Q: “I’m considering a Microsoft business solution. What kind of licensing options are available?”
A: Be sure to look up this clip: msft.it/6014wPOj (watch this short whiteboard session to learn about the various licensing options are available for small and midsized businesses when they choose a business solution from Microsoft. This video applies to Microsoft's ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) products for small and midsized businesses)
I’ve already written about licensing in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 and comparison between BRL and Perpetual license models. This is my old text, but I've now amended it.
Perpetual Licensing news
Microsoft is launching Perpetual Licensing for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013. Perpetual Licensing provides a step forward by simplifying how customers purchase NAV2013. The entire solution can be licensed via four core components: The Starter Pack, the Extended Pack, the Full User and the Limited User. Additional configuration components are also available.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 is only available under the new Perpetual Licensing model. When existing customers upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013, they will also need to transition from either Module Based Licensing or Business Ready Licensing to Perpetual Licensing using the transition upgrade path that depends on when customers first acquired their active Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution.
The License Migration Transition (LMT) upgrade applies to all customers who acquired their currently active Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution before October 1, 2012 irrespective of when customers choose to execute the upgrade. The LMT upgrade offers a simplified path that maps existing functionality and users to a new solution configuration that is at least comparable to the old configuration (except for discontinued functionality).
Migration of user type will be as:
- Concurrent User->Full User
- Light User->Fill User
- ESS User->Limited User
Comparison between BRL and Perpetual
Where is problem? My colleagues often say they don’t know what is Starter functionality and where starting Extended pack. They are well known BRL functionality, but BRL and Perpetual are not exactly the same. BE and Starter are similar, also AM and Extended. But, there exist differences. Because, I prepare next comparative granule table (in attachment). I hope that this will help in your work.
User models
If a customer has more than three users accessing the application at the same time (concurrent users), it must acquire additional user licenses beyond the first three Full User licenses included with the Starter Pack.
Access to the Dynamics ERP solution functionality is licensed through user licenses on a concurrent user basis. Concurrent user licenses are based on the maximum number of users that may access the Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution simultaneously. Concurrent user licenses can be shared between multiple individuals with the limitation being the number of individuals that are able to access the ERP solution at the same time.
Unlike named user licenses, which are permanently assigned to an individual, concurrent user licenses are assigned temporarily to a user for the duration of their active session. Once that individual ends the active session, the license becomes available for use by another individual.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 contain two concurrent user “counters”— one for Full Users and another one for Limited Users—in order to keep track of how many users are concurrently logged in.
Full User
Full User licenses provide users full read and full write capabilities to all of the licensed solution functionality through any and all modes of access, including the Windows Client, the Web Client and Microsoft SharePoint Client or any other mode of access going through the API (including Web Services). Full User licenses are for users requiring unlimited read and write access. As long as the number of users needing simultaneous access to the solution does not exceed the number of Full User licenses you have acquired, these users are properly licensed for full read and write access to the complete solution functionality.
Limited User
Limited User licenses provide users full read but limited yet powerful write capabilities to all of the licensed solution functionality through any and all modes of access including the Windows Client. The Limited User license is designed to give you a lower-cost alternative for extending ERP to users who only need to perform limited task as defined in the Perpetual Licensing Guide.
What is the limitation if it is “powerful write capabilities to all of the licensed solution”?! I must to describe details, because answer can be a little confuse. These are “limitations”:
- “Read” access to data contained in the ERP solution through any client accessing the application via the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Application Programming Interface (API) including but not limited to the User Interface Web Services for Microsoft Dynamics NAV
- “Write” access via the Timesheet functionality
- Write access through any client accessing the ERP solution via the Microsoft Dynamics NAV API to a maximum of 3 table objects in any range number with the following exceptions:
- limited users are not allowed to write to any of the following tables: General Ledger (table 17), Permission Set (table number 2000000004), Permission (table number 2000000005) or Access Control (table number 2000000053); and
- any table described in next chapter as “Limited User Included Tables” do not count towards the 3 table objects.
Limited User Included Tables
The following tables do not count towards the maximum of three permitted for Limited Users in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, because they are already included in Limited User license model:
- 43 Purch. Comment Line
- 44 Sales Comment Line
- 51 User Time Register
- 97 Comment Line
- 309 No. Series Line
- 336 Tracking Specification
- 337 Reservation Entry
- 355 Dimension Ledger Entry
- 356 Journal Line Dimension
- 357 Document Dimension
- 358 Production Document Dimension
- 359 Posted Document Dimension
- 361 G/L Budget Dimension
- 389 Service Contract Dimension
- 405 Change Log Entry
- 455 Approval Line Comment
- 480 Dimension Set Entry
- 481 Dimension Set Tree Node
- 952 Time Sheet Detail
- 953 Time Sheet Comment Line
- 5050 Contact
- 5051 Contact Alt. Address
- 5052 Contact Alt. Addr. Date Range
- 5054 Contact Business Relation
- 5061 Rlshp. Mgt. Comment Line
- 5062 Attachment
- 5065 Interaction Log Entry
- 5072 Campaign Entry
- 5075 Logged Segment
- 5078 Segment History
- 5080 To-do
- 5106 Document Dimension Archive
- 5107 Sales Header Archive
- 5108 Sales Line Archive
- 5109 Purchase Header Archive
- 5110 Purchase Line Archive
- 5123 Inter. Log Entry Comment Line
- 5125 Purch. Comment Line Archive
- 5126 Sales Comment Line
- 5150 Integration Page
- 5151 Integration Record
- 5199 Attendee
- 5648 FA Allocation Dimension
- 5766 Warehouse Activity Header
- 5772 Registered Whse. Activity Hdr.
- 5773 Registered Whse. Activity Line
- 5814 Inventory Period
- 6550 Whse. Item Tracking Line
- 7135 Item Budget Dimension
- 7310 Warehouse Journal Batch
- 7311 Warehouse Journal Line
- 7312 Warehouse Entry
- 7313 Warehouse Register
- 7318 Posted Whse. Receipt Header
- 7319 Posted Whse. Receipt Line
- 7320 Warehouse Shipment Header
- 7321 Warehouse Shipment Line
- 7322 Posted Whse. Shipment Header
- 7323 Posted Whse. Shipment Line
- 7324 Whse. Put-away Request
- 7325 Whse. Pick Request
- 7326 Whse. Worksheet Line
- 7331 Whse. Internal Put-away Header
- 7332 Whse. Internal Put-away Line
- 7354 Bin
- 2000000067 User Default Style Sheet
- 2000000068 Record Link
- 2000000073 User Personalization
- 2000000075 User Metadata
- 2000000080 Page Data Personalization
- 2000000111 Session Event
This practically means that Limited User can use for write in 74 tables (71 default tables and 3 tables by their choice).