When it comes to running Microsoft Windows Server or Microsoft SQL Server in AWS, there are currently three options regarding licensing:
- Simply pay the normal AWS fee for Windows Server instances (on-demand, spot, reserved). These fees are typically more than same-sized instances of other operating systems. See: https://aws.amazon.com/windows/resources/licensing/#launch
- Provision an AWS Dedicated Host (https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/dedicated-hosts/) and use the existing Cornell Microsoft licensing (http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/software_licensing/available/windows.cfm). This is because the existing Cornell Microsoft licensing is limited to computers “owned” by Cornell. Microsoft considers instances running Windows software running on Cornell-provisioned AWS Dedicated Hosts as “owned” by Cornell (not so for instances running elsewhere on AWS). https://aws.amazon.com/windows/resources/licensing/#dedicated
- For MS SQL Serve running in AWS RDS, you can use License Mobility: https://aws.amazon.com/windows/resources/licensing/#mobility. Details of how to do this are unclear at present.