The Licensing FAQ

[GrumbleDook]

There are so many times we moan or rant about poorly explained instructions from companies, whether it is naff directions for installations or puzzling details about licensing combinations, we thought it was time to start looking at a Licensing FAQ where we can start talking to some of the big boys (both the companies and their resellers) to try to get some clarity.

We do have to also hold our hands up to some extent and admit that there are time when we may not look too hard and accept answers that suit us (and suit the school budget) rather than making sure we are doing it right.

We will by going through the forums over the next fortnight to identify the various threads about licences but if you want to post either specific questions or information you already know we will try and format into a FAQ that we can eventually move to the wiki.

[mrforgetful]

Great idea.

[DMcCoy]

I was just thinking about this last week.

I'll start with some info

Virtual machine licensing - this mostly affects VMware but also Virtual Server and normal servers.

Information here http://www.vmware.com/solutions/whit...ensing_wp.html

In summary, you assign the server license to a *physical* box (same with exchange etc) it can be move once every 90 days. More frequently that this and you will need multiple licenses.

I personally see this as an unfair term, put in by Microsoft due to their uncompetitive VM products. I try to stick to it, but its not always possible.

Same applies to your physical hardware.

[ICT_GUY]

Licensing is our biggest head ache.

I just got stung by correl. Not so much not reading the small print as not reading the title. I have just bought the Graphics suite bundle, that I saw at Bett.

£297 +£60 for media (3 x cds which cost oh around 60p or I could download the software, oh sorry not for the edu licence!)

Only to find out I had signed up to an annual licence.

So if we want to keep using the software its going to cost us £350 a year, gack!

[localzuk]

I was just thinking about this last week.

I'll start with some info

Virtual machine licensing - this mostly affects VMware but also Virtual Server and normal servers.

Information here http://www.vmware.com/solutions/whit...ensing_wp.html

In summary, you assign the server license to a *physical* box (same with exchange etc) it can be move once every 90 days. More frequently that this and you will need multiple licenses.

I personally see this as an unfair term, put in by Microsoft due to their uncompetitive VM products. I try to stick to it, but its not always possible.

Same applies to your physical hardware.

Further to this, is that if you have a PC with an OEM license for windows and you use Linux as your OS as default, you can't use that OEM license for a VM of windows!

[Pottsey]

How many cals do you need for win server 2003? Some say its 1 per user, others 1 per computer and others say its 1 per connection. 5 CAL's cover 10 PC's as long as no more then 5 connect to the server at once.

Right now I am going for 1 CAL per computer. Is that right?

[DMcCoy]

How many cals do you need for win server 2003? Some say its 1 per user, others 1 per computer and others say its 1 per connection. 5 CAL's cover 10 PC's as long as no more then 5 connect to the server at once.

Right now I am going for 1 CAL per computer. Is that right?

It depends on whether or not you buy user or device CALs. 5 device CALs covers 5 devices, the license is assigned to the machine so you need one for each one that connects. If you have 10 machines but only 5 users then 5 user license would allow them to use all 10 pcs (but not all at once)

[HodgeHi]

I read somewhere a while ago about some confusion about the Parallels and Boot camp setup.

Since Parallels can run using the Boot camp for its VM, the question was as the hardware was different did you still need just the one license for the Boot camp partition or did you need 2? One for Parallels and one for Boot camp. Even though its the same partition and same Windows version, the hardware was different.

[enjay]

Good idea.

One question for starters - what exactly is an OEM OS licence bound to? Is it the PC as a whole, the mainboard, the hard disk or what?? Same goes for other OEM licences of course, e.g. DVD burning software.

A similar forum surrounding copyright issues would be good as well, i.e. use of film clips, PPL and other such licences required, changing media (e.g. VHS to DVD, or VHS to AVI), so on and so forth.

[pete]

Exchange licensing - particulary with regard to CALs and OWA. I've phoned up Microsoft Education Helpline, Microsoft Licensing (yay for Indian call centre redirection) Becta and our usual software suppliers and none of them can give me a clear answer.

What I want: Exchange 2007, with 70 outlook/mail client users and 820 other users using Outlook Web Access. Legitimately licensed as cheap as possible (we use Select) while allowing users to access mail whenever they want.

[DMcCoy]

Exchange CALs include OWA http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/ev.../editions.mspx

External access to exchange will require either user licenses or additional device licenses for every device that uses OWA.

The external connector is used only by people who are not a member of the organisation - virtually useless for schools.

[DMcCoy]

Exchange licensing - particulary with regard to CALs and OWA. I've phoned up Microsoft Education Helpline, Microsoft Licensing (yay for Indian call centre redirection) Becta and our usual software suppliers and none of them can give me a clear answer.

What I want: Exchange 2007, with 70 outlook/mail client users and 820 other users using Outlook Web Access. Legitimately licensed as cheap as possible (we use Select) while allowing users to access mail whenever they want.

I should think you would need 890 user CALs

[webman]

Microsoft licensing stinks. The best way to avoid it is to use alternatives, especially open source equivalents such as Samba and Zimbra.

[spc-rocket]

Microsoft licensing stinks. The best way to avoid it is to use alternatives, especially open source equivalents such as Samba and Zimbra.

Yeah this seems to be your answer to mostly everything when the topic of e-mails comes up.

Like it or not MS Exchange is used heavily in schools and industry around the world and so is Lotus Notes...zimbra implementation are not high as you may think.

Sorry i just had to get that in, cos the topic is dropping off the subject.

Ash.

[GrumbleDook]

Ok, so we have our first 3 targets to get simple explanations.

Licensing virtual machines where you have the same licenced used by different models of host OS.

Exchange CALs and the best models for schools (user / client CALS and whether an external connector is relevant)

Server 2003 and CALs ... when to buy them and whether you get them with anything else (eg a new machine)