Licensing query...

Joel

HI Guys

So we have 2x Virtual Windows 2012 servers. One will be the domain controller and one will be the database server. When I say database server, it will be used for users to log in (approx 10/15 at the same time) to access Excel/Access and work with a bespoke database.

My question is regarding licensing and the database server itself.
Q: Should I make the database server a terminal server and install the Remote Desktop Services role?
(we're using server 2012 R2) or is it possible to simply connect it to the domain and just allow authenticated and users to log in and use it?

Thoughts welcomed.
Thanks

hobbit666

@Joel said in Licensing query...:

or is it possible to simply connect it to the domain and just allow authenticated and users to log in and use it?

No... by default only 2 users can RDP into a server by default, so you will need RDS services

So we have 2x Virtual Windows 2012 servers. One will be the domain controller and one will be the database server. When I say database server, it will be used for users to log in (approx 10/15 at the same time) to access Excel/Access and work with a bespoke database.

In this case you will need Server 2012 Cals for the Users or Devices but also RDS Cals for the "database" server BUT ALSO!!!! You will need to license Office (i.e. Excel and Access) on that RDS server for the amount of users you have (NOT concurrent users but total that "could" access it)

**Well that's my take you your set-up and Microsoft Licensing

Deleted74295

@hobbit666 said

(NOT concurrent users but total that "could" access it)

Hmm, for the office licenses I think you can get con-current installs on a TS. I.e 5 copies of office even if you are a company of 20.

I might be horribly mistaken though and this was 3 years ago since I last did it.

Deleted74295

@Joel said in Licensing query...:

HI Guys

When I say database server, it will be used for users to log in (approx 10/15 at the same time) to access Excel/Access and work with a bespoke database.

In my brain, I'd ask why not have the clients connect into the database with excel and access from their machines and so the database server is literally a file-share for excel/access. The users would probably prefer not to be in RDS mode and you save money on the RDS licensing/support/setup.

If something silly like Access plays up for 1 user, and then you need to repair the install (does happen) instead of isolating it to 1 users machine you now have to kick out all 10 users.

Joel

@Breffni-Potter It's a valid point and one we explored but the database is ridiculous in size and we need a beast of a box for it to process all the calculations. In testing we played around with different options but found a server with enough processing power, ram and cores worked a treat.

RE: Office. We have Office 365 so I was just planning on installing using those licenses.

hobbit666

@Joel said in Licensing query...:

RE: Office. We have Office 365 so I was just planning on installing using those licenses.

You will need to check what you got as only a few plans allow RDS access, can't remember off top of my head.
But you will still need RDS Cals and Server Cals

scottalanmiller

@hobbit666 said in Licensing query...:

@Joel said in Licensing query...:

or is it possible to simply connect it to the domain and just allow authenticated and users to log in and use it?

No... by default only 2 users can RDP into a server by default, so you will need RDS services

No, without RDS zero can log in that are not admins doing admin tasks. You can have a single user use it as a desktop. The two limit is license restricted to administration. Any shared desktop use whatsoever requires RDS licenses.

scottalanmiller

@Joel said in Licensing query...:

@Breffni-Potter It's a valid point and one we explored but the database is ridiculous in size and we need a beast of a box for it to process all the calculations. In testing we played around with different options but found a server with enough processing power, ram and cores worked a treat.

RE: Office. We have Office 365 so I was just planning on installing using those licenses.

O365 works now. I published a licensing guide for it like a week ago.

https://mangolassi.it/topic/10077/installing-ms-office-pro-plus-from-office-365-on-windows-rds

scottalanmiller

@hobbit666 said in Licensing query...:

@Joel said in Licensing query...:

RE: Office. We have Office 365 so I was just planning on installing using those licenses.

You will need to check what you got as only a few plans allow RDS access, can't remember off top of my head.
But you will still need RDS Cals and Server Cals

Yes, normal CALs are already needed because there is a Windows Server in the mix, and RDS for the remote access. You will likely want to share apps only, not the full desktop.

hobbit666

@scottalanmiller
No, without RDS zero can log in that are not admins doing admin tasks. You can have a single user use it as a desktop. The two limit is license restricted to administration. Any shared desktop use whatsoever requires RDS licenses.

That's what I meant 2 Admins by default

O365 works now. I published a licensing guide for it like a week ago.
https://mangolassi.it/topic/10077/installing-ms-office-pro-plus-from-office-365-on-windows-rds

Will need to read that and catch up, might help us here

Joel

@hobbit666 guys im trying to use the Office 2013 deployment tool as per the link above but cant get Office suite installed. Can someone help with my configuration.xml?

note: i have created a share \database01\share and have put my Office2013 (64bit).exe (downloaded from office365) into this share and named the file 'Setup64'

see code from my config file below:

</Configuration>

I then run: \data01\share\setup64 /configure \data01\share\configuration.xml - and nothing happens when i click run!

anyideas?

Joel

Hi Guys

Following my convo above about the terminal/rds server setup. I now have this working well so thankyou for helping with that.

As a recap, I have a virtual DC (DC01) to manage our users/groups and a virtual App server (APP01) running with Excel installed which is published as a remote app. Our end users use Pertino to access and run the remote Excel and are authenticated via the DC. I think this works well and keeps the setup more 'internal' and not published over the web which is better for security.

I am currently using the 100 day free licenses for RDS, however my question is when that runs out, should I purchase Device CALS or User CALS?
We have so far 15 users logging in and they pretty much use their own laptops to access the APP01.

hobbit666

Device CALS are cheaper
Think last quote I had (before all the price hike due to brexit)

£100 User cal, £77 device cal

Joel

@hobbit666 stupid question (my licensing knowledge is of a newb), should i choose device CAL, would i just need to license the 1 app01 server for 15users to access it? As opposed to licensing 15user CALs to use the app01 server?

hobbit666

If I remember your database server is a RDS server too?
In that case you are going to need Server CAL's (Device or User) and RDS CAL's.

Which one to choose depends on future plans. If at the moment you have 1 : 1 ration of computers and users then I would go cheaper device CALs BUT! if you think people will start accessing from different devices like tablets/laptops/phones etc then User CAL's make more sense.

DustinB3403

Device call are cheaper but I thought they were assigned to specific devices.

Where as user CALS were transferable...

Am I wrong?

Dashrender

@DustinB3403 said in Licensing query...:

Device call are cheaper but I thought they were assigned to specific devices.

Where as user CALS were transferable...

Am I wrong?

Device Cal's are transferable also every 90 days

Dashrender

Only if the same devices will realisticly be used would I consider device CALs.

User CALs are a lot more flexible.

Device CALs also make sense for shift workers. You only have 30 devices bit they are shared by 90 people.

Joel

@hobbit666 said in Licensing query...:

If I remember your database server is a RDS server too?
In that case you are going to need Server CAL's (Device or User) and RDS CAL's.

Which one to choose depends on future plans. If at the moment you have 1 : 1 ration of computers and users then I would go cheaper device CALs BUT! if you think people will start accessing from different devices like tablets/laptops/phones etc then User CAL's make more sense.

Yes, the database is a RDS server so we will indeed need RDS Cals. I assume also this is 1x RDS CAL per user?
User cals probably makes sense as some have two laptops and an office computer.

Joel

@Dashrender said in Licensing query...:

Only if the same devices will realisticly be used would I consider device CALs.

User CALs are a lot more flexible.

Device CALs also make sense for shift workers. You only have 30 devices bit they are shared by 90 people.

If all users are logging into the same RDS server than do I simply need RDS CALs (for each user) and a single Device CALS for the server?