processor

A shortened version of the phrase “central processing unit” (CPU), originally the chip within a computer responsible for its main computing capabilities. Some modern computers may have several such computing chips that work together in processing (“multiprocessor” computers). Some forms of software licensing take into account the number of processors in a computer as a measure of the power of the computer, which drives the price of the license. These are generally called Processor licenses of some kind (for example, the Microsoft Server Processor (license type) license type). Software publishers also realized that not all processors are created equal, and so began rating different processor models for Processor Points licenses.

As processors have become more powerful, they have included multiple cores on the same substrate (or die). Strictly each core is a separate processing unit, but the term “processor” continues to be used for the processing chip mounted on the computing motherboard, regardless of how many cores it contains.

Tip: Not all software publishers agree on this definition for licensing purposes. For example, on the one hand, Microsoft does implement this widely-accepted definition (one processor means one chip that can be placed in one socket on the mother board). On the other hand, Oracle historically wanted to insist that each core was a separate processor, but now has special core counting methods based on counting cores as a fraction of a processor, with many specific rules and exceptions (for example, Intel Hyperthreading, which makes one core look like two, still counts as one). IT Asset Management standardizes on the meaning of processor (the chip that occupies a single socket on the motherboard), and distinguishes cores as a separate specific count. You may need to carefully examine the license agreement for some products to determine the appropriate license type to use to record your entitlements.