, contact us!.
Here is Pervasive's own license white paper.
Please read this information carefully! Pervasive Software does NOT allow product returns on their software once it is delivered! If you order the wrong product, you may need to order the correct version and have no recourse for returns. Goldstar Software is the premier reseller in the United States, but we must still work within the rules provided by Pervasive Software. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us or Actian directly at 800-BTRIEVE *before* you place your order!
Server Only Licensing
Whereas the PSQL v11 engine is available in both Server and Workgroup Engines, Pervasive PSQL Vx Server 11 is a server product only. There is no Workgroup Engine. If you need a small Workgroup environment, stay on PSQLv11.
Per Instance, Hypervisor-Friendly Licensing
The PSQL Vx engine is licensed per physical or virtual server instance (identified by the server hostname and NIC MAC addresses) only. This allows you to configure a server on a virtual machine on one host, and move that VM to a different physical host as needed, with no concern about your license becoming invalidated. In fact, this system is compatible with VMware vSphere and ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, or Citrix Xen, and is fully compatible with the host migration capabilities (vMotion, Live Migration, XenMotion) and all high-availability, horizontal scaling, and fault-tolerance features.
Internet Connection Required
To implement this new licensing, a connection to the Internet is required to be available full-time on the database server. The product will validate itself to Pervasive's license server every month. If the validation fails, it will attempt to connect every hour. Failure to connect will start a 30-day grace period, after which the license will be disabled (and your system will stop working). If your server does not have full-time Internet access, then you may wish to consider PSQLv11 instead.
Flexible Bit Level Licensing
Whereas Pervasive PSQL v11 used different licenses 32-bit and 64-bit engines, the Pervasive PSQL Vx Server 11 licenses are inherently "bit agnostic", meaning that you can run either 32-bit or 64-it server engines, and you can change between them at will. You have the ability of deauthorizing your license and reauthorizing it again on a different server, and switch between bit levels and platforms at will.
Internet/Intranet and ASP-Model Licensing
Pervasive PSQL v11 and previous engines required the use of the Unlimited/Intranet license for hosting an internal application behind a web server or other front-end appliance. This requirement made it expensive (and many times, cost-prohibitive) for a new developer to offer his software as a service (SaaS) in an ASP (Application Service Provider) model. PSQL Vx, which tracks licenses by capacity (see below), includes this capability with EVERY license. This now makes cloud services a reality for companies, whether ythey are using a private cloud or the public cloud.
Optimized Backup Solutions for Virtual Machines
Pervasive PSQL Vx now includes two backup components. The first, a VSS Writer, integrates with Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service to offer a standard mechanism for quiescing the database disk activity to effect a complete snapshot backup. Second, a license for Pervasive's Backup Agent v3.1 is also included, at no additional charge.
Capacity-Based Licensing
Pervasive has switched to a capacity-based pricing model for this edition, which focuses on how much work the database server process, not how many users or computers are connecting to it. This capability allows a company to purchase a small system for handling a small number of concurrent connections and database size and then grow as needed. This change requires a change in the way the product is purchased and quoted as well, and it may be more complicated to ensure that end users get the correct edition for their needs. We expect this to be a "high-touch" sales process, at least in the beginning, requiring some additional hand-holding by the developers and resellers, and we strongly recommend that you contact us for help if you have ANY questions..
The capacity-based pricing has these implications:
- Individual database sessions (connections) are now counted towards your "Session Count" component of the license. Applications that establish a Btrieve connection AND a SQL connection will be using two separate sessions. Multi-threaded applications (those that run each menu option or sub-program in a separate window with a separate connection) may use many more sessions than the classic edition's Per User (per concurrent network address) licensing.
- The current size of all opened data files is now counted towards your "Data In Use " component of the license. Applications that store very large data files, even with very few users, may need to up-size their PSQL Vx license to account for the larger files. Further, sites that run production databases and test databases on the same server may suddenly need to have twice the "Data In Use" license to run test and production at the same time, even if it is a small environment with few users.
The Pervasive PSQL Vx Server 11 licenses will be available in 4 "sizes", offering the following capacities:
- SMALL: 25 Connections or 5GB of Data
- MEDIUM: 100 Connections or 20GB of Data
- LARGE: 250 Connections or 50GB of Data
- UNLIMITED: Unlimited Connections and Unlimited Data
At this time, Pervasive Software is still working on an upgrade path from one size to another, but no plans or pricing has yet been released.
Capacity Increase Licenses
If the capacity you purchased is insufficient for your environment, in terms of either session count or data file size, then you can purchase "Capacity Increase" licenses. A Session Count Increase (SCI) increases the number of sessions in blocks of 10, 25, or 50. A Data Size Increase (DSI) increases the total data file size in increments of 1GB, 2GB, 10GB, and 50GB.
In addition to fixed capcity increases, "temporary" capacity increases are also available, which are valuable for short-term upscaling. These temporary keys will enable companies to increase capacity for 30 days at a time, which is useful for tax season, the holiday rush, and other temporary bursts in activity.
Engine Upgrades from PSQL Classic
Upgrade discounts are also offered for current owners of PSQLv11 and older, but currently ONLY for select combinations. For example:
- SMALL Upgrade: Available for owners of 6-10 User Licenses
- MEDIUM Upgrade: Available for owners of 11-50 User Licenses
- LARGE Upgrade: Available for owners of 51-500 User Licenses
- UNLIMITED Upgrade: Available for owners of 501+ User Licenses
Downsizing (upgrading to a smaller environment) or Upsizing (Upgrading to a larger environment) is not permitted at this time. This may put some users in a predicament where thet want to upgrade to PSQL Vx, but need to upgrade into a larger edition because of the session count or data size requirements, so they end up having to pay full price.
Finding the Right License For Your Needs
With all of these factors, it may be difficult to determine your exact need. Avoid the confusion, and let us help you determine what is needed! Contact us with the following information, and we can determine the best way to make your upgrade happen:
- Original Pervasive Engine Version
- Original Pervasive Engine User Count (total Base and User Count Increases, if any)
- Concurrent Sessions Reported by your Pervasive Monitor (Microkernel/Resource Usage/Sessions)
- Total Size of your Database Files (as indicated by the file system)
- Expected growth in the number of sessions or data file size
Be sure to do this for EACH server that you have, to ensure the right licensing. We will then be able to work up the license costs for both PSQL Vx and PSQL Classic and provide you with several options for upgrading.
Feedback on this New License Model
We welcome feedback to this licensing model. If you have comments or concerns, please Contact Us and we will ensure that your feedback gets forwarded to the right people at Pervasive Software.
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