What happens to a SQL Server 2019 Standard instance with an Annual Subscription Licence when it expires?

Question

We have 3 production SQL Server 2019 standard instances which we have licenced through a third party supplier on an annual subscription basis. In our use case this works out cheaper if you only require the licences for <3 years.

We've just been informed we need to re-up the licence for the 2nd year within the next 5 days, there's a chance the invoice wont be processed and approved our end until next week, I'm just doing my due diligence on what risk this poses to our production environment.

From what I can tell, previously (at least on 2008R2), the instance validated the licence key locally so if this licence type existed back then, even if it did expire, SQL would continue to function as normal. My concern is that Microsoft have implemented some licence protection features since then to support this licence type, which could stop the instance from starting/working, similar to how an expired evaluation licence instance would stop working when the service is restarted.

There's very little information on this licence type online, its mentioned on Microsoft SQL Server's licencing/pricing page but the detailed documents linked there don't cover it at all. SQL 2019 Licencing & Pricing

Does anyone have any experience with this licencing method/internals of sql licencing and could shed some light on how the instance will behave once it hits its expiration date?

Answer 1

SQL Server has no technical enforcement of licenses (except for Evaluation Edition which is time-bombed).

An installation of SQL Server has a "product key" to activate the installation for a particular SKU, but this is not a license.

The assignment of licenses to servers is handled externally.