Have TFS 2010? Want to upgrade its SQL Server to 2008 R2? Have MSDN? Brian says “Go for it, it’s legal… now”

bharry's WebLog - MSDN Subscribers can now upgrade their TFS 2010 SQLServer to SQL 2008 R2

“A while ago we got some feedback from customers that something about our licensing of Team Foundation Server’s use of SQL under an MSDN subscription didn’t make sense. We’ve just fixed it.

Let me start by explaining status quo.

When you purchase TFS, you get a license to use SQLServer Standard Edition along with your TFS (but it can only be used for TFS). The version of SQL you get a license to is the version that was current when we released the version of TFS you are using. So, for example, TFS 2010 includes a license to use SQL 2008.

Soon after TFS 2010 released, SQL released a new version – SQL 2008 R2. We tested TFS with that version to ensure that it worked, however customers didn’t have the right to upgrade their SQL server associated with TFS unless they had a separately purchased license for SQL 2008 R2. I think of it this way – the product you bought didn’t have SQL 2008 R2 so you can’t use it unless you buy it. OK, it kind of make sense.

…

We’ve just updated the Product Use Rights document to fix this. The July PUR document now includes language that allows you to upgrade the SQL Server associated with your TFS license to newer versions as long as you have an active MSDN subscription that covers your TFS server at the time the newer version of SQL Server is released.

The language that allows this is so obtuse I don’t think anyone would ever figure it out. I apologize for that and feedback has been given that we need to fix the language so that a normal human can understand it. However, I expect that will take a few months. …”

So if you have a need or desire to upgrade your TFS 2010’s SQL Server, assuming your riding on the license that came with your TFS, to 2008 R2 you now can… legally…