licensing a "golden sample" virtually

[KK20]

How would licensing a golden sample as a virtual machine work? We are a school with EES, Hyper-V cluster on 2k12R2. I once looked into licensing a windows 8.1 machine in hyper-v and it was basically a nightmare (and cheaper for us under EES to use a server OS instead and scrap the idea of a virtual 8.1 machine). Currently our golden sample is hosted on a licensed dell desktop before generalising and going into FOG. If I was to virtualise the golden sample would this be another nightmare of licensing or is there some sort of licensing dispensation for "image"/golden sample/non activated/audit mode only guests?

[Steve21]

Is this for VDI or just normal deployment but as a golden image test bed?

 

If it's just the test one as a golden image I wouldn't even license it as you wouldn't want it pre-licensed when you deploy it out.

 

And if you're considering using the golden image as a server OS you'd be deploying that out to clients surely? :s

 

Steve

[KK20]

normal deployment no VDI. It is our desktop OS golden image. I was thinking of moving it off the desktop we use and putting it on our cluster as a VM if only to simplify things. It will never be activated and will be in audit mode permanently. It isn't a "test" as such, it is our pre-generalised image. Currently this is how we work with our physical desktop golden sample:

 

1) desktop windows 8.1 with 2x hard drives of identical capacity.

2) runs in audit mode on HDD1, not activated

3) changes made to OS (updates run, new software added to image etc)

4) machine is shutdown to startup in auditmode (NOT generalised or set) drive is CLONED to HDD2

5) HDD1 is generalised and shutdown in sysprep to boot into client mode.

6) HDD1 is uploaded to FOG ready to deploy to clients

7) HDD2 cloned back to HDD1 ready for the next change in the future.

 

If I could virtualise the machine then I could speed up the process (not that we update the primary image too often)

[Steve21]

Then use the Win8.1 license on the cluster, as you'll be deploying that image still to the clients.

 

And just leave the machine running under it's grace period. (Snapshot it at the start to revert if needed)

 

Steve

[KK20]

This is the issue I found when looking at licensing a desktop machine virtually. There is no scope with a std license to virtualise the OS, I will need to look into VDI licensing for a desktop OS virtualised.

[Steve21]

This is the issue I found when looking at licensing a desktop machine virtually. There is no scope with a std license to virtualise the OS, I will need to look into VDI licensing for a desktop OS virtualised.

 

Assuming you have Software Assurance via EES you should be able to:

 

Q: May I move an OEM license for Windows to a virtual machine?

A: You may not transfer original equipment manufacturer (OEM) server licenses from the original computer to a different computer. Any Microsoft Windows Server license acquired preinstalled with a new computer from a computer manufacturer is tied to the computer on which the licensed software is first installed. This applies to the initial copy installed on the computer as well as any subsequent copies licensed to run with virtual machine software. However, if you have acquired Software Assurance for this preinstalled license, you receive the rights associated with the Volume License program, including license reassignment. At this point, you would be able to move that license and Software Assurance from one computer to another, including a VM.

 

Assuming you're no longer using the old physical desktop

 

Steve