What options are there for hosting License Servers on AWS

There are several options for hosting license servers on AWS, especially for applications that require Host-ID or CPU-ID verification:

1. Cloud-based license server: You can host the license server directly on AWS using Amazon EC2 instances. For cost-effective hosting, small burstable general-purpose T instances, such as micro sizes, can be used. To further reduce costs, you can purchase a Reserved Instance for the license server.

2. Elastic Network Interface: AWS provides improved reliability for license services using a floating elastic network interface. This high-availability solution involves creating an elastic network interface attached to a license server instance and associating license keys with it. If a failure occurs, the elastic network interface can be detached and attached to a standby license server, maintaining IP and MAC addresses.

3. Amazon EC2 Dedicated Hosts: For applications that require specific hardware-level identification, Dedicated Hosts are an option. These provide you with access to hardware that's fully dedicated for your use, allowing you to use your licensed software on dedicated infrastructure. This is particularly useful for software that doesn't have Software Assurance or License Mobility benefits.

4. AWS License Manager: This service integrates with EC2 Dedicated Hosts to help you manage your software licenses, including those for Windows Server and SQL Server. It allows you to specify licensing terms, track licenses for compliance, and set up Dedicated Host management preferences.

While Dedicated Hosts provide the most robust solution for applications requiring hardware-level verification, they may not always be necessary. Many license server technologies work on standard EC2 instances without modification due to the unique hostnames and hardware addresses of these instances.

If cost is a concern and a Dedicated Host seems excessive for just running a license server, consider using a standard EC2 instance with a Reserved Instance pricing model for cost savings. This approach often suffices for many license server applications.

It's worth noting that AWS does not offer CPU pinning for standard EC2 instances. If your specific license server absolutely requires this level of hardware dedication, a Dedicated Host would be the appropriate choice.

Remember to configure your networking and security groups appropriately to allow connectivity on the ports required by your license server software.
Sources
License server setup - Run Semiconductor Design Workflows on AWS
Software - Computational Fluid Dynamics on AWS
Microsoft Licensing
AWS License Manager Features