[windows software] MVLSC vs. M365 Admin Center

[Koldov]

Hopefully there's a quick and simple answer to what might be a 'stupid' question...

 

I logged into MVLSC to get a Windows key and it said these are now in the M365 Admin Center.

 

OK, so I log into that and find the key, but... now I think of it I'm not the only Admin of our MVLSC and what I'm actually logging into it with is one of our O365 tenants (not email - long story) admin account (which I used to set up MVLSC).

 

How does 'Admin 2' (who was/is an admin in MVLSC) now log in to get Windows keys as they are not an admin (or even a user) in our O365 tenant...?

 

If Microsoft are slowly ringing the death knell for MVLSC, going forward are we just going to manage all our licenses through the Admin Center?

[MrEprise]

Since Microsoft seem to be requiring customers to have a M365 tenant to access what was on the VLSC surely doesn't bode well with organisations who are mostly Google or at least ones that don't want an M365 subscription. I can't see any good reason for them to take the functionality away from something that seemed to work perfectly well but that seems to be Microsoft's goal these days.

[DavR]

I can't see any good reason for them to take the functionality away from something that seemed to work perfectly well but that seems to be Microsoft's goal these days.

 

I would challenge the assertion the VLSC worked "perfectly well" It's always been trouble for me, and support takes an age. That said, it was setup and workable, by the end..... and then naturally, we now have to change.

 

As far as I can see, yes, going forward the plan seems to be to move VLSC features into the M365 licensing portal, so anyone you want to grant VLSC rights to, will need an M365 admin account for.

 

Note also, much like the VLSC portal, each admin needs to be granted rights on each agreement, I don't think there's a global licensing admin option. After applying these rights, be prepared to wait 24hrs for them to apply (why? annoying!).

[Koldov]

Thanks, I don't have any major issues with VLSC, it's a bit clunky and not very intuitive (although I don't have to use it very often, maybe once a year if that so it's not like I need it to be), but honestly that could be just me not understanding how MS licensing works...

 

The only real trouble I've had was getting A1+ licenses, also when we changed reseller and for some reason they set up a whole new agreement using a very old email address that was still on file somewhere so it didn't show up on our original MVLSC account!

 

But as you say, it's workable and at least I understood who had what access etc.

 

As @MrEprise says It does raise some questions about those who signed up to it without having an O365 tenant though!

Edited December 8, 2023 by Koldov

[jthompson]

Have to say I'm glad to see VLSC been retired. I always dreaded any interaction with it and never felt confident that it would work properly. Sign-ins often seemed really circuitous (and sometimes would maddeningly circle all the way around back to the sign-in form), and I'd usually have some unresolvable "online services awaiting activation" notifications for a few months after each new contract, and then MS would just not include the most important keys for $reasons.

 

Some of that may persist now that it lives in M365 Admin, but it least it looks less like it was built for IE6 now.

[Koldov]

Well, I've had a root around in there and don't find it that much more intuitive...

 

Also I can't really seem to find out what we're licensed for, unless I'm missing something very obvious.

 

In 'Your Products' I can find all the products (O365) and under 'Volume Licensing' I can see 'Products and Services'/'Downloads & Keys', but this still seems to suffer the VLC issue of actually allowing you to download and use every MS product for at least the last 15 years or so...

 

I can see 'Contracts' but these only state the 'License Pool' (OVS CAL Platform) not the actual products we're licensed to use...

 

I can also see the 'Licenses' but these only appear to be O365... What am I missing? In VLSC you could actually see the details of the agreement, products (SQL Server, Server Standard, etc.) and numbers of licenses (although I know these didn't actually ever appear correct).

Edited December 8, 2023 by Koldov

[DavR]

I can see 'Contracts' but these only state the 'License Pool' (OVS CAL Platform) not the actual products we're licensed to use...

 

I can also see the 'Licenses' but these only appear to be O365... What am I missing? In VLSC you could actually see the details of the agreement, products (SQL Server, Server Standard, etc.) and numbers of licenses (although I know these didn't actually ever appear correct).

 

 

I think what your looking for is the license summary. You can get that for each of your agreements by clicking on the three dots next to the agreement number and selecting license summary. That tells me, for instance, how many Office, Server, Desktop, licenses I've got on that contract.

 

Direct link - https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/subscriptions/vlnew/mycontracts

[Koldov]

Thanks!

 

So...

 

Your Products > Volume Licensing > Contracts (View Contracts) > Click 3 Dots (because that's obvious) > View License Summary > 'Your License Summary is being prepared' > View License Summary....

 

Ummmm... I have to say, it's not feeling that intuitive to me...

 

EDIT: Is the 'activation' amount somewhere on this page, think I'm missing something?

Edited December 11, 2023 by Koldov

[DavR]

Yeah, not massively intuitive!

 

I haven't looked for activation numbers yet myself, but, it used to be with the license keys, so might be under there again.

[Koldov]

Ah, yes it is in there as you said. I'd just found it and came back to add this when I saw your reply!

 

I was looking for how to do the 'Online Service Activation for Open programs' and stumbled across this:

 

Your Products > Volume Licensing > View Contracts > Three Dots next to appropriate 'contract' > View Product keys