SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition is relational database server software offering tools for data storage, management, analysis, and reporting.

Benefits for Organizations

• Serve data to a customer relationship management (CRM) platform
• Analyze data collected by your organization
• Support a dynamic website or intranet site

Major Capabilities

• The online transaction processing (OLTP) engine allows quick access to large amounts of data.
• Failover clustering support minimizes disruption of service by connecting to other servers to provide service in case one fails.
• The online analytical processing (OLAP) and BI Semantic Model (BISM) multidimensional models allow you to analyze multidimensional data from multiple perspectives and in a tabular model.
• SQL Data Tools provide a development environment for developers, integrated with the .NET framework and Visual Studio, to build web, enterprise, and data-aware mobile applications on premises and in the cloud.

For more information, see Microsoft's Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2012.

Interface

The management interface is SQL Server Management Studio, a graphical management tool for all SQL Server components with rich scripting capabilities. SQL Server Management Studio includes Policy-Based Management, which can create policies that manage entities on the server, such as the instance of SQL Server, databases, and other SQL Server objects.

Licensing

This product operates on a core-based licensing model. Under this model, you will need to license all cores in a physical environment. In a virtual environment, the same minimum requirement applies to virtual cores allocated to virtual machines.

This model allows you license a physical, virtual, or cloud-based server based on computing power. It is most appropriate for administrators who:

• Do not know the exact number of users and devices that will connect to the server
• Have workloads that face the Internet or an extranet
• Have systems that integrate with external-facing workloads

Additional Licenses Needed

Two core licenses are included with this product. SQL Server requires a minimum of four core licenses to function. In order to use this product, you will need to obtain enough copies to cover the cores in the processors that you plan to use with SQL Server.

SQL Server 2012 Standard Edition is also available under the server/CAL model. See Related Products and Information.

Additional Information

For additional information about the available editions of SQL Server and its licensing requirements, see the Guide to SQL Server Editions and Licensing.

32-Bit and x64 Versions

The installation media for this product is a DVD-ROM that can be used for 32-bit, 64-bit AMD, or 64-bit Intel Xeon platforms. The 32-bit version can be installed on the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server.

Obtaining This Product

Installing this product requires you to download the software from the Volume Licensing Service Center and enter a license key. You can download any available version or language for your product. After you download the software, learn how to install it or burn it to a disc for later use.

The license key allows you to install the product on as many computers as you have received licenses for. This quantity is specified in the first email you receive from TechSoup after requesting this product.

Expect three emails:

1. When your donation request has been approved, TechSoup will send a message to your organization email address confirming the number of licenses you have requested.
2. Microsoft will send an email welcoming your organization to the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC).
3. TechSoup will send an email with information about obtaining your license key and managing your donation at the VLSC. If you are new to the VLSC, you should wait for this email before you register there.

Software Assurance

Under the Software Assurance program, you have the right to install any new release of products covered in the agreement during the term of your coverage.

For all editions, actual requirements vary according to the system configuration and the applications and features installed. Below are the basic requirements.

• Hardware:
• For the 32-bit (x86) edition:
• 1-GHz (or higher) Pentium III-compatible processor; 2-GHz recommended
• 1 GB RAM; 4 GB or more recommended (supports maximum of 64 GB)
• 6 GB available hard-disk space (See more detailed hard-disk requirements for specific components.)
• DVD drive
• 800x600-pixel (or higher) display
• For the 64-bit (x64) edition:
• 1.4-GHz (or higher) processor: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, or Intel Pentium 4 with EM64T support; 2-GHz recommended
• 1 GB RAM; 4 GB recommended (supports maximum of 64 GB)
• 6 GB available hard-disk space (See more detailed hard-disk requirements for specific components.)
• DVD drive
• 800x600-pixel (or higher) display
• Software:
• For the 32-bit edition:
• Operating systems:
• Windows Vista with SP2 Ultimate, Enterprise, Business, Ultimate x64, Enterprise x64, Business x64
• Windows Server 2008 with SP2 Web, Standard, Datacenter, Enterprise, Web x64, Standard x64, Datacenter x64, Enterprise x64, Foundation x64
• Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 Web x64, Standard x64, Datacenter x64, Enterprise x64, Foundation x64
• Windows 7 with SP1 Ultimate, Enterprise, Professional, Ultimate x64, Enterprise x64, Professional x64
• Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
• For Database Engine components and SQL Management Studio — Windows PowerShell 2.0
• For the 64-bit edition:
• Operating systems:
• Windows Vista with SP2 Ultimate x64, Enterprise x64, Business x64
• Windows Server 2008 with SP2 Web x64, Standard x64, Datacenter x64, Enterprise x64, Foundation x64
• Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 Web x64, Standard x64, Datacenter x64, Enterprise x64, Foundation x64
• Windows 7 with SP1 Ultimate x64, Enterprise x64, Professional x64
• Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
• For Database Engine components and SQL Management Studio — Windows PowerShell 2.0
• For running SQL Server 2012 within a virtual environment — Hyper-V
• The 32-bit edition of SQL Server can be installed on the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server.

• This donation is available to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) designation and to public libraries. Public libraries must either have valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or be listed in the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) database.
• Organizations that are not eligible: Not all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible for participation in the Microsoft Donation Program. Those that are not eligible should visit Microsoft Volume Licensing for Industries for more information about charity licensing; they may still be eligible for discounted software from Microsoft. The following types of organizations are ineligible for Microsoft software donations:
• Governmental organizations or agencies.
• Educational institutions, including K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and trade schools.
• Healthcare organizations and networks, including hospitals, specialty networks, ambulatory healthcare services, home healthcare and assisted living healthcare organizations, research organizations, and laboratories. Exceptions: Community health clinics, medical research groups, behavioral healthcare nonprofits, women's health centers, and blood banks are eligible to request Microsoft software donations.
• Political, labor, and fraternal organizations; commerce and trade associations without charitable aims or activities; sponsorships of events, tables, exhibitions, or performances; fundraising events such as luncheons, dinners, walks, runs, or sports tournaments.
• Religious organizations not registered as a charity and without a secular community designation that is separate from the church or religious organization. A secular designation is defined as an organization that provides services to people regardless of their religious beliefs and does not propagate a belief in a specific faith. Example: A food bank with nonprofit or charity status that is run by a church but is a separate and unique organization that provides food and meals to anyone who qualifies for services, regardless of religious beliefs. Religious organizations without secular designations can visit Programs for Charitable Organizations for information regarding licensing options; they may be eligible to receive discounted Microsoft software through these programs.
• Refurbishers that will be installing the donated software on refurbished computers to be distributed or donated to nonprofits or schools. Please visit the Registered Refurbisher Program.
• Nonpublic libraries, including private libraries, school libraries, specialty libraries, armed forces libraries, and libraries in government agencies.
• Eligible organizations receive an allotment of Microsoft software donation requests that is reset every two years. An organization’s two-year cycle begins with its first donation request after July 27, 2011. After two years, a new cycle begins, and a new allotment becomes available. The organization does not need to request the full amount of its allotment. There is no limit to the number of separate requests the organization can make and no minimum quantity requirement.
• During its two-year cycle, an organization can request products from up to 10 title groups. For title groups that contain applications that run on an individual computer (like a desktop or laptop PC), there is a 50-license maximum. For title groups that contain client access licenses or other licenses that provide for connection to or management of a server, there is also a 50-license maximum. For server products, there is a five-product maximum, regardless of title group. For further details, see Quantity and Frequency of Microsoft Requests on the Microsoft Donation Program — Eligibility and Allotments page.
• Public libraries may request Microsoft software donations through this program only for use on public access computers or on computers used to directly manage either the public access computers or the library's public access program. Participating libraries must also make their collection and basic services available to the population of their legal service area without charges to individual users (excluding incidental fees such as printing charges). If they so choose, libraries may impose charges on users outside the legal service area and may provide products and services (beyond basic services) to the public at large, with or without individual charges.
• Organizations that engage in discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination, and/or retirement based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, political affiliation, union membership, or veteran status, other than as allowed by law, are not eligible to participate in this program. Organizations must be willing and able to attest that they do not discriminate on any of these grounds in order to receive donations.
• Microsoft products may not be transferred between separate legal entities or resold. Additionally, Microsoft products may not be installed on computers that will be given to or sold to other organizations or individuals, even as part of a charitable program.
• Donated product will be distributed under this program to qualifying organizations and libraries only, not to individuals.