Netware + Office2003 activation

[robbieb14]

Hello, quick question. We currently use Netware 6.5 server & the workstations (not many) run ye olde office 97 with no Microsoft Activation for that product.

We are currently looking into upgrading to office 2003 by either purchasing 10 seperate office 2003 upgrade boxed retail version or going down the VLK route which is a lot more expensive.

If we go down the boxed version route will I have problems when it comes to running office 2003 through the Netware application launcher on the workstations as far as the way Microsoft product activation works??

Please help

ps I am not trying to anything dodgy just need to know before I purchase anything.

 

[Datong]

Hi,

if you go VLK you'll get an enterprise key that covers your installations and so you can use your server to deploy the app with the same key. (you can also buy further licenses and keep installing). Technically you could deploy the app with one key as long as you have the correct number of licenses for your deployment, although there may be some grey areas in this method - but we used to have to do it that way anyway with deploying apps through ZEN as you have to snapshot an install first anyway. - and unless you're audited or a member of FAST whos going to know ? Im sure they will have guidlines for this sort of install anyway. If you need to comply then do it legit otherwise do whats best for you and cheapeast. I suppose the only question that needs answering is does MS Office check for duplicate keys on a LAN ? I dont know the answer to that as I have always used enterprise keys.

 

[robbieb14]

Thanks for the reply Datong, yes the easiest way would be to go down the VLK route but it's a lot more but we may have to do this.

If we were purchase the boxed version we would install office on each workstation with it's own key BUT would launch each office app through the netware app launcher. This may not work correctly, we don't run ZEN plus if I were to buy the incorrect product (boxed instead of VLK) my boss would kill me ! :~(

 

[marvhuffaker]

I think you are confused as to what you actually have. You said you use the NetWare Application Launcher but then you say you DON'T have ZENworks.

Well.. The Application Launcher is an integral part of ZENworks. It's the piece that allows you to develop one application and deploy it automatically to all of your workstations. It's one of the coolest things ever.

If it was me, regardless of how you purchase it, I would just create one App object in ZENworks and deploy it. As long as I have certificates to prove that I own the number of licenses that are deployed, I don't care.

If you DID want to get anal about the specific license codes, you could create a custom MST file, one for each different serial number, and deploy this to specific people. This will require much more work though, and I could foresee it being a complete pain in the rear.



Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[iolair]

I've done this with no problems whatsoever. I didn't have to really do any extra setup, so I think you should be able to deploy with no problem. But, I did get the Enterprise type key with our software.

Iolair MacWalter
Director of IT

 

[QSDMichael]

This is just a follow up question to Marv's answer. I use ZEN App Launcher for some smaller apps housed on the server, what kind of overhead are you talking about if I launch a full blown office app like word? I could have as many as 100 students at a time accessing that file.

 

[andriod998]

This is kind of a follow up to some of the messages posted here. It is possible to be using the application launcher and not have the full zenworks package. Novell used to provide application launcher 2.0 for free before zenworks was a product however, if you're still using NAL 2 I'd be shocked and suprised (it was released in the 94, 95 time frame). In the district I work in we do run our office 2003 products through the application launcher. We have gig from file server through our fiber backbone at our sites and 100mb switched to the desktop. When I clone a lab and it needs to re-install office 2003 it takes a good 15 minutes for 30 machines to install office 2003 from the launcher, so that's something to consider. In terms of keys we have a volume license key for our products and I have no problem rolling office 2003 out to 200+ machines at a school. Every now and then they need to "authorize" but it doesn't even ask the user any questions, it just pops up and says it detected a hardware change and is re-authorizing the computer and then office works just fine.

Andy