RDS Licensing

[Homer]

Afternoon all

 

I'm currently preparing for the deployment of a Microsoft based VDI (Server 2012) but need to understand the licensing better.

 

I have the licensing mode set to per-user, but do I need a CAL for each concurrent connection or is it based on a 1:1 for student/staff numbers?

 

We're on OVS-ES and understand the need to purchase CAL's but I want to understand how many of them we need

 

Cheers

Steve

[Joanne]

I'm almost certain that the OVE-ES covers your CALs....

 

EDIT: Ah yes... OVS-ES School Software Licensing - SAMI

 

The Agreement provides primary, secondary, higher and further education institutions:

 

An affordable volume based price and the rights to the latest Microsoft Enterprise software products including Microsoft Office 2013, Windows 8, Microsoft Core Client Access License (CAL Suite and Microsoft Enterprise Client Access License (ECAL) Suite

The simplicity of counting Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees just once per year. In the UK an FTE is someone who works 200+ hours per year

Software Assurance; a powerful combination of benefits that include new version rights, the Home Use Program (HUP)* and many other advantages including tools and training resources

A broad selection of additional Microsoft software products that may be licensed in any quantity

Predictable annual payments with a one-year or three-year term option

Edited May 16, 2016 by Joanne

[Steve21]

1 User = 1 License. So if you have 1000 who may connect it's 1000, even if only 10 at once.

 

Steve

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

I'm almost certain that the OVE-ES covers your CALs....

 

EDIT: Ah yes... OVS-ES School Software Licensing - SAMI

 

CAL isn't for Remote Desktop/VDI though

 

Steve

[Joanne]

CAL isn't for Remote Desktop/VDI though

 

Steve

 

What is it for? Client connection to the server? Like AD style?

[3s-gtech]

EES doesn't cover RDS CALs. We added them on, user the per-user model. They're not expensive, but we didn't need them for students. It *may* be the case that you only need enough CALs for your FTE count, even if you are licensing staff and students, but you must check this carefully! The price difference will be pretty significant.

[Boredguy]

RDP licences are slightly different from CAL's

 

Client Access Licence are for accessing the normal functions of a Windows Server (File & Print etc), but Remote Desktop requires the correct RDP Licence.

Yes you can get them via OVS-EES but they are an additional cost.

 

We used to allow up to 100 staff to connect to our RDP servers, but once we migrated to 2008 we had to lower it down to 70 as the other 30 licences were for 2003 only (we bought them on the Select scheme years ago)

[Steve21]

What is it for? Client connection to the server? Like AD style?

 

Aye everything a server does by standard e.g. DHCP/DNS/AD?Print Server etc requires the CAL, but additional features like SQL/Remote Desktop/VDI etc all come under different ones. (Which can be added onto the OVS-ES but it's not part of the standard desktop bundle which I assumed you meant)

 

Steve

[CyberNerd]

There are different types of CAL.

You need a server CAL to connect to any windows server. 1 per user.

On top of that, for remote desktop you need a terminal server CAL. These are either per user or per device.

For VDI you need a VDA license for each client.

You also need an Office license for each device that will run office if you choose to.

[localzuk]

EES doesn't cover RDS CALs. We added them on, user the per-user model. They're not expensive, but we didn't need them for students. It *may* be the case that you only need enough CALs for your FTE count, even if you are licensing staff and students, but you must check this carefully! The price difference will be pretty significant.

 

I'll clarify this. RDS isn't included in any of the core CAL/upgrade bundles. They *are* covered in EES though. You license on the number of FTEs, just like with other CALs. I had to have this clarified by Microsoft when I added them to our license originally.

[Joanne]

Cool...

 

[Homer]

Cheers all. So basically I either need to license for staff+student total, or, staff FTE which should cover accessing from both staff+students?

 

Both will be using it

 

(argh)

[Joanne]

I would call your volume license supplier and they should be able to advise which it is you need. You might have to order the FTE count and that will cover you for as many as you need.

[Steve21]

Cheers all. So basically I either need to license for staff+student total, or, staff FTE which should cover accessing from both staff+students?

 

Both will be using it

 

(argh)

 

I've never seen anywhere that says FTE covers all. I'd certainly say it doesn't myself, else it'd be stupidly cheap for VDI :s

 

Steve

[Homer]

I've never seen anywhere that says FTE covers all. I'd certainly say it doesn't myself, else it'd be stupidly cheap for VDI :s

 

Steve

 

Yeah just what I was thinking. I'm just waiting for them to call back but wanted to be half knowledgeable.

 

I think anybody that understands MS licensing fully should be sainted

[localzuk]

I've never seen anywhere that says FTE covers all. I'd certainly say it doesn't myself, else it'd be stupidly cheap for VDI :s

 

Steve

 

I had 2 separate resellers confirm with their Microsoft licensing contacts, and both came back saying they were covered by FTE. However, I'm not talking about VDI, I'm talking about traditional RDS.

 

Yeah just what I was thinking. I'm just waiting for them to call back but wanted to be half knowledgeable.

 

I think anybody that understands MS licensing fully should be sainted

 

Even Microsoft don't fully understand their own licensing...

[Joanne]

I think anybody that understands MS licensing fully should be sainted

 

Hahah! Agreed!

[Steve21]

I had 2 separate resellers confirm with their Microsoft licensing contacts, and both came back saying they were covered by FTE. However, I'm not talking about VDI, I'm talking about traditional RDS.

 

It's the same license though (As VDA would be covered under the Windows License using SA - Assuming it's from a Windows machine at least).

 

:s Would be interested to know if that has changed though... How would it work? As there's an 100 (for us) license on the gateway. Once 100 is used it blocks connections, no way for students to connect

 

Steve

[Oaktech]

I've got the same licensing situation and I was advised that I could not have a lower RDS license count than I had FTE count but that I wouldn't need extra's if I wanted to set up a RDS for students (which I don't)

 

I'd check with Kate Devaney from Millgate, she seems to have as good a handle on licensing as anyone does!

[localzuk]

It's the same license though (As VDA would be covered under the Windows License using SA - Assuming it's from a Windows machine at least).

 

:s Would be interested to know if that has changed though... How would it work? As there's an 100 (for us) license on the gateway. Once 100 is used it blocks connections, no way for students to connect

 

Steve

 

RDS licenses are all sorted out through the MS Clearing House IIRC, so you have to put your agreement in the server and how many licenses you have/need. I have an FTE count of around 80, and I pay for 80 RDS CALs each year. Our RDS licensing server has 500 licenses on it, all approved by the MS servers using our agreement number.

[Steve21]

Still not sure how that would work @Oaktech

 

If you check your gateway licensing server each person who uses it takes one license and it's assigned to them for 2 months (60 days). Once you run out there's no licenses to assign until one expires.

 

Unless you're bypassing the license server for students?

 

Steve

[Steve21]

RDS licenses are all sorted out through the MS Clearing House IIRC, so you have to put your agreement in the server and how many licenses you have/need. I have an FTE count of around 80, and I pay for 80 RDS CALs each year. Our RDS licensing server has 500 licenses on it, all approved by the MS servers using our agreement number.

 

Did you ask for 500? Or did they just appear when you added the code? :s Seems weird getting more than you paid for.

 

If that is the case makes VDI using 2012 a much nicer option haha

 

Steve

[localzuk]

Did you ask for 500? Or did they just appear when you added the code? :s Seems weird getting more than you paid for.

 

If that is the case makes VDI using 2012 a much nicer option haha

 

Steve

 

When you put in the OVS-ES agreement number, it asks for how many CALs you are installing. I did what the 2 resellers told me to do, and put in how many I actually wanted to have available. No complaints from the licensing server.

 

In fact, what kicked it all off was my asking the resellers for 500 licenses. They changed the order down to FTE. So I couldn't buy that many even if I wanted to.

[Steve21]

When you put in the OVS-ES agreement number, it asks for how many CALs you are installing. I did what the 2 resellers told me to do, and put in how many I actually wanted to have available. No complaints from the licensing server.

 

In fact, what kicked it all off was my asking the resellers for 500 licenses. They changed the order down to FTE. So I couldn't buy that many even if I wanted to.

 

Interesting! Obviously I never twigged that was an option. Will have to have a look at that in more detail as was trying to work out about the costings for some RemoteApps internally but price was putting us off.

 

Thanks,

Steve

[Homer]

When you put in the OVS-ES agreement number, it asks for how many CALs you are installing. I did what the 2 resellers told me to do, and put in how many I actually wanted to have available. No complaints from the licensing server.

 

In fact, what kicked it all off was my asking the resellers for 500 licenses. They changed the order down to FTE. So I couldn't buy that many even if I wanted to.

 

Did you add them as 'Open License' in the install licenses wizard?

[Steve21]

Just rang Microsoft Education and they said you need 1 per user. Even for Students connecting if you have FTE covered, anything else isn't licensed for. (e.g. 100 FTE + 1000 students = 1100 licenses)

 

You could use Device CALs and they'd be covered but then it's "every" device that connects.

 

Steve