SPLA Licensing Confusion! Please help clarify

Hi Guys,

We're looking to do some Windows based hosting for our customers and are trying
to figure out the SPLA licensing.  Our Microsoft rep seems more confused than we
do regarding licensing.  I have a few questions regarding different scenario's,
please advise or provide clarity wherever you can:

 1) Hosting virtual machines with Virtual Server 2005 R2 (ie instead of giving a
customer a dedicated server, we give them a virtual machine)

- How do I license the guest OS's?  If I install Server Enterprise Edition on
the host server (processor license) then I believe I can install up to 4 guest
OS's for 'free'.  What happens if I want to have more than 4 guest OS's on the
server? How do I license them then?  If I have two processors on the host server
and purchase two processor licenses for the host server then do I get 8 'free'
guest OS installs?  Also, I understand Datacentre edition allows unlimited VM's
- but I believe datacentre edition only comes with "Anonymous Processor
License", and no "Authenticated Processsor License" - so which
would I require if hosting VM's?  

2) WSS Hosting

- First, am I allowed to host WSS (not SharePoint Standard or Enterprise, I'm
just talking about the free WSS)

-What restrictions are there with licensing, is there anything special? its not
listed in any price sheets and my rep cant tell me why.  Do I simply have to
license the OS that I install it on using an "Authenticated" license
and that's it?  What if I use Forms based authentication for WSS, can I get away
with "Anonymous" license for the OS since WSS is using forms based
auth which uses the database instead of Active Directory or the local NT
accounts on the server?  

-Other than licensing the OS, what else do I need to have licensed to host WSS
for a customer?  If we have a centralized SQL server then I can simply put the
WSS database on that licensed server, however, if I put SQL server on the same
physical machine then I'd have to license SQL server too, correct?  

3) Regular Database-Driven Website Hosting

-Under what circumstances can I get away with "Anonymous" as opposed
to "Authenticated" licensing for the OS? There is a big price
difference.  If I am hosting a site for a customer that is database driven and
the user accounts are NOT in active directory or local NT accounts on the server
then can I avoid the "authenticated" license?  Note that the websites
still have users and the ability for them to login to the website, however, the
users are stored in a database in SQL server, not in AD or local NT accounts. 
Furthermore, how does the SQL licensing work on that - I guess the www server is
a multiplexing device so I would have to use processor licensing for SQL server
but for the OS that runs SQL server and the www server I can use Anonymous
Processsor License for those OS's?

 

I know these are simple questions but the subtlties are killing me

 

Thanks in Advance

Start here bro:
http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/licensing/splafaq.mspx

wisecarver:

Start here bro:
http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/licensing/splafaq.mspx



 

Thanks for the reply but that doesn't really help answer any of my
questions......

How about this link:

http://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/userights/Contact.aspx

Jeff