Re: SUMMARY: Solaris 2.2 licensing

From: Adrian Cockcroft - SMCC Technical Marketing (adrianc@crun.Corp.Sun.COM)
Date: Thu Jun 17 1993 - 14:34:34 CDT


>Sun currently isn't using any mechanism that tries to enforce the 2-user
>license. And because of the overly general definition of a "user" (it now
>includes NFS and NIS clients), it doesn't seem likely that they will.
>Basing it on MAXUSERS would clearly be insane because of the above problem
>with the relationship between MAXUSERS and actual users.
>--
>Barry Margolin
>System Manager, Thinking Machines Corp.

In Solaris 2.2 the kernel maxusers variable is automatically sized based upon
the memory in the system (after the kernel has grabbed a MB or two).

less than 32MB maxusers = 8
less than 40MB maxusers = 32
less than 64MB maxusers = 40
less than 128MB maxusers = 64
greater than 128MB maxusers = 128

There is obviously no linkage with licencing details.

Note that all SMCC *server* models (including desktops with no screens) have
a bundled unlimited user licence (i.e. SMCC pays SunSoft more and includes
the cost in the package price).

The prime reason for the changes is that Solaris is no longer just the
OS that comes bundled with every Sun. SunSoft is competing with Microsoft,
SCO and Univel and is trying to come up with a pricing and licencing model
that makes sense in that marketplace. Since SPARC and Intel versions are
priced and licenced the same way, and SMCC is a customer of SunSoft, SMCC has to
deal with the changes and work out which licence to bundle with each machine.

I will pass on the comments that have been posted here to the appropriate
manager in SMCC.

regards Adrian

---
Adrian Cockcroft - adrian.cockcroft@corp.sun.com - Mailstop: UPAL1-431
SMCC Technical Marketing - Phone (415) 336 0615
Sun Microsystems, 2550 Garcia Avenue, Mountainview, CA 94043, USA



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 23:07:56 CDT