Windows server terminal and client licenses. For government organizations Academic OLP

In this article we will look at the process of installing, configuring and activating the Remote Desktop Licensing Server role ( Remote Desktop Licensing) on Windows based Server 2016 or 2019, as well as the procedure for installing and activating client terminals ( CAL).

Let me remind you that after installing the Remote Desktop Session Host terminal server role, users can only use it during a trial period of 120 days, after which the ability to connect to the remote RDS server disappears. According to Microsoft's licensing scheme, all users or devices that use RDS capabilities must be licensed. For accounting and issuing terminal licenses (RDS CAL), there is a separate role in the RDS service - Remote Desktop License Server.

Installing the Remote Desktop Licensing role in Windows Server 2019/2016

You can deploy the Remote Desktop License component on any server in the domain; you do not have to install it on one of the servers in the RDSH farm.

Before you begin installing the RDS licensing server, you need to add (or make sure that you have the right to add) a new server to the domain group TerminalServerLicenseServers, otherwise the server will not be able to issue CALs of the RDS Per User type to domain users.

You can install the Remote Desktop Licensing service through the Server Manager console. To do this, in the Add Roles and Features wizard, select a role Remote Desktop Services.

You must select a service as a role component RemoteDesktopLicensing.

All that remains is to wait until the role installation is completed.

Additionally, install a utility to diagnose licensing problems on RDS servers - Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser(lsdiag.msc), which can be installed using Server Manager: Features -> Remote Server Administration Tools -> Role Administration Tools -> Remote Desktop Services Tools -> Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser Tools (by default, when installing the RDS-Licensing service, only Remote Desktop Licensing Manager console - licmgr.exe).

You can also install the RDS licensing component and RD Licensing Diagnoser using PowerShell:

Install-WindowsFeature RDS-Licensing –IncludeAllSubFeature -IncludeManagementTools

Activating the RDS License Server on Windows Server

Before the RDS licensing server can issue licenses to clients, it must be activated. To do this, open the console Remote Desktop Licensing Manager(licmgr.exe ) , right-click on your server name and select the menu item Activate Server.

The RDS Licensing Server Activation Wizard will launch, in which you will need to select the desired activation method. If your server has Internet access, it can automatically connect to Microsoft servers. If there is no Internet access from the server, you can activate the server through a web browser or by phone.

Next, you will need to fill out a number of information about your organization (some fields are required).

All you have to do is press the button Finish.

Now, if you right-click on the server name in the console and select the item, you can make sure that this server RDS licenses are activated and can be used to activate RDS clients in the domain.

Types of client terminal licenses (RDS CAL)

Each user or device that connects to Remote Desktop Session servers must have a CAL ( CAL- client access license). There are two types of terminal CALs.

Note. Please note that 2016 RDS CAL can only be installed on a licensing server under Windows control Server 2016 or 2019, installing new CALs on previous versions Windows Server not supported. Those. you won't be able to install 2016 RDS CAL to Windows Server 2012 R2 licensing host.

Installing RDS CALs on Windows Server 2016/2019

Now you need to install the purchased package of terminal licenses (RDS CAL) on the licensing server.

In the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager console, right-click on the server and select Install Licenses.

Select the activation method (automatically, via the web or by phone) and the licensing program (in our case, Enterprise Agreement).

The next steps in the wizard depend on which licensing type is selected. In the case of an Enterprise Agreement, you must indicate its number. If the licensing type is License Pack (Retail Purchase), you will need to provide a 25-character product key obtained from Microsoft.

Product type (Windows Server 2016/2019), license type (RDS Per user CAL) and number of licenses to be installed on the server.

After this, the server can issue licenses (RDS CAL) to clients.

You can convert RDS User CAL licenses to Device CALs (and vice versa) using context menu Convert Licenses in the RD Licensing Manager console.

If you run out of free licenses, you can revoke previously issued RDS Device CALs for inactive computers using the following PowerShell script:

$RevokedPCName=”msk-pc2332”
$licensepacks = Get-WmiObject win32_tslicensekeypack | where (($_.keypacktype -ne 0) -and ($_.keypacktype -ne 4) -and ($_.keypacktype -ne 6))
$licensepacks.TotalLicenses
$TSLicensesAssigned = gwmi win32_tsissuedlicense | where ($_.licensestatus -eq 2)
$RevokePC = $TSLicensesAssigned | ? sIssuedToComputer -EQ
$RevokedPCName$RevokePC.Revoke()

Removing the RDS CAL from the license server

If you want to move your set of RDS CALs from one Remote Desktop licensing server to another, you can remove the installed licenses from the licensing server using PowerShell.

Using the following cmdlet you can list installed packages RDS licenses on the server:

Get-WmiObject Win32_TSLicenseKeyPack|select-object KeyPackId,ProductVersion,TypeAndModel,AvailableLicenses,IssuedLicenses |ft

Find the KeyPackId value for the RDS CAL package you want to remove and issue the command:

wmic /namespace:\\root\CIMV2 PATH Win32_TSLicenseKeyPack CALL UninstallLicenseKeyPackWithId KEYPACKID

You can also completely remove all CALs by rebuilding the RDS license database. To do this, stop the Remote Desktop Licensing service:

You can check the status of the license server and the number of issued licenses using the RD Licensing Diagnoser console.

If there are no warnings and you see the message " RD Licensing Diagnoser did not identify any licensing problems for the Remote Desktop Session Host server“, this means the RDSH server can obtain RDS CALs for users.

Note. In our case, after specifying a new licensing server, when connecting, the error “The remote session was disconnected because there are no Remote Desktop License Servers available to provide a license” began to appear on the RDP client. The solution is to delete the key from the registry.

In December, Microsoft released a document describing the main changes in versions, licensing policies and pricing policies for editions of its new flagship in the server OS niche Windows Server 2016, which is being prepared for release in the second half of the coming year.

Note. The Windows Server 2016 licensing information in this article is based on documentation that was published by Microsoft in December 2015. Most likely, the licensing policy and prices will not change until the release of RTM versions of Windows Server 2016. In any case, before purchasing a license, we recommend that you obtain up-to-date information about prices and licensing rules from Microsoft or partners.

Licensing of server cores

The main innovation in the Windows Server 2016 licensing policy is the transition from licensing physical processors () to licensing processor cores. Now the cost of licenses will be calculated not by the number of processors, but by the number of system cores (similar to Microsoft licensing SQL Server).

A single Windows Server 2016 license will cost eight times less than a two-processor Windows Server 2012 license, but one the new license will only cover two physical cores.

This step by Microsoft is generally expected, because... Processor developers have significantly increased the number of cores (and performance itself) over the past few years. In particular, Intel already offers customers 60 nuclear processor Intel® Xeon Phi worth $2500. Microsoft imagined how much money they would lose when licensing under the old model in the event of mass implementation of such systems and quickly developed a new licensing policy.

The procedure for licensing physical server cores is as follows:

• All physical server cores must be licensed (cores with Hyper-threading are considered one core)
• Minimum number of purchased licenses for cores of one processor: 8 pcs.
• Minimum number of licenses for cores of one server: 16 pcs.
• If a processor is disabled at the system level, its cores do not need to be licensed.

Thus, to license one physical server with two quad-core processors, you need to purchase 8 sets of dual-core licenses (which will be the same cost as one dual-processor Windows Server 2012 license). To license a single-processor 16-core server, you will also need a set of eight 2-core licenses.

Note. Thus, compared to Windows Server 2012, the cost of licenses for low-power servers will not change, but for high-performance systems with multiple 10-core processors, licensing costs will increase by 25%.

Windows Server 2016 editions

Today, two editions of Windows Server 2016 are known (as was the case with Windows Server 2012/2012 R2):

• Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2016 Standard

Unlike Windows Server 2012 R2, in which the difference in the Standard Edition and Datacenter Edition was the number of supported virtual machines(2 and unlimited quantities, respectively) and availability. In Windows Server 2016, in addition to the difference in virtualization capabilities, there are other functional differences.

In particular, Windows Server 2016 Datacenter supports the following technologies:

• — expansion of Storage Spaces technology to create HA storage for clusters
• – technology of block synchronous multisite replication between clusters
• Shielded Virtual Machines— technology for creating protected virtual machines whose content is protected from the administrator of the Hyper-V host system
• Host Guardian Service– server role to support protected virtual machines (Shielded Virtual Machines) and data on them from unauthorized access
• Network Fabric
• Microsoft Azure Stack— SDN stack based on Azure

Note. Information about other editions of Windows Server 2016 and Windows Storage Server 2016 will be available in the first quarter of 2016.

Client Access License (CAL) licenses

Windows Server Standard and Datacenter still require purchase Windows licenses Server CAL for all devices or users using the server.

Client CALs for Remote Desktop Services and AD Rights Management Services must also be purchased separately.

Prices for Windows Server 2016 editions

• Windows Server 2016 Standard - 882 $
• Windows Server 2016 Datacenter - 6155 $

Windows Server 2016 Licensing FAQ

In this section I will collect and answer frequently asked questions about licensing Windows Server 2016

• How is Nano Server licensed? Nano Server is an option Windows installations Server 2016 and does not require additional licensing
• How to license processors with Hyper-Threading? In Windows Server and System Center 2016, only physical cores are licensed. From this point of view, a kernel with support Hyper-Threading technology are one core.
• If the processor/core is disabled and not used by Windows, do I need to purchase licenses for it? Disabled processors and cores do not need to be licensed.
• How virtual containers are licensed (Hyper-V Containers) Hyper-V Containers containers are licensed in the same way as regular Hyper-V virtual machines. On the Standard edition you can run 2 virtual machines, on Datacenter - an unlimited number

With the release of the 2016 version of Microsoft server products, significant changes occurred in licensing.

Recall that the family of proprietary operating systems Microsoft Windows Server, starting from the first version of NT, is licensed according to the Server + CAL model (server license + connection license). With the advent of virtualization and clustering, calculating the required number of licenses required special attention to the future assignment of these licenses to servers and clusters. Improved server performance has also impacted licensing. If in Windows Server 2008 one license covered 4 processors, then with an increase in the power of server hardware, one license of Windows Server 2012 already covered 2 processors.

So, Windows Server 2016 is released in the following editions:

We will consider the Standard and Datacenter editions, which are most often used by medium and large-sized companies.

Licensing for the editions in question in the 2016 version is similar to the SQL Server Enterprise product, which, since version 2012, is licensed based on the number of cores. The difference is that, according to the Product Terms, connection licenses (CALs) are included in the SQL Server server license, while in Windows Server they are purchased separately.

This licensing model will provide consistent licensing across private and public cloud environments and simplify licensing across multi-cloud infrastructures. The transition to a licensing model based on the number of cores is one of the steps towards supporting the hybrid cloud with server licenses.

ABOUT THE COST

According to the copyright holder, the cost of one Windows Server 2012 R2 (2 Proc) license will be equal to the cost of 8 Windows Server 2016 (2 Core) licenses.

1*Windows Server 2012 R2 (2 Proc) = 8* Windows Server 2016 (2 Core)*
* This equation works if you are using up to 8 cores on 1 processor.

IMPORTANT!

Windows Server Standard and Windows Server Datacenter editions are now licensed per physical core. To maintain licensing purity, it is necessary to assign licenses to all active physical processor cores; disabled and virtual cores implemented via Hyper-Threading do not need to be assigned licenses.

You must assign a minimum of 8 licenses per socket for a multiprocessor server, and a minimum of 16 for a single-socket server configuration. It is worth noting that the cost of 16-core Datacenter and Standard licenses for Windows Server 2016 will be approximately the same as the cost of 2-socket licenses in the corresponding Windows editions Server 2012 R2. Nuclear licenses will be supplied in packages of two licenses per package.

In addition, the scheme of covering guest OS instances with host licenses now extends to Hyper-V containers. In general, nothing has changed here: if you want to have two virtual machines or two Hyper-V containers, you license it under Standard and use the main OS exclusively to serve the virtual machines running on this server. The Datacenter Edition license gives you the right to run an unlimited number of virtual machines or Hyper-V containers. Naturally, all server cores must be covered by licenses. Mixing Standard and Datacenter licenses on the same server is also prohibited.

The procedure for licensing physical server cores is as follows:

• All physical server cores must be licensed (cores with Hyper-threading are considered one core)
• Minimum number of purchased licenses for cores of one processor: 8 pcs.
• Minimum number of licenses for cores of one server: 16 pcs.
• If a processor is disabled at the system level, its cores do not need to be licensed.

Thus, to license one physical server with two quad-core processors, you need to purchase 8 sets of dual-core licenses (which will be the same cost as one dual-processor Windows Server 2012 license). To license a single-processor 16-core server, you will also need a set of eight 2-core licenses.

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The official release of Windows Server 2016 has already taken place on at the moment In addition to Standard and Datacenter, 4 more editions are known. Thus, Windows Server 2016 is available in 6 editions:

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter- edition for environments with high use of virtualization;
Windows Server 2016 Standard- edition for environments without or with little use of virtualization;
Windows Server 2016 Essentials- small business edition, limited to 25 users and 50 devices;
Windows Server 2016 Multipoint Premium Server- an edition specifically designed for multi-user connections;
Windows Storage Server 2016- special edition for organizing disk storage;
Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 - free version hypervisor.

The Standard and Datacententer editions are licensed by core, the rest (except for the free Hyper-V Server) are licensed by processor.

Unlike Windows Server 2012 R2, in which the difference in the Standard Edition and Datacenter Edition was the number of supported virtual machines (2 and an unlimited number, respectively) and the ability to automatically activate virtual machines in the Datacenter edition. In Windows Server 2016, in addition to the difference in virtualization capabilities, there are other functional differences.

In particular, Windows Server 2016 Datacenter supports the following technologies:

• Storage Spaces Direct- expansion of Storage Spaces technology to create HA storage for clusters
• Storage Replica- technology of block synchronous multisite replication between clusters
• Shielded Virtual Machines- technology for creating protected virtual machines whose content is protected from the administrator of the Hyper-V host system
• Host Guardian Service- server role to support protected virtual machines (Shielded Virtual Machines) and data on them from unauthorized access
• Network Fabric
• Microsoft Azure Stack- SDN stack based on Azure

The Essentials edition is based on the Windows 10 core and has reduced functionality. Licensed per server (no more than 2 physical processors). Does not require additional client licenses, but is strictly limited by the number of users/devices.

The Multipoint Premium Server edition includes the functionality of Multipoint Services (MPS) and is specifically designed to work as a terminal server, positioned for use in classrooms and organizations where there is no heavy load. The peculiarity is that you can connect to the MPS server using both thin clients and directly (the so-called zero client). To connect, licenses are required for the server and for each client. The edition is available only to state authorities. and educational organizations under an academic license.

Windows Storage Server 2016 has specific functionality and is specially designed for creating disk storage. Available in Standard and Workgroup versions, distributed through OEM channels and available only to Microsoft OEM partners.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016 is a free edition of the operating system intended exclusively for use as a Hyper-V host.

Client Access License (CAL) licenses

Windows Server Standard and Datacenter continue to require the purchase of Windows Server CALs for all devices or users using the server.

Client CALs for Remote Desktop Services and AD Rights Management Services must also be purchased separately.

Microsoft Server 2016 Product Licenses

Open License Pack: OLP 2 Licenses No Level CoreLic

License for 2 server processors. The minimum quantity is 4 licenses per server, that is, for example: one server / two processors, a minimum purchase of 4 licenses (2 licenses in one), a total of 8 licenses. To place an order less than 5 pcs. under the Open License program, you must provide a valid Authorization Agreement Number or the order must include other names of products under the Open License program, that is, 5 (name or licenses) of anything.

License License/SoftwareAssurancePack

License for 2 server processors, including technical support and updates within 2 years. Software Assurance customers receive the right to use any new versions of products that will be released during the license agreement (Open License - 2 years), as well as prompt access to improvements and new functionality that will be added to the product within the current version.

Software Assurance License

Renewal of Software Assurance is possible within 90 days from the expiration date of the Open License agreement (validity period of the authorization number). Under the Open License program, Software Assurance ends at the same time as the authorization number expires, regardless of when Software Assurance is paid for. Software Assurance is valid for 2 years.

For government organizations Academic OLP:

Microsoft Academic Open License is a flexible and effective program that provides the opportunity to purchase permanent licenses for Microsoft software at significantly more low prices than prices for commercial software or academic versions of boxed products.

This program is intended for a wide range of preferential categories of participants who purchase licenses for use on 5 or more PCs. You can take advantage of its benefits:

• State and private higher educational institutions, educational institutions of secondary and secondary specialized education, advanced training courses and institutes, educational centers that have licenses to conduct educational activities issued by the Ministry of General and vocational education or other authorized government agency.
• Administrative bodies governing educational institutions operating at the regional, regional and state levels.
• Research institutions that are part of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (RAAS).
• Hospitals and clinics at higher educational institutions.
• Public libraries.
• Museums.
• Charitable organizations.

Academic license OLP- Microsoft Open License Government - license for state or municipal organizations. Price according to level A, check the minimum quantity for the first purchase in ITShop.

Academic- Software Assurance customers receive the right to use any new versions of products that will be released during the license agreement (Open License - 2 years).

Software Assurance Academic License- Renewal of Software Assurance is possible within 90 days from the expiration date of the Open License agreement (validity period of the authorization number).

For government Governmen organizations OLP:

Government OLP License - Microsoft program Open License Government allows state and municipal organizations to purchase corporate licenses for Microsoft products at special prices.

License License/Software Assurance Pack Government- The Microsoft Open License Government program allows state and municipal organizations to purchase corporate licenses for Microsoft products at special prices. Software Assurance customers receive the right to use any new versions of products that will be released during the license agreement (Open License - 2 years).

Software Assurance License Government- The Microsoft Open License Government program allows state and municipal organizations to purchase corporate licenses for Microsoft products at special prices. Renewal of Software Assurance is possible within 90 days from the expiration date of the Open License agreement (validity period of the authorization number).

Microsoft Windows Server Standard 2019 - server operating system, built on Windows Server 2019. The solution offers new level security and innovation for companies' applications and infrastructure. Numerous innovations are introduced into the hybrid, secure, application platform and hyperconverting infrastructure. Microsoft Windows Server Standard 2019 is designed for low-density environments and is not intended for virtualized systems.

New in Windows Server 2019

Hybrid cloud scenarios

With Windows Server 2019, customers can easily integrate Azure services such as Azure Backup, Azure File Sync, disaster recovery, and more so they can use these Azure services without disrupting their applications and infrastructure.

Safety

In Windows Server 2019, shielded virtual machines will now support Linux virtual machines. VMConnect has been enhanced to improve troubleshooting of shielded virtual machines for Windows Server and Linux. Encrypted networks can be added, allowing administrators to encrypt network segments for network layer protection between servers.

Additionally, built-in Windows Defender Threat Protection (ATP) provides proactive protection by detecting any attacks, including zero-day attacks

Application platform

Windows Server 2019 introduces significant improvements to the compute, storage, and networking components of a Kubernetes cluster. What's more, Windows Server 2019 offers improved WSL, helping Linux users implement your scripts on Windows using industry standards such as OpenSSH, Curl & Tar.

Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI)

Microsoft partners with industry leading hardware vendors to provide an affordable yet extremely reliable HCI solution with a proven design. Added scale, performance and reliability. The ability to manage your HCI deployment simplifies the management and day-to-day operations of HCI environments.

The Honolulu Project is now in the Windows Admin Center

Windows Admin Center is a new, locally deployed, browser-based management tool that lets you manage Windows servers without cloud or cloud dependency. Windows Admin Center gives you complete control over all aspects of your server's infrastructure and is especially useful for managing servers on private networks that are not connected to the Internet. Windows Admin Center is the modern evolution of "in-box" management tools such as Server Manager and MMC. It complements System Center.