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Q: How do I choose between Per Device and Per User TS CALs?
Last modified: November 15, 2008
A: In Windows Server 2003 and 2008, you can choose between Per Device and Per User TS CALs. Here's how you decide which licensing mode is cheapest for you:
Count the total number of connecting users and the total number of clients these users connect from (not concurrent!).
If you have more users than clients (like in a classroom or multiple shift situation, where several people connect to the TS from shared workstations), then Per Device licensing is cheaper.
If you have more clients than users (users connect from multiple clients, i.e their office PC, a laptop and their home PC), then Per User licensing is cheaper.
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Q: Can I install 2008 TS CALs on my 2003 or W2K TS Licensing Server?
Last modified: February 4, 2009
A: Since the release of Windows 2008, you cannot buy Windows 2003 TS CALs anymore. But when you try to install 2008 TS CALs on a 2003 or W2K TS Licensing Server, you get an error message:
Licensing Wizard was unable to install the client license key pack. Please verify your entry and try this operation again. Message Number 0x13A7.and a reference to this KB article:
Unfortunately, the article is not complete / correct in it's description of how you should resolve the problem.
In stead of upgrading your TS Licensing Server to an 2008 TS Licensing Server, you can simply use your downgrade rights. This is done by calling the Clearinghouse, who will reissue your license pack for installation on your TS Licensing Server. KB article 839878 describes this for a similar situation with 2003 TS CALs on a W2K server, but fails to mention that this also applies to 2008 TS CALs.
And here's a list of all downgrade options:
Windows Server 2008 Downgrade Rights.
Update: several posters in the terminal services newsgroup have reported that it is possible to install Windows 2008 TS CALs on a Windows 2003 R2 TS Licensing Server without calling the Clearinghouse.
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Q: Can I install a 2008 Licensing Server as a member server in my W2K domain?
Last modified: October 25, 2009
A: Update: It seems that the solution desribed below doesn't work, and that a 2008 TS License Server cannot correctly communicate with a Windows Server 2000 domain controller.
When you install a 2008 TS Licensing Server in a W2K domain, you get the following error message:
"This license server is not a member of the Terminal Server License Servers group in Active Directory
Domain Services. This license server will not be able to issue TS Per User CALs to the users in the
domain, and you will not be able to track or report the usage of TS Per User Cals on this license server."
When you try to add the TS LS to the group:
"The computer account for license server <Computer Name> cannot be added to the Terminal Server
license servers group in the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) because the license server is
unable to contact AD DS."
followed by:
"The following error occured on the license server: 0x534.
No mapping between account names and security IDs was done"
To solve the problem, and create the Terminal Server License Servers group in your W2K AD, you have to update the AD schema
to a 2003 schema. That's done by running the adprep utility.
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Q: How do I know when the grace period will end?
Last modified: June 17, 2007
A: When an administrator logs in to the Terminal Server (either using mstsc /console or from the physical console) the administrator should see a notification from the system tray informing him/her of the number of days remaining in the grace period.
Further details:
Terminal Server Licensing grace period.
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Q: I've installed licenses on my Licensing Server, but it still issues temporary ones. What's wrong?
Last modified: July 7, 2008
A: Most likely, you have installed Per User TS CALs, and by default, your Terminal Server is configured in the Per Device licensing mode. So you have to change it to the Per User licensing mode, in Terminal Services Configuration - Server settings.
Note that in Windows 2003, Per User licenses are unmanaged. This means that even after you have switched the licensing mode on the TS, your User TS CALs count will not be decremented. But the Licensing Server will stop issueing temporary Per Device licenses, and your users will be allowed to connect. It is your responsibility to have a valid User TS CAL for every user that connects to the Terminal Server. This is documented here:
822134 - The Function of Terminal Server CALs in Windows Server 2003
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Q: How do I move my TS licenses to a new TS Licensing Server?
Last modified: March 7, 2009
A: Here are the steps to move your TS CALs from one TS Licensing Server to another:
Update: Microsoft has finally described this procedure in a KB article. However, they use the telephone number for the Clearinghouse in the USA. To avoid an international phone call, I recommend to use the regional Clearinghouse, as described above.
953918 - How to move Terminal Services CALs from one license server to another in Windows Server 2003 or in Windows 2000 Server
See also:
Migrating a Windows Server 2003 TS License Server
Update: Windows Server 2008 R2 contains a new feature: License Server migration. Right-click the server name, choose "Manage RDS CALs" and then start the "Manage RDS CALs Wizard", which will guide you throught the migration.
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Q: How can I see if a TS Licensing Server is installed as Enterprise or Domain LS?
Last modified: June 17, 2007
A: Check the following registry key (do not modify this key):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\TermServLicensing\ParametersThe Role value has either a '0' (Domain/Workgroup License Server) or a '1' (Enterprise License Server).
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Q: How can I revoke an issued Per Device license to make it available for a new client?
Last modified: December 7, 2007
A: You can't really do this, and it shouldn't be necessary either.
TS CALs have an expiration date of 52-89 days after issueing. Licenses that are not used (because the client does not connect to the TS anymore) will automatically be returned to the LS after the expiration date. In the meantime, your new clients will get a temporary TS CAL, which is valid for 90 days.
Note that these time periods are choosen to make sure that your temporary license lasts long enough
for the old license to become available again. So replacing one client with another can never cause
you to run out of TS CALs.
If you are reaching the end of the 90 day temporary license period without having TS CALs available,
it means that you have been connecting with more clients than you have licenses and you have to buy extra TS CALs.
That said, there is a way to get rid of your license history, and that's by wiping the license database and installing
your licenses from scratch. This requires that you have the paperwork (like Authorization/Agreement number, License number) available.
957553 - How to free up client access licenses for Windows Server 2003 Terminal Licensing Server
On Windows Server 2008, it is possible to manually revoke up to 20% of your Per Device TS CALs, as described
here.
But it's still not technically necessary, since the automatic expiration-renewal mechanism is the same as on Windows 2003.
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Q: How can I revoke an issued Per User license to make it available for a new user?
Last modified: August 10, 2008
A: You can't do this, and it shouldn't be necessary either.
A Windows 2008 TS Licensing Server issues Per User licenses by modifying the user object's attributes in Active Directory. This information is then used to create a License Usage Tracking Report.
A Per User license expires automatically after 52-89 days, as does a Per Device license. A Per User license cannot be revoked as a Per Device licenses (on 2008). But since Per User licenses are not enforced, there is no need to either.
If you want to make sure that the License Usage Tracking Report is up-to-date and you can't wait until the licenses expire, you can edit the user object's attributes in AD manually. The attributes involved are either
terminalServer (on Win2003 schemas)or
msTSManagingLS, msTSLicenseVersion, msTSExpireDate (on Win2008 schemas)
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Q: Expired TS CALs are not returned to the pool of available licenses
Last modified: January 28, 2008
A: If Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is running on the server, it could stop the thread on the TS License Server which reclaims expired licenses.
Stop and restart the TS Licensing Service - it will restart the thread, and, if the bug is the culprit, expired licenses will be returned to the pool of available licenses within a couple of minutes after the service is restarted.
For more details, check:
926935 - A Terminal Services client may be unable to connect to a Terminal Services license server that is installed on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
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Q: Can I use a single TS Licensing Server to issue TS CALs to Terminal Servers in multiple untrusted domains and workgroups?
Last modified: June 14, 2008
A: Terminal Server Licensing Servers can only issue TS CALs to Terminal Servers which are located in the same domain or in trusted domains. This is documented in this KB article:
279561 - How to Override the License Server Discovery Process in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services
If you want a single TS Licensing Server to issue TS CALs to Terminal Servers in multiple, untrusted domains and workgroups, you will have to place the TS Licencing server in a workgroup, not a domain. Then any Terminal Server in any domain or workgroup will be able to receive TS CALs from the TS License server.
The License Server Auto Discovery process will not work with this setup, but adding the Preferred Licensing Server registry key in the Terminal Servers will fix that. Be sure to add the correct registry key, follow KB 279561 for 2003 Terminal Servers and 239107 for W2K Terminal Servers.
To give anonymous connections access to the Licensing Server, you also have to make sure that the access token for
anonymous connections includes the Everyone group.
If the TS Licensing Server runs W2K, configure this local policy setting:
Local Security Policy - Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Additional restrictions for anonymous connections "No access without explicit anonymous permissions" - Disable
If the TS Licensing Server runs 2003, configure this local policy setting:
Local Security Policy - Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options "Network access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users" - Enable
If the Terminal Server (and thus the TS Licensing Server) are running Windows 2008 and the Terminal Server is configured to use the Per User licensing mode, then you need a trust relationship between the domain containing the TS Licensing Server and the domain containing the user accounts. This is not needed if the TS runs Windows 2003, since Per User licenses are not tracked on Windows 2003.
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Q: How can I delete the MSLicensing key from a thin client?
A: WinCE thin clients store the MSLicensing key in the default location in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSLicensingThe problem is often how to access it. Thin clients should have an option on the setup screen to delete this key. If your thin client does not have this option, reinstall the CE firmware, or reset the client to the factory defaults. Make sure that you write down your custom settings before doing so! |
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Q: How can I delete the MSLicensing key from a Macintosh client?
Last modified: December 6, 2007
A: Macintosh clients store the MSLicensing key in the following location:
MacHD/Users/Shared/Microsoft/RDC Crucial Server Information/Delete the files in this folder to delete the locally stored TS license.
If you are connecting to a Citrix server, you'll want to delete this file:
MacHD/Users/Username/Library/Preferences/Citrix_ICA_Client/Citrix_ID
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Q: Some of my Macintosh users can connect, others can't, from the same Mac client. What's wrong?
Last modified: March 7, 2011
A: Macintosh clients store the MSLicensing key in the following location:
MacHD/Users/Shared/Microsoft/RDC Crucial Server Information/The directory "/Users/Shared/Microsoft/" is owned by whichever user first ran RDC, and by the group "wheel". On OS X, all users are a member of the "wheel" group, unless they are explicitly excluded. The problem is that "wheel" doesn't have write permission on "/Users/Shared/Microsoft/" or any of its subdirectories. As long as the user that originally ran RDC is the one running the current session, all is well. But for other users on the same Mac, it won't work.
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Q: How can I monitor my TS license database and get a warning when I'm running out of available licenses?
Last modified: June 17, 2007
Note: the procedure listed here works only with "Per Device" TS CALs!
A: One thing you can do is to schedule lsreport from the Resource Kit to run, say once a week, and have
it generate a report containing all temporary licenses which are issued. If the list of
temporary licenses grows, it's time to check on your available licenses.
Or let lsreport only list Active licenses, and post-process the output file by counting the lines
in the file. That will give you the number of Issued licenses.
Example: if the output file from lsreport is located in C:\temp\lsreport.out, use the following command:
find /C "your_LS_server_name" C:\temp\lsreport.out >> C:\temp\lsreport.outThis will add the following line to the lsreport.out file:
---------- C:\TEMP\LSREPORT.OUT: xxwhere xx is the number of Active (Issued) licenses.
Note that you always will see some temporary licenses, since the very first connection of a new client always uses a temporary license. On the second connection, a permanent license is issued.
317592 - HOW TO: Use the Terminal Services Licensing Reporter Tool (Lsreport.exe)
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