MS Windows Server 2008 R2 Licensing

[VFRDavid]

OK - I've installed my second Windows 2008 Server...the first one was 5 CALs, this one is 30...I purchased the OEM Server with the 5 CALs...WHERE do I put in the other 25 CALs??? I don't see anything in the Server Wizard, AD, Roles, etc that allow me to bump up the number of "Per Server" licenses / CALs ...I've Googled till my fingers bled, and searched all over microsoft.com...the best I can see is that you can pretty much login as many people as you want - and "if Microsoft asks" you have to prove you have "n" licenses with your papers? Could that really be true? You have to provide "your papers" to Microsoft? Is it really that simple...is Microsoft really that trusting? Or am I being REALLY dumb and missing something REALLY obvious???

THANKS!!!

 

[kmcferrin]

It's not a matter of being that trusting, it's a matter of not being able to reprogram the server software for every change in the licensing scenario. Even under older versions of WIndows Server that included a "licensing" applet in the administrative tools, it was only there to help you keep count and had no functional effect on the server operation.

Think about it...if you buy device or user CALs, what good would "adding them to a server" do? If you have 5 servers and every client device is licensed, how would one server know?

You buy the number and type of licenses that you need and then if you do an audit (or have to true-up under an EA) then you need to provide documentation of your licenses.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
MCITP:Virtualization Administrator 2008 R2
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator