[windows software] Need EES licensing explained

[stupidnova]

Hi,

 

We may be running quite underlicensed at the moment, I need to get things up to code and but I'm in need of educating on how microsofts licensing works (I'm quite new to it)

 

We have the following licensing in place:

OVS-ES Exchange Server Enterprise All Language Licence with Software Assurance Pack 1

OLV Level E 1 Year (Additional Product Licence) - Academic - Volume Licence (Electronic

 

OVS-ES Windows Server Standard All Language Licence with Software Assurance Pack 18

OLV Level E 1 Year Additional Product 2 Processor (Additional Product Licence) - Academic

 

OVS-ES SQL Server Standard Core All Language Licence with Software Assurance Pack 1

OLV 2 Level E 1 Year Additional Product Core Licence (Additional Product Licence) -

 

OVS-ES Desktop Education All Language Licence with Software Assurance Pack OLV Level 118

E 1 Year Enterprise EES (Core CAL) - Academic - Volume Licence (Electronic Delivery)

 

OVS-ES Office 365 Professional Plus Open Shared Server All Language OLV No Level 1 1100

I'm not sure what else we need to be paying for licenses for in terms of CALS etc. I know that we're underlicensed on our desktops and I need to resolve this, as I think lots were replaced without licenses being purchased with them, and I can't find any trace of any licenses in store rooms. This is what is actively being used right now:

1 terminal server serving 45 terminals

550 desktop PCs running windows 7 + office 2013

1 terminal server serving remote access (maximum of about 5-10 users at any given time)

SCCM server

17 Servers running windows 2008R2-2012R2

 

If I can't find any trace of any CALs do I need to buy something to cover us for SCCM and/or terminal server CALs?

 

Thank you

[tmcd35]

You don't look under-licensed at all at first glance.

 

The 'OVS-ES Desktop Education with Software Assurance (Core CAL)' gives you all the licences you need for CALs, Desktop PC OS, Office and SCCM Server.

 

About the only licences you may need, if you don't have them already, are 10x User TS-CALs and 45x Device TS-CALs for the Terminal Server.

 

You might actually be over licensed - are your servers physical or virtual?

[localzuk]

How many full time staff (full time meaning "works at least 200 hours per year, and is a computer user (so not cleaners and the like)") do you have?

 

Under EES, that is how you license the desktop pack. So, looking at your list, you seem to have 118 such staff. The desktop pack contains the following CALs:

 

Server CAL

Exchange CAL

Sharepoint CAL

SCCM CAL

Lync CAL

 

It also includes Windows Upgrade and Office licenses.

 

So, from the looks of it, you are short on RDS CALs (for the terminal server) and depending on the type of SQL server license that is, you may be short SQL CALs too (but it isn't clear from the list).

 

RDS CALs can be bought under OVS-ES also, and they are licensed per the same rules as the desktop pack (so, you'd buy 118 of them).

[Joanne]

OVS-ES Desktop Education All Language Licence with Software Assurance Pack OLV Level 118

E 1 Year Enterprise EES (Core CAL) - Academic - Volume Licence (Electronic Delivery)

 

This is the number of staff at your establishment... not computers... looks fine to me.

 

Edit: Dayum @localzuk beat me to it!

[tmcd35]

So, from the looks of it, you are short on RDS CALs (for the terminal server) and depending on the type of SQL server license that is, you may be short SQL CALs too (but it isn't clear from the list).

 

What's the SQL Server being used for? If it's SCCM then that licence wouldn't be needed anyway.

[stupidnova]

In terms of the terminal services, does it just depend on which option is cheaper as to whether I buy 45 device CALs or 118 FTE on the OVS-ES subscription? If I had the latter does that mean I wouldn't need the user CALs for my remote users?

 

The other aspect that's worrying me is that I have no proof that windows licenses were purchased with any of the PCs currently in place around the school. There's about 550 PCs in the school, and not a single one has a license sticker on as far as I can tell, and I can't find any boxes in storage with those on. Is this something I should be worried about? I'm trying to cover myself in the unlikely event of ever being audited, not that I think I would be personally responsible at this current point in time, but further down the line I need to ensure it's all above board. Do I have it right in my mind that licenses should be purchased with each PC under the OVS-ES scheme?

 

The SQL license is for the SIMS server

Edited June 4, 2015 by stupidnova

[localzuk]

If you buy them under EES, you are licensed for an unlimited number of users or devices using RDS. IIRC, they work out around £3 each per year.

 

Your best bet to get records of the licenses for the machines is to track down the purchase orders/invoices and go from them. Labels never survive...

[stupidnova]

Thank you all, I think that clears everything up for me.

 

Presumably if my predecessor didn't purchase windows licenses with the desktops when they were replaced and there's no trace on previous purchase orders I'm going to have a painfully large cost to cover any that are missing? I'll have to do some digging and see if I can work out what we're missing, I'm certain that we're missing some, it's just a case of how many.

[Joanne]

you'll just need home ones minimum... the EES is an entitlement to upgrade to Pro / Enterprise

[tmcd35]

Painfully large is an understatement - 'officially' you should be buying full boxed copies of Windows Home for each machine - ouch.

 

However, a couple of useful ideas if you are unlucky enough no to have the OEM licencings -

 

I'm sure it was @localzuk who previously posted an EU ruling that OEM licences are transferable. While MS might not agree, it's worth checking out as it can save a few bob if you can source some old OEM licences to transfer.

 

eBay - I'm not sure if it's Win 98 or Win2k that is currently the oldest prerequisite for education upgraded licences, but which ever it is you only need to have qualifying Windows licences. Search eBay and buy up as many Win2k Pro licences as you can and you'd be covered, probably for the price of 1 or 2 full new licences.

Edited June 4, 2015 by tmcd35

[localzuk]

According to EU "exhaustion of sales rights" rules, OEM licenses can be transferred. However, it has never been tested in a UK court that I know of...

[stupidnova]

In terms of OEM and retail licenses, if we purchased an IT suite, and then purchased retail windows licenses to cover that IT suite of PCs, does that then cover us for the future so that if those PCs were replaced, we wouldn't need to buy an additional license for the new PCs? Am I right in thinking that I would only need to buy an additional license if the PCs were initially purchased with OEM licenses (ignoring the whole EU ruling stuff that is)?

 

So if I had 550 retail licenses sat in a drawer, the whole school would be covered for that many PCs permanently?

Whereas if I had 550 OEM licenses, I would have to buy a new one every time I replaced a PC?

 

Do I have that right?

[localzuk]

If you buy retail licenses, these can be transferred between machines without issue - so long as the old machine is fully wiped when the transfer happens.

 

So, as long as Microsoft didn't take those versions of Windows off the list of allowed "base" licenses that EES can upgrade, yup, that would be the case.

[stupidnova]

What's the minimum version on the allowed list of base licenses at the moment?

[localzuk]

The qualifying list is attached. Appears that Windows 98/NT4 are the lowest license.

Qualifying for Windows Volume Licensing.pdf