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/whitepapers/msoft_licensing_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/whitepapers/msoft_licensing_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.

Edited January 31, 2008 by pete
(testing proxy issues - ignore edit)

[DMcCoy]

Exchange CALs include OWA http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/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)

[CyberNerd]

@Ashok, webman at least is weighing up the cost of the licensing. If two products do the same thing nad have similar support, one costs licenses and one doesn't then its a no brainer which to deploy if you have the skillset. It's an FAQ afterall.

[DMcCoy]

@Ashok, webman at least is weighing up the cost of the licensing. If two products do the same thing nad have similar support, one costs licenses and one doesn't then its a no brainer which to deploy if you have the skillset. It's an FAQ afterall.

 

About licensing, not whether you should pay for something.

 

My Zimbra server keeps dying at home. I can't buy commercial support with less than 10 licenses. Free is not always better.

[CyberNerd]

I can't buy commercial support with less than 10 licenses. Free is not always better.

MS support isn't free either, thats extra.

[localzuk]

About licensing, not whether you should pay for something.

 

My Zimbra server keeps dying at home. I can't buy commercial support with less than 10 licenses. Free is not always better.

 

It isn't aimed at people who run it as a home server (who really runs their own email server??). I doubt you'd have bought exchange for home use... So your argument is completely bogus really. Put it this way, a 25 user license for the zimbra network edition costs £314ish. Compare that to a basic exchange 5 user pack being £910. It still works out cheaper...

[GrumbleDook]

Folks, this thread is about licenses and how they are applied ... not about whether they are worth it or not.

 

If you want to argue about that take it to FFS.

[DMcCoy]

I suggest you also cover the continued misuse of terminal services and office licenses

[GrumbleDook]

I suggest you also cover the continued misuse of terminal services and office licenses

 

Somehow I think that the words 'worms', 'can' and 'opening' apply here.

 

This may indeed be the largest misuse and abuse of licenses now that TS is growing in use.

[sahmeepee]

I would also like to see Adobe taken outside and shot for their (mis/ab)use of the term "site license". I was told today that to put Adobe CS3 on 501 computers in my single site I would have to buy two site licenses. Zing!

[spc-rocket]

It isn't aimed at people who run it as a home server (who really runs their own email server??). I doubt you'd have bought exchange for home use... So your argument is completely bogus really. Put it this way, a 25 user license for the zimbra network edition costs £314ish. Compare that to a basic exchange 5 user pack being £910. It still works out cheaper...

 

All i'm trying to highlight is that schools chooses which ever software works for them, of course people can suggest various alternatives but its up to schools on which product they go. I raised the point that the thread was going off topic.

 

Zimbra may well provide the same functionality as MS Exchange but since someone raised the point of exchange licenses (not zimbra licenses or costs) i thought i get into the conversation.

 

Exchange CALs can be user cal or device cal and from what i understand its best to go with device cals (this is of course different if you have less PCs and many users)

 

The external connector license is not required for schools unless you want to allow third-party users to connect or use services hosted by exchange. If the user is part of school/institution then they will have an account on the network and it is this account that they will be using to access the email from outside i.e. via OWA. This is where external connector does NOT come in as many people are led to believe. This is because it is the pupil of the school/employee of organisation accessing his/her emails from the coporate mail server.

 

Ash.

[enjay]

If the user is part of school/institution then they will have an account on the network and it is this account that they will be using to access the email from outside i.e. via OWA. This is where external connector does NOT come in as many people are led to believe. This is because it is the pupil of the school/employee of organisation accessing his/her emails from the coporate mail server.

 

Interesting - I was told we had to have one in order to use our (EasyLink) remote access, however that falls into the category which you describe, i.e. school users accessing school accounts.