The Licensing FAQ

[Duds]

Judging by what's already been written in this thread I have the feeling you may all fall about laughing at this question.

Is there anywhere that actally explains what is included under my MVL? I have read and re-read the MVLS pages, I can see what agreements I have but nothing explains what is covered under the agreements.

I'm new to education and have inherited the license so I really need to know what I can and cannot do.

Example: When I got here the school believes that all current students are covered under the agreement for there own personal laptops. So, I can upgrade their O/S install the latest Office suite etc etc. (We're a boarding school BTW)

I have asked the license support desk and they say I can but I have conflicting ideas from our license vendor.

Is there a simple explaination anywhere??

[DMcCoy]

Ah ha! We've been discussing this on chat, this new page helps. Microsoft disagrees with the statments in this thread

https://blogs.msdn.com/irelandlicens...vironment.aspx

Ireland, but UK is probably the same. Do note the very limited options when accessing Office 2007 on a TS server.

Highlights:

"Office is licensed per Device, placing it on a TS or Citrix server does not change this licensing model, there is no pooling, no sharing and no concurrency"

And:

Did you know - with the release of Office 2007, only Volume Licensing, Work at home and Home Use Program Office can be used on a TS, OEM and FPP are not permitted for use on a TS environment

OEM Office is not permitted for use on a TS environment this is prohibited in the EULA

Office 2007 ULTIMATE FPP can be used on a TS environment, FPP prior to Office 2007 CAN be used on a TS environment.

[DMcCoy]

We have been expanding on the use of Home use Rights and Work at Home rights when purchasing Vol licenses however. So you might be able to get a license for office with those:

See:

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/educatio...ng/buying.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/education/S...Assurance.mspx


Home use is Software assurance benefit, work at home is Vol license one

[HodgeHi]

I have just read through the thread. The question i needed answering is CALs and upgrades.

We needed to purchase a 2nd copy of Server 2003. Since the 2003 r2 version was released we could only purchase this one which allows us to run the previous versions.

I would like to now install and run 2003 r2 but would like to know that if to do so would i need to purchase updated CALs to connect to the Server since it is a newer version?

I also would like to know if i need to purchase CALs to connect to servers that are not Windows based?

I would also like to point out that it stated that Volume licensing is allowed to upgrade the OEM version. Does this mean that it can then be moved from machine to machine?

If so this contradicts what i was told when i called MS to find out where i stood. We purchased machines from a company before i arrived and i do not know what version (OEM, retail or edu) came with the machines.

What i do know is that they also purchased a volume license key. Does this need annual renewal? Do we own it or do the company that we apparently have leased the hardware from still own it?

I have emailed them twice and have still had no clarification on this.

Just a few questions :-)

[DMcCoy]

Originally Posted by HodgeHi

I have just read through the thread. The question i needed answering is CALs and upgrades.

We needed to purchase a 2nd copy of Server 2003. Since the 2003 r2 version was released we could only purchase this one which allows us to run the previous versions.

I would like to now install and run 2003 r2 but would like to know that if to do so would i need to purchase updated CALs to connect to the Server since it is a newer version?

I also would like to know if i need to purchase CALs to connect to servers that are not Windows based?

I would also like to point out that it stated that Volume licensing is allowed to upgrade the OEM version. Does this mean that it can then be moved from machine to machine?

If so this contradicts what i was told when i called MS to find out where i stood. We purchased machines from a company before i arrived and i do not know what version (OEM, retail or edu) came with the machines.

What i do know is that they also purchased a volume license key. Does this need annual renewal? Do we own it or do the company that we apparently have leased the hardware from still own it?

I have emailed them twice and have still had no clarification on this.

Just a few questions :-)

There is only a server 2003 CAL, no difference between R2 and non R2 so they can be used with either.

When you upgrade an OEM license with a volume license the volume one inherits the restrictions of the original license, and will become OEM itself. This will really only apply to XP and the other OS upgrade licenses as things like server are full licenses under vol agreements.

[SteveLaw]

Here's one I was wondering about yesterday.

Let's say we have one per Device CALs for each of our clients (XP & 2K). But we have 2 servers (and they perform different roles so each client will be using the services of both servers).

Do we need 2 CALs per client? Does one CAL cover that user/device to "use" an infinite number of servers?

What if there's a trust between domains and they also (on occasion) connect to a server on a different domain for some services?

[tmcd35]

Following on from that, what does a CAL cover access for? Is it just File Sharing access? or Does it cover DHCP and DNS requests? If I set up a windows DHCP server (and that was the only role of the server) do I need a CAL for another machiner to request an IP? What about Print Sharing? or ISS? Do a I need a CAL for each client accessing a web page?

[tmcd35]

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/s...03_server.mspx

So, 1xCAL (per user or per device) licences for user/device to access as many servers within domain as required. So 1 CAL for 2 servers, 10 servers, 100 servers - whatever so long as they are on the same domain.

A CAL is only required for accessing services that require AD authentication. So a CAL is required to access a file server or a print server. But no CAL's required to communicate with a Windows Server used purely for DHCP, DNS or IIS.

[SteveLaw]

Originally Posted by tmcd35

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/s...03_server.mspx

So, 1xCAL (per user or per device) licences for user/device to access as many servers within domain as required. So 1 CAL for 2 servers, 10 servers, 100 servers - whatever so long as they are on the same domain.

I read that very page before I asked the question. It doesn't actually state anything as clear as that. Where did you get that specific information from? The term it uses all the way through that page is "the server software". "The server", not "servers" or "server(s)" or in fact, "domain" or similar (domain isn't even mentioned). This is where confusion and (mis)interpretation comes in.

But if that's true then clients accessing servers on another domain will need CALs on both domains. I wonder how many actually do? What if the domain is managed by someone else? They would have to get CALs for you to connect...

A CAL is only required for accessing services that require AD authentication. So a CAL is required to access a file server or a print server. But no CAL's required to communicate with a Windows Server used purely for DHCP, DNS or IIS.

Again, Active Directory is never mentioned on that page, where did you get that specific definition?

(I'm not saying your definitions aren't correct, btw, I would just like to know where the specifics came from, because I can't see how you can get them from that CAL Guide.)

[tmcd35]

This means you can choose to acquire a Windows CAL for every device (used by any user) accessing your servers,

Note: "a Windows CAL" - singular - for "accessing your servers" - plural

Windows CALs are not required when access to the server software is unauthenticated

Authenticated access is defined as an exchange of user or application credentials between the server software and a user or device

As Windows authenticates via AD this says that services like DHCP, DNS and public IIS, which do not need authentication do not need a CAL. But service such as file sharing, print sharing, SQL, etc that require the user/device to authenticate against AD will require a CAL.

[SteveLaw]

Firstly, how many CALs...

You use:

Note: "a Windows CAL" - singular - for "accessing your servers" - plural

But then:

Windows CALs are required when accessing or using the server software.

Note: CALs plural, server singular.

Basing interpretation on grammar is not necessarily going to yield accurate results. As you can see both interpretations are contradicted within the same page.

For another example, authentication:

Windows CALs are not required when access to the server software is unauthenticated and conducted through the Internet.

"And conducted through the Internet" changes things quite a bit. Plus what about file sharing where there is an "everyone" permission? That is not authenticated. You can also set IIS to authenticate from AD, thus it is authenticated. Both are the opposite of your statements.

[User3204]

Originally Posted by SteveLaw

...Plus what about file sharing where there is an "everyone" permission? That is not authenticated...

Everyone IS authenticated, if it was unauthenticated you use "Anonymous", although I do get confused between "Everyone" and "Authenticated Users"...

You're complicating a simple system.

CAL = Client Access License, right.

So:
if you have 100 Clients connecting to 1 Server, you need 100 CALs;
if you have 100 Clients connecting to 10 Servers, you need 100 CALs;
if you have 50 Clients connecting to 5 servers in domain A, and a different 50 clients connecting to 15 servers in domain B, you need 100 CALs;
if you have 40 clients connecting to 5 servers in domain A, and a different 40 clients connecting to 15 servers in domain B, and another 20 clients connecting to the whole 20 servers in both domains (100 clients total), you need 100 CALs;

There is a complication, if you are on certain Microsoft agreements, in that there are CALs for Staff, and different CALs for Students. They also have CALs for Windows (as above), or SQL / Sharepoint, etc. I think there is also a CAL relevant to people that access your data (through an authenticated Sharepoint session) but who aren't part of your business/school.

Anonymous (IE unauthenticated), means, you can make FTP / HTTP / SMB / Whatever, access your site, across the internet, usually, this is meant to be your website.

[SteveLaw]

So domain doesn't matter? That's another contradiction to previous advice.

Again though, is the above your interpretation only or have you found a clear, specific explanation elsewhere?

(Incidentally I believe you can set "Everyone" to include "Anonymous" and/or "Guest" (I think it does by default on 2000); you can't include them in "Authenticated User".)