What Windows Server 2008 hosting provider will let me use my Action Pack licenses for a SQL server?

For a pilot, I need to install the Microsoft Lync server that requires a minimum of two 64bit hosts. It also need a SQL server. Most Windows hosting providers seem to have their own SQL server offerings for an additional charge/hour that exceeds the base hosting charge by 2-3x. What hoster will let me bring my own licenses for SQL Server and let me pay just for the basic Windows servers? We have licenses from Action Pack as part of a Microsoft Developer program. (I can not use the Microsoft hosted offering for Lync because they do not permit UCMA API access to the servers which is what I need to test)
Answer:

I just got a basic VPS without SQL and installed SQL myself from my BizSpark licence. No host cares what you run if it's your own installation.

Corneliu I. Tusnea at Quora Visit the source

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Other answers

I'm afraid that you won't be able to find a Windows VPS provider that allows this. The reason is that they all use SPLA licensing which cannot be mixed with perpetual licenses. The only way to do it is to get a dedicated server on which you will use your own licenses. Now what is the difference between dedicated and VPS? A VPS is based on a dedicated box (obviously) which most certainly has other VPS clients, all using SPLA licensing. The provider has to follow MS licensing rules and not allow any kind of perpetual licenses on it. A dedicated box however may not use any SPLA licensing, meaning that perpetual licenses can be used. Note that there is another solution, "License Mobility Through Software Assurance" but I do not think there is any VPS provider using this.

Stavros Kourvas

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