Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Standard Core – 2 Core License Pack (Perpetual) [Educational] is available with a perpetual license, a pay-once, non-subscription license that does not expire.
Core-based licensing
Under the Per Core licensing model, each server running SQL Server 2022 software or any of its components (such as Reporting Services or Integration Services) must be assigned an appropriate number of SQL Server 2022 core licenses. The number of core licenses needed, depends on whether customers are licensing the physical server or individual virtual operating system environments (OSEs).
Unlike the Server+CAL licensing model, the Per Core model allows access for an unlimited number of users or devices to connect from either inside or outside an organization’s firewall. With the Per Core model, customers do not need to purchase additional client access licenses (CALs) to access the SQL Server software.
Please note that this product includes 2 cores and users are automatically paying for both
How to license SQL Server 2022 using the per-core licensing model
When running SQL Server in a physical OSE, all physical cores on the server must be licensed. Software partitioning does not reduce the number of core licenses required, except when licensing individual virtual machines (VMs). A minimum of four core licenses is required for each physical processor on the server.