How many CALS do we need for our Terminal Server?

[farquea]

I have setup a Terminal Server to allow staff to connect in and use SIMS from home. I have limited the number of connections to 10 and when they log in, they automatically do so as a general user account called sims.ts.

 

Therefore how many CALS do we need to purchase? 1 for each member of staff or 10 as there wouldnt be much way of proving that the 10 people connected at one time are not the same 10 who were connected the previous day or am i being too hopeful with that?

[DMcCoy]

Windows Server user CALs for each staff member (unless you use per user CALs already, but will mostly likely be using per device on site).

Windows Remote Desktop Services CALs for each member of Staff

Microsoft office license for each device that connects and that uses office (Reports, Assessment, Profiles) of the same type that is on the server (Only Enterprise/Pro Plus will install on a TS server).

 

Remember to access the data in SIMS, the guidance is to use two factor authentication.

 

TS/Widows licenses are not concurrent, hence the User/Device choice.

 

We are going to use HUP (home use program), for Office for staff.

[Jamman960]

You'll need 1 per member of staff that has access unfourtunatly, went through this with our account manager at Pugh before setting up our TS

 

Technically you need 1 for every PC they use outside the school but 1 per member of staff with access is sensible enough.

[farquea]

Excuse my ignorance in all of this as i really am unsure about all of this. It is only SIMS on this TS, no Office or anything else is installed.

 

So i need to buy a user CAL for each member of staff who is going to RDP into the TS and use it? When i have purchased these CALS how do i "use" them as such so that everything works how i want?

 

If i buy say 100 user CALS and mr teacher 101 comes along, what exactly will stop him from rdp'ing onto the TS and using SIMS?

[localzuk]

Excuse my ignorance in all of this as i really am unsure about all of this. It is only SIMS on this TS, no Office or anything else is installed.

 

SIMS.net makes use of Office when producing reports.

[FN-GM]

If i buy say 100 user CALS and mr teacher 101 comes along, what exactly will stop him from rdp'ing onto the TS and using SIMS?

 

Nothing will stop him unless you dont put him in the allowed group.

 

It will only block him if you have more than 100 connections at the same time.

[mavhc]

Win2k3 TS can't track User CALs, only device CALs, so just switch to User and buy 10, no one understands MS licensing anyway (including anyone at MS), so no one will care. You add the CALs via their product key type thing. I wouldn't mind if the device licence was concurrent, but it's every device that connects, stupid.

 

Anyone who cares about licensing will reply after they've read the 1000s of pages of EULAs that contradict each other and are ambiguous on 100s of points.

[farquea]

SIMS.net makes use of Office when producing reports.

 

Just had a check and yes i did install Office onto it. Thought i hadnt. So what does that mean, i need to buy yet more licenses? If so i imagine i could just put openoffice onto it instead?

[FN-GM]

Win2k3 TS can't track User CALs, only device CALs, so just switch to User and buy 10, no one understands MS licensing anyway (including anyone at MS), so no one will care.

 

To do that deliberately in my opinion is very unprofessional and should not be done.

 

If so i imagine i could just put openoffice onto it instead?

 

You could but i am not sure if sims would work properly with it.

[sted]

so with 100 staff even if only 10 are allowed on at any one time i still need 100 ts lics that sucks

[djm968]

You will need to install the TS licensing server management consol on a server in your farm. This will then need to be activated with your TS Cals. When configuring the TS, you also need to specify this server as the licensing server when required during the setup or later in the configuration.

 

It is quite a straight forward process but must be done to ensure your staff do not loose continuity of service.

[FN-GM]

so with 100 staff even if only 10 are allowed on at any one time i still need 100 ts lics that sucks

 

If only 10 people will use it only buy 10 CAL. If all staff will be using it at any time, either all at once or not, buy one for every member.

[ChrisH]

As far as I understand it the device that they are accessing it with must have a valid office licence. Therefore we tell the staff that they must access the remote system using their laptops.

[farquea]

If only 10 people will use it only buy 10 CAL. If all staff will be using it at any time, either all at once or not, buy one for every member.

 

I've only allowed 10 concurrent logons at any one time. but there might be about 50 members of staff who will be given access to it. So i have to buy 50 user cals? or go with what mavhc says and buy 10 device CALS?

[farquea]

As far as I understand it the device that they are accessing it with must have a valid office licence. Therefore we tell the staff that they must access the remote system using their laptops.

 

all staff will be connecting from their school staff laptops which have Office installed. So therefore we should be covered and dont need to do anything on the Office saide of things when it comes to licensing?

[dhicks]

Windows Server user CALs for each staff member Windows Remote Desktop Services CALs for each member of Staff Microsoft office license for each device that connects and that uses office

 

I thought we had to get an SQL Server CAL for each user too?

 

--

David Hicks

[DMcCoy]

You don't *have* to have office on it for SIMS, you just need to be aware that several sections of SIMS will crash with an error if you don't. The main ones being Profiles and assessment. If no one wants to use these sections then you can leave office off the server.

[BatchFile]

Win2k3 TS can't track User CALs, only device CALs, so just switch to User and buy 10, no one understands MS licensing anyway (including anyone at MS), so no one will care. You add the CALs via their product key type thing. I wouldn't mind if the device licence was concurrent, but it's every device that connects, stupid.

 

 

Anyone who cares about licensing will reply after they've read the 1000s of pages of EULAs that contradict each other and are ambiguous on 100s of points.

 

That's why the professional thing to do is to contact a reseller, such as pugh, who DO understand that sort of thing. You're acting on behalf of your employer not yourself, so picking and choosing which regulations to follow could leave you on a very sticky wicket.

[mavhc]

I thought we had to get an SQL Server CAL for each user too?

 

Remind me, why do people switch to FLOSS again?

[DMcCoy]

I thought we had to get an SQL Server CAL for each user too?

 

--

David Hicks

 

I'd forgotten about SQL as we use per processor licensing. That or if you are using express then it doesn't need CALs anyway.

[localzuk]

Win2k3 TS can't track User CALs, only device CALs, so just switch to User and buy 10, no one understands MS licensing anyway (including anyone at MS), so no one will care. You add the CALs via their product key type thing. I wouldn't mind if the device licence was concurrent, but it's every device that connects, stupid.

 

Anyone who cares about licensing will reply after they've read the 1000s of pages of EULAs that contradict each other and are ambiguous on 100s of points.

 

Until you get your licenses audited. Being deliberately unprofessional is not a good idea!

 

I've only allowed 10 concurrent logons at any one time. but there might be about 50 members of staff who will be given access to it. So i have to buy 50 user cals? or go with what mavhc says and buy 10 device CALS?

 

Device licenses get tied to a specific device, so if 10 devices connect, those 10 are now licensed. Any more that connect will be turned away. (Well, more specifically, they'll get a temporary token which when it expires will lead to them being turned away.)

 

all staff will be connecting from their school staff laptops which have Office installed. So therefore we should be covered and dont need to do anything on the Office saide of things when it comes to licensing?

 

If the devices they're connecting from are already licensed for Office, then no you don't need any more office licenses.

 

So in short you need:

 

• A remote desktop CAL for each user who could potentially connect.
  
• A windows cal for each device connecting.
  
• A windows server license per terminal server.
  
• A copy of the terminal services licensing software installed on your network.
  
• An SQL CAL for each user who could potentially connect (but only if you are using a full version of SQL server and aren't using a processor license).
  
• Each machine which is connecting to the terminal server to have a license for office.
  

[sted]

If only 10 people will use it only buy 10 CAL. If all staff will be using it at any time, either all at once or not, buy one for every member.

 

i mean as in 10 at any one time (i doubt the internet line will handle even that tbh)

[localzuk]

You don't *have* to have office on it for SIMS, you just need to be aware that several sections of SIMS will crash with an error if you don't. The main ones being Profiles and assessment. If no one wants to use these sections then you can leave office off the server.

 

Running any sort of report will likely cause crashes too - as they use the various office apps.

[mavhc]

Either MS care, so they'd enforce it with technical solutions, or they don't, so it doesn't matter, or they're trying to trick you, so they're evil.

 

The whole idea of CALs is evil anyway, and stupidly complex, like all of MS's licensing. You'd probably save money not wasting 100s of hours reading the licences and trying to be compliant than they'd fine you if they ever bothered to check. To make sure you're really compliant you'd have to hire a lawyer to read it all for you anyway.

 

Or install linux.

 

BRB, off to buy CALs for all my desktops and laptops so they can read files off the server. Oh wait, now I have 2 servers, better buy them all again.

[localzuk]

Either MS care, so they'd enforce it with technical solutions, or they don't, so it doesn't matter, or they're trying to trick you, so they're evil.

 

The whole idea of CALs is evil anyway, and stupidly complex, like all of MS's licensing. You'd probably save money not wasting 100s of hours reading the licences and trying to be compliant than they'd fine you if they ever bothered to check. To make sure you're really compliant you'd have to hire a lawyer to read it all for you anyway.

 

Or install linux.

 

BRB, off to buy CALs for all my desktops and laptops so they can read files off the server. Oh wait, now I have 2 servers, better buy them all again.

 

Regardless of your feelings about the licensing, you are employed to do a job. If your job includes dealing with licensing, your attitude above could most likely lead to you being fired, fined and could get the school into significant trouble.

 

And no, you're wrong on your last line - if you have 2 servers, you only need one set of device CALs.