Windows 7 - Remote Access

[cpjitservices]

Hi all,

 

I have an action pack license, I'm wanting to move all my machines to Linux and we have a mixture of Linux and Windows guys here.

 

However, I was wondering whether I could spin up a VM with Windows 7 using my Action Pack license for the guys who are using Linux but need/want to use MS office.

 

I want to thin client all of my machines, it'd be a Linux operating system. Some of the office staff will not use and like Linux so I want to have a remote desktop to A win 7 image with Office installed.

 

Would this be possible and legal ?

[cpjitservices]

Technically I'm not using a Windows server if I do it this way, It'll be a Linux Desktop, standard user, remote desktop into win 7.

 

Would it work ?

[SYNACK]

If you have a mix of linux and windows people why not have a mix of linux and Windows machines rather than trying to shoehorn linux into everywhere it can go, there are no dead badgers around are there.

 

Anyhow, a liscence is a liscence, as far as I recall the action pack ones are 10 liscences that you can spin up, it now looks like you need OEM liscences as they are 'upgrades' so A local VM would be fine but thanks to OEM transfer blocks running them all centrally may be dodgey if the box does not have ten OEM or retail liscences attached to it.

[SYNACK]

https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/uk/pages/membership/action-pack-software-licensing-benefits-faq.aspx

Note: The product keys and the software bits provisioned through Action Pack enable a clean or custom install of the software. However, the software licenses are upgrade licenses only. By opening the Windows 8 package or by downloading through the download portal, you acknowledge that you will install Windows 8 obtained through this program only to those computers within your environment that already have a qualifying operating system installed. The software licenses provided are for your organization’s internal use only, and may not be permanently or temporarily installed on any computer outside your organization.

 

So no cloud rubbish with them either.

 

You could look at dual boot with a Windows 7 VHD too which would give you the best of both worlds if it came to a 'reimage'.

Edited March 18, 2013 by SYNACK

[cpjitservices]

ok fair enough so I could just not allowed too, thanks guys.

 

What about the OEM licenses ? they actually say 7 Pro OA - which at the moment these keys are wasted because that OS is not on the box.... Could I use that Key on a VM or does it live and die with the box it's attached too ?

[cpjitservices]

I would give everyone a machine of each if I could but I dont have enough machines, it's all about trying to save money. If I can get away with just purchasing Office I would. I need to get 7 aswell as some people here will not use anything else, So If I could install a Linux system for the users and have them remote into a 7 VM that'd be better and easily manageable... It's all about trying to save money.

 

TBH, I dont really need Server 2008R2 as we have Samba4 running here and it works perfect. So I just need 7 and Office.

 

Preferably I dont want to dual boot, Ideally I want to be able to manage the OS on the oVirt server. If they kill windows I can spin up a new VM, instead of a machine out of action.

 

Anyone any ideas ?

[SYNACK]

ok fair enough so I could just not allowed too, thanks guys.

 

What about the OEM licenses ? they actually say 7 Pro OA - which at the moment these keys are wasted because that OS is not on the box.... Could I use that Key on a VM or does it live and die with the box it's attached too ?

 

From my understanding they are tied to the box, you get one instance on that hardware. I think you could easly stretch that to a VM running on the hardware that you have as long as you are just using one instance total. As you say, you can do it, your just not allowed to.

 

Anyhow option two, if you are thinclienting them with something like a PXE boot distro why not just leave Windows local on the hardware and push linux as a PXE boot, set the defaults and they will usually boot to linux (your poor users). Changing the boot order will just make it boot off the local HD and bang, Windows.

 

Edit: with a decent WIM base image and MDT (you don't need WDS or even Windows to house the distribution point - just a network share) you can reimage a machine in half an hour or less with a GB network.

 

Another possible option would be to use cheap HBA iSCSI adapters and keep the Windows installs on iSCSI LUNs on the server, that way you ccould boot the machine from that and be 'running' it on the OEM hardware. Still, any of the above options are cheaper and easier. Additionally is it really a problem having Windows on them and even so are you going to waste more time 'solving' it than just dealing with it overall.

Edited March 18, 2013 by SYNACK