System Center 2012 Standard is a set of server management licenses (MLs) and software for managing applications and services across physical, virtual, and cloud information technology (IT) infrastructures.

System Center 2012 Standard and System Center 2012 Datacenter both include all of the System Center components, but the two editions have different license rights.

The Standard edition is designed for managing physical and lightly virtualized System Center environments.

Benefits for Organizations

If you have a dedicated IT staff with datacenter administration experience, your organization can use System Center to:

• Pool shared resources into a "private cloud" to provide users with IT as a Service that they can self-allocate through a portal.
• Manage hybrid cloud environments that combine public and private cloud applications and services from a centralized interface.
• Standardize and automate datacenter processes to reduce costs and improve service reliability.

Licensed Components

This ML suite licenses servers to be managed by these System Center components:

• App Controller: a unified console for managing public and private clouds, as well as cloud-based virtual machines and services
• Configuration Manager: provides software deployment, distribution, update management, and configuration monitoring throughout an IT infrastructure
• Data Protection Manager: enables disk-based data protection and recovery for file and application servers as well as client computers
• Endpoint Protection: works with Configuration Manager to provide a single infrastructure for client management and security, including malware detection
• Operations Manager: monitors the health of IT services across datacenter and cloud infrastructures
• Orchestrator: a workflow management tool for automating the creation, monitoring, and deployment of IT resources
• Service Manager: an integrated platform for automating and adapting your organization's IT service management best practices
• Virtual Machine Manager: enables administration and management of Microsoft and VMware virtual machine guests and virtual machine hosts

Licensing

System Center server MLs use processor-based licensing, with each license covering up to two physical processors on managed servers. Server MLs are required for managed devices that run server operating system environments (OSEs).

Each Standard server ML allows you to manage up to two OSEs per license.

Other types of licenses are also available. For more information, see TechSoup's Guide to System Center Products and Licensing.

Server Software

With System Center 2012, the right to run management server software is included with the MLs. If you request this product, you can obtain management server software for all of the System Center components listed above. The software includes a runtime version of SQL Server Technology (SQL Server Standard Edition) to support System Center. No additional licenses are needed for management servers or SQL Server technology.

Management License

MLs do not require media, license keys, or setup codes.

CALs, ECLs, and MLs offered through TechSoup are always for the currently offered version of the server software. However, these licenses can also be used with earlier versions of the server software.

Obtaining the Server Software

Installing the server software 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.

• See system requirements for each System Center component:
• App Controller
• Configuration Manager
• Data Protection Manager
• Endpoint Protection
• Operations Manager
• Orchestrator
• Service Manager
• Virtual Machine Manager

• 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.