Term Serv - Per Device CAL's 7

[snootalope]

Hello

I've got a win2k3 server here that acts as the licensing server for our 5 terminal servers. We have a bunch of old Winterm's and misc computers that we're replacing with newer machines. My question is, does the license server recognize that an older machine is no longer in service? cause from what i can see, our term serv is holding on to like 20 licenses that still say a devices name that we replaced like two months ago! That doesn't seem right.. Cause now, we're having to purchase more linces, at like $120 a pop, cause the term serv isn't releasing old licenses..

what a bunch of crap if ya ask me!!!

Anything i can do?
snoots

 

[tfg13]

I believe this will answer your questions:

10. Managing CALs When in Steady Operations
When Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server is working properly, you can ensure that all the correct types of Terminal Server CALs are available to users and computers in your environment. To do this, refer to the following important facts about Terminal Server CAL management in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server:

• You can use Terminal Server Licensing to monitor licenses. To get this tool, click Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, and then Terminal Server Licensing on the computer running Terminal Server Licensing.

• Managing Per User Licensing is currently not supported. This means that when you install per User CALs on your license server, you cannot monitor how many per User CALs are available at any time.

• Temporary licenses are issued on first connection to a terminal server in Per Device mode. The first time a device connects to a terminal server, it is issued a temporary license, which is valid for 90 days. This behavior is by design so that devices do not accidentally use up a CAL when mistakenly connecting to a terminal server. The next time the client connects to a terminal server, it is allocated a permanent Terminal Server CAL token, which the device stores for later connections. This behavior is valid only for terminal servers in Per Device mode.

• It is not possible to recall issued permanent licenses immediately. Terminal Server issues permanent licenses to various devices, which are valid for from 52 to 89 days. It is currently not possible for a client to give up an issued license immediately and explicitly. The only way to recover a license from a client is to ensure that the client does not connect to the Terminal Server within the next 89 days. After that period, the license issued to the client expires, the license is reclaimed by the License Server, and it becomes available for distribution to another client.

• You must call Microsoft Clearinghouse to move licenses from one computer to another and to get the keypacks that go with the new server ID. Each activated license server is unique and is identified with a certificate provided during activation. Simply moving the licensing database from one computer to another does not complete the process. You actually need to reinstall licenses on the new computer as a part of moving the licenses. For the correct local phone number to call the Microsoft Clearinghouse, use Terminal Server Licensing.

• You must call Microsoft Clearinghouse to install and move the existing Windows 2000 Licenses to a Windows Server 2003 license server. A license server that runs on Windows Server 2003 supports both Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Terminal Server licenses. However, if you upgrade or migrate your Windows 2000 license server, you need to reinstall the Windows 2000 Terminal Server CALs on the Windows Server 2003 license server. For reinstallation, you need to call the Microsoft Clearinghouse to get the license keypacks that go with the new server ID.

• You can configure your terminal servers so that you have greater control over how the license server issues licenses. You can then control which terminal servers take licenses from a specific license server.

I got this from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/quickstart.mspx#EBAAA

 

[ITPangaeaArchitect]

in per device mode

a CAL is assigned to a device

it will stay with that device until the time frame runs out, then will get reassigned

this part of teh last post is important:
It is not possible to recall issued permanent licenses immediately. Terminal Server issues permanent licenses to various devices, which are valid for from 52 to 89 days. It is currently not possible for a client to give up an issued license immediately and explicitly. The only way to recover a license from a client is to ensure that the client does not connect to the Terminal Server within the next 89 days. After that period, the license issued to the client expires, the license is reclaimed by the License Server, and it becomes available for distribution to another client.


-Brandon Wilson
MCSE00/03, MCSA:Messaging, MCSA03, A+
almost got a paragraph there

 

[snootalope]

yeah, i got it.. that sucks though. Why wouldn't they make them managable for reason and situations like i'm in.. m$$$$$

 

[ShackDaddy]

Snoot, when I've been in your situation, I've been able to call the ClearingHouse and they reissue a number of CALs for me to resolve my problem. Essentially they are giving me an extra CAL pack, but that's how they take care of things. Over the last three years, I've done this three times. Each time it was due to large numbers of my client systems being replaced with newer systems. Twice it was for Win2000 TS CALs, and once for W2003 TS CALs.

While it's good that the licenses eventually make it back into the pool, it's not ideal, and I think Microsoft is willing to work with you on it.

ShackDaddy

 

[snootalope]

thanks man.. i'll keep that in my notes for future issues.

 

[ITPangaeaArchitect]

easy way around it

use per user CALs and not per device

-Brandon Wilson
MCSE00/03, MCSA:Messaging, MCSA03, A+
almost got a paragraph there

 

[snootalope]

• Managing Per User Licensing is currently not supported. This means that when you install per User CALs on your license server, you cannot monitor how many per User CALs are available at any time."

no thanks...

 

[mlichstein]

It doesn't currently matter how many are availble, since they aren't managed. You could buy one per-user TS license and have 10,000 people connect.

This would be a gross violation of the EULA, though. But my point is, you just need to buy as many per-user licenses as you need to cover all the potential users of the system.

 

[ShackDaddy]

mlichstein is right. The question is whether you trust yourself to buy the right number of licenses. If you do, go "per user" and you can avoid the technical problems that led you to post this problem.

If you would rather deal with unused licenses that take 90 days to expire than having to keep track of the number of users that you have connecting, then "per device" is the way you want to go.

Since those licensed are "unmanaged" it doesn't mean that you will get a big and totally unexpected "surprise" when you run out of licenses. It means that only you will be keeping track. It's the "honor system" mode of licensing.

Any new CAL packs I've been buying, I've been buying as "per user" packs.

ShackDaddy

 

[mlichstein]

One thing to remember is that per-user is unmanaged...for now. That can change at any time, and may change when SP1 for 2003 comes out.

 

[snootalope]

You could buy one per-user TS license and have 10,000 people connect."

How's that work exactly? I thought per-user tied a license to a user who logs on...nearly the same as per device, but i guess more 'dynamic'. If what you say is exactly right, then why would people buy per-device cals over per-user. In my case, i could of just bought one license instead of 100... doesn't make sense..

 

[mlichstein]

How's that work exactly? I thought per-user tied a license to a user who logs on...nearly the same as per device, but i guess more 'dynamic'.

As mentioned above, per-user TS CALs are currently not managed. They haven't written the code to handle how they get associated with a user. In other words, it doesn't work yet.

In my case, i could of just bought one license instead of 100... doesn't make sense..

Yes you could have...and you would have been in violation of the license agreement if you had.

 

[snootalope]

.....and you would have been in violation of the license agreement if you had."

Oh! I missed the illegal part!

 

[ITPangaeaArchitect]

not being managed just means they do not appear in the console as a countdown

on the brightside though, if you ever run out, your users will not be denied connections

basically, you could buy one and serve 100's easily

problem is, as lichstein said (sup lichstein), if you ever getr audited, your ass is fried

-Brandon Wilson
MCSE00/03, MCSA:Messaging, MCSA03, A+
almost got a paragraph there

 

[snootalope]

I'm trying to find the # for the M$ clearing house.. no go. Anyone got a direct #?

 

[NetworkDoozer]

Hi Snoot,

Here are two Microsoft articles on how to obtain your Terminal Server licenses:

291795 - HOW TO: Locate a Phone Number for the Microsoft Clearinghouse-

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291795

and 237811 - How to Activate a Terminal Services License Server and Install CALs Over the Internet -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;237811

 

[snootalope]

Thanks. One more question on this..

Going through my Term Serv License manaager, I see a few CAL's in there that expired like a month ago, but they're still showing up as occupied.

Why is that? And when can i expect those machienes/CALs to be refreshed or release/reclcaimed?

 

[Denda]

I know this is an old thread, but I just need some clarification on our TS setup.

W3K TS Licensing server - Purchased 15 TSCALS, installed those 15 TSCALS as per user.

When a user connects to the TS server, it is showing as a temporary TS device license is issued. I understand that this is default, but I need to make sure that when the 'temporary time' is expired, my server will still allow connections.

Thank you all for clarification

 

[ShackDaddy]

Belynda, I assure you that the server will still allow the connections. What I suspect is that since the clients first connected when there were no purchased licenses, they took temp device CALs. Since you installed user CALs and not device CALs, they are still using the temp CALs till the expiration and then will pull a user CAL. If you'd installed device CALs, I'd expect that they would immediately transition from temp to perm, but not with user CALs.

I have a server I'm looking at right now that has both expired and unexpired temp device cals in it, but I also have plenty of user CALs. Since user CALs aren't really tracked, I imagine that it would be easy to get to a place in which you had quite a few expired temp CALs in your list and no active live perm CALs in the list.

Hope that helps.

ShackDaddy