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Do Windows Server 2012 require additional RDP CAL license to RDP VM's?
I learned a Windows license grants you two "administrative" simultaneous remote desktop sessions before you need to install the Remote Desktop Services role with CALs.
Will this be applicable for VM's created in the physical server ? My aim is to administer VM's running the GUI instance over RDP.
Comments
If I understand W2012 licensing (and it's entirely possible I don't!) if you have datacenter then you can have as many VMs as you want, and they'd each have their two simultaneous session limit.
If you have standard edition, then you can have 1 or 2 VMs with the usual session limit. However if you have 2 VMs then you aren't allowed to use the host/physical instance for anything other than managing the 2 VMs. If you only have 1 VM then there's no restriction on the usage of the host.
In all cases I believe you're limited to 2 processors per installation (whether it be physical or virtual installation).
If I understand you correctly, if I have a windows 2012 datacenter license unlimited VM's with maximum 2 GUI instance over RDP is possible without any additional RDP CAL license.
If I understand the licensing document correctly (a big if!), yes.
Of course that's unlimited VMs on that one physical server. So 10 VMs on one server is a yes, but 5 VMs on server A and 5 VMs on server B is a no.
Looks cheap enough http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Windows-Server-2012-Center/dp/B0093CAKMY.
If I understand, If I understand, If I understand, If I understand.
$7
Absolutely no
here more than price part, concern in do a VM created in Windows Datacenter / Standard edition require an RDP CAL license to RDP into GUI instance of VM's. Some sites says two GUI based "administrative" sessions are available on VM / Physical node. Where as some say's NON GUI based "administrative" sessions are only available.
Well as others said datacenter hypervisor comes with unlimited vm-s.
How are each vm(if windows servers) licenced?
SPLA or volume licence? What editions are those windows vms on the main datacenter hypervisor?
I don't understand windows licencing at all, just asking out of curiosity.
I've got win7 home premium and it doesn't come with rdp server.
But there's a nice script that enables rdp with no user restrictions(I got 4 admin logons on my vm a few times). While it might not comply with microsoft's licence terms in a corp environment, it's something good to know about.
Also there was a patch apparently that killed it, but I don't update my SP1 win7 VM anyway.
No need for windows 10, telemetry and other bloatware from MS.
I "inherited" responsibility for a Windows Server 2012 (Standard) that someone else had configured with two Hyper-V virtual machines on it. I am not an experienced Windows admin, and have had to learn on the job.
Windows Remote Desktop worked on the VMs for a very short period. After that, it would not let me connect to the VMs, saying that a license server was required. It was easier to connect to the VMs via remote desktop on the primary system and operate on the virtual machine windows from within it. (Yeah, the lazy way.)
Based on my reading and research only: In addition to setting up the license server, we would have had to buy RDP CAL licenses for the virtual machines. There are two types of CAL license types. I was stunned at the overall complexity, whose sole purpose is license enforcement, not product quality or features.
Fortunately, that server is being repurposed and I won't have to deal with those issues. I hope this helps.
For accessing Windows Server you need one User Cal per user. For accessing via RDP you need an additional RDC Cal for each user. If there are more than one RD server in the same organisation a user who has a User CAL can access multiple servers and if they additionally have an RDC CAL they can access multiple RD servers. That is all permissions and roles dependent too of course.
Tsplus.org is very good
There are companies doing $xxx,xxx,xxx a year exclusively on Microsoft license compliance. Oracle is rapacious but at least I can figure out what I owe...with Microsoft there's always confusion and conflicting stories.
If you look up the word "byzantine" in the dictionary, think of Microsoft licensing.
Exactly this.
You will need cals, too.
1. 2 Simultaneous RDP connection is free but If you want to use more then 2 RDP connection then you will need to buy RDP cal.
2. 2 RDP is free for diagnosis or controlling only, If you are using it for any purpose like "commercial use" then you have to buy cals.
3. Datacenter license is required for each "Physical" CPU (Not virtual cores, only "Physical" CPU). Let me show you a example, "I have a E5 server with 2 physical CPU then I will need to buy 2 Datacenter license" so it means price is based on Physical CPU regardless of servers. If you have a 10 server and each server have a 4 physical CPU then you will need to buy 10 x 4 = 40 Datacenter license. (This is only about "Datacenter license" and I don't know about any other license)
Hope, your confusion is clear.
If anyone still confused, this licensing datasheet will help you a lot : https://db.tt/qCTRK6Lj
Cheers
Every windows licence comes with 2 remote administrative Cal's. No matter the same physical host or not.
This document is helpful, but it also emphasizes my point that Microsoft's server licensing policies are far too complex. The document goes on for 14 pages, and doesn't scratch the surface of the licensing issues that an administrator must face.
If you want to support Remote Desktop Services, for example, you must decide which type of CAL licenses to purchase - Per Device or Per User. Then you must configure a license server. And if the remote desktop server is a Hyper-V virtual machine ... ? Etc.
http://tsplus.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2741
question of EULA and MS licenses is a FAQ for 20 years.
In 1995, the Canadian company Corel developed a Java product named “Bridge”. It was the pioneer alternative product to TSE for NT Workstation and NT Server.
Corel found less expensive to do this development to web enabled WordPerfect, Corel Draw and Aldus Page Maker.
Having to re-write its 3 products in Java would have cost them tens of millions dollars and they would have to maintain 2 different source codes for the same products: one in Java and the second for client/server.
The benefit for Corel, was also to avoid to change the GUI and to be obliged to train again all of its customer to a new “web interface look & feel”.
Corel sold “Bridge” to Graphon Corporation in 1997 which renamed it “GO-Global for Windows”.
During these 20 years, Microsoft never claims about any possible legal point to be discussed.
We sell TSplus for nearly 10 years now and we own 100% of our source code. The ministry of Justice in France, the US army, the Auchan Group (1.800 TSplus hosts) and thousands of chartered accounts are using TSplus every days. Like France Telecom or Auchan, some large corporation requested a check by their legal department prior to buy the TSplus licenses and it never has been a problem.
About the RDS CALs specific point, up to February 2014 our customers was requested to uninstall the TSE/RDS role prior to use TSplus. That was a technical requirement because part of our technology is designed to be an alternative to RDS/TSE. However, we added the support of both option for our customers:
Option 1: They decide to use TSplus role
OR
Option 2: They decide to use RDS role and RDS CALs
It is like using IIS or preferring to use TSplus built-in web server. The customer can decide to use, or not, the Microsoft technology. If he decides not to use it, obviously, he has not to get a license for something that he does not install.
So, from March 2014, our customers are free to decide what is the best for them and what complies with the contract they signed with Microsoft.
In both options, and this is important to keep it in mind, the TSplus benefits are far over this detail: HTML5 client, Web Portal, multi-browser support, Mobile device support, load balancing, Universal Printer, Portable client generator… are available and TSplus works very well with or without installed RDS role. Technically for us, it is just one registry value to change:
Without having to heavily invest into web application development, the main benefit you will get from TSplus will be to easily publish your current applications a full web/cloud solution.
Last comment about the specific Microsoft statement (which is not at all included into EULA) that you are considering as a obvious legal one:
"Terminal Services CAL are requiered for each user or device that directly or indirectly accesses the server software to host a graphical user interface"
Anyone is allowed to use VNC, Apache web server, LogMeIn to directly or indirectly access a Windows system and to interact with the graphical user interface without purchasing TS CALS.
Everyone accept this: isn't it? ... It is exactly the same story for TSplus.
And now add MSSQL to each vm and try to be correctly licensed.....
Try asking a compliance company.
The courthouse rule is generally "it's ok if everyone agrees and if not, if you can settle, and if not, then hope neither party is working on contingency (they won't over a licensing case) and all's right in the world."
Everyone accept this: isn't it?
It is more complex than that. I believe that a TS CAL is still needed if the client machine does not run Windows and the access is not done for administrative purposes, at least according to the popular belief. By the way, another less known alternative to TSplus is the ThinSoft solution, and it shares the same background issue. At the next license compliance check, Microsoft will argue that they are a license breach. True or not, it does not matter; no one want to fight a legal battle with Microsoft so the customer will pay the Microsoft fee anyway. I will select a RDP alternative for the features it gives, not for the price alone.
Talked with a TSPlus seller, and he said the same as I do. You need it to comply to MS rules.