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White Paper · Microsoft

SQL Server 2022 core licensing, without the overspend

A buyer-side walkthrough of the two licensing models, the editions, the breakevens and the Software Assurance rights that decide what you actually owe.

Format PDF + HTML
Read Time 20 Minutes
Last Updated July 14, 2026
What you will take away
  • Why most estates carry more SQL cores than they run, and where the waste hides.
  • The per-core vs Server+CAL breakeven — roughly 30 users on a 4-core server, 64 on 8-core.
  • That SQL 2022 counts physical cores at 1.0 with no core-factor table — reject any 0.75 multiplier.
  • How Software Assurance unlocks passive failover, License Mobility and Unlimited Virtualization.
  • When Azure Hybrid Benefit (~55% saving) beats Arc pay-as-you-go at $274/core/mo Enterprise.
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PublishedJune 20, 2026
Last updatedJuly 14, 2026
Home›Microsoft Knowledge Hub›White Papers›SQL Server 2022 Core Licensing
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