SQL License Changes for SOLIDWORKS PDM: What You Need to Know

Every year with the new release of SOLIDWORKS comes new system requirements. It ensures that all products take advantage of new development in technology. This year for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and SOLIDWORKS MANAGE, there have been two announcements that we want to bring to your attention so you can be prepared:

1. SQL 2014 End of Life Scheduled for SW2021 SP5

2. Discontinuation of bundling Microsoft SQL Server licenses together with individual CAD Editor, Contributor or Viewer SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and SOLIDWORKS Manage Licenses, effective October 8, 2019.

• Effective October 8, 2019. SOLIDWORKS has announced the discontinuation of bundling Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Server + CAL licenses with Individual CAD Editors, Contributors and Viewers licenses of SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and SOLIDWORKS Manage.
• Effective April 1, 2020. SOLIDWORKS has announced the discontinuation of bundling Microsoft SQL Server Core Based licenses with Universal licenses of SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and SOLIDWORKS Manage AND SQL Core Based licenses will not be offered separately.
• Effective October 1, 2020. SOLIDWORKS has announced that Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Server + CAL licenses will no longer be available for purchase separately.

Although these changes do not affect your existing environment right away, we know here at Hawk Ridge Systems that having time to prepare for changes is the best way to make sound decisions.

Why is This Good News?

Bye-Bye Run-Time Restriction

The Microsoft SQL Server 2014 licenses provided before are run-time restricted. This means they are solely to be used with the application you are purchasing them with. If you are running other software using SQL server, you might be able to share SQL licenses between applications and reduce the overall price of SQL licenses.

Upgrade to Newer Versions

The Microsoft SQL Server 2014 licenses provided before cannot be upgraded to newer versions. Now that you are not tied to the 2014 release of SQL anymore, you have access to versions of Microsoft SQL Server (especially Microsoft SQL 2016 and 2017) that are optimized to run with SOLIDWORKS Data Management solutions.

Not Paying for Something You Don’t Need

Customers wanting to take advantage of lower latency when replicating data to overseas remote locations need to enable the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional database replication. This requires the purchase of Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition. With the previously bundled licenses, you would have paid for the Standard Edition and the Enterprise Edition. Not anymore!

Public Cloud License Usage

Customers are increasingly moving their servers to public cloud services. The Microsoft SQL Server licenses offered before cannot be transferred to public cloud servers. Newer versions will let you do that.

What Does it Mean for Your Existing Environment?

Before SQL 2014 End of Life (SOLIDWORKS 2021 SP5)

• Nothing is required.
• You can choose to upgrade SQL licenses to most recent at any time when it’s most convenient for you.

After SQL 2014 End of Life

• You will be required to purchased SQL licenses that are newer than 2014 for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and SOLIDWORKS MANAGE.

Note: If you are considering moving your existing SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional or SOLIDWORKS MANAGE to a public cloud, you will have to upgrade the SQL licenses to remain compliant.

What If I Need to Add PDM Licenses/Users Accessing Existing PDM Licenses?

If more licenses are needed, you can:

• Purchase additional SQL 2014 CAL licenses run-time restricted. They are end of life at the end of 2021 and only offered until October 1, 2020.
• Purchase additional, most recent, SQL 2014 CAL licenses and have a mix of run-time restricted licenses coming end of life and newer licenses.
• Purchase most recent SQL Server+CAL Licenses for your server and all user access.

How Do I Prepare?

Timing is of the essence. If you need to add users, you might want to consider upgrading right away as money spent on 2014 licenses will have to be spent again on newer licenses at the end of 2021.

To effectively prepare for the change, you must identify what type of SQL licensing you are using. There are two types of SQL licensing:

Server + CAL Licensing

Every individual license of SOLIDWORKS PDM or SOLIDWORKS MANAGE purchased before October 8, 2019, whether it is a CAD Editor, Contributor or Viewer, comes with one Server license and one user CAL.

Core-Based Licensing

Every Universal License (previously called PSL license) of SOLIDWORKS PDM or SOLIDWORKS MANAGE purchased before April 1, 2020 comes with two Core-Based licenses (sold in pack of two) for a total of four licensed cores.

Because you are not tied to the old 2014 licenses anymore, you might greatly benefit from switching to the newer version of SQL. Whether you need to add licenses or upgrade your current SQL licenses, Hawk Ridge Systems has got you covered! We will help you navigate these changes and identify what is the best option for your current situation.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to our technical support team to get the right information about the best way to address these changes. Be sure to contact us if you have any other questions that we can help you with. Thanks for reading!