Open the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager: click Start > Administrative Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. Right-click the license server, and then click Activate Server. Click Next on the welcome page.
Full Answer
What is the Remote Desktop Services (Rd) license server?
The Remote Desktop Services license server issues client access licenses (CALs) to users and devices when they access the RD Session Host. You can activate the license server by using the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
How do I activate the remote desktop licensing manager?
Open the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager: click Start > Administrative Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. Right-click the license server, and then click Activate Server. Click Nexton the welcome page. For the connection method, select Automatic connection (recommended), and then click Next.
How does the license server issue licenses?
The license server issues licenses from the available CAL pool or the Over-Used CAL pool. It's your responsibility to ensure that all of your users have a valid license and zero Over-Used CALs—otherwise, you're in violation of the Remote Desktop Services license terms.
What is Client Access License (CAL)?
Each user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host needs a client access license (CAL). You use RD Licensing to install, issue, and track RDS CALs. When a user or a device connects to an RD Session Host server, the RD Session Host server determines if an RDS CAL is needed.
Do you need a license for RDP?
Each user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host needs a client access license (CAL). You use RD Licensing to install, issue, and track RDS CALs. When a user or a device connects to an RD Session Host server, the RD Session Host server determines if an RDS CAL is needed.
Why do I need an RDS license?
An RDS CAL is a license that allows users/devices to access and utilize Windows Server published resources, such as Windows applications, desktops and files. This license model provides a way to pay for capacity used: the more users or devices accessing your resources, the more RDS CALs you require.
How do I get an RDS license?
Launch the RDS license manager if not already running. In Windows 2012, launch Server Manager and click Tools > Terminal Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. Right-click the server name and select Install Licenses. Choose the applicable license program and click Next.
How many RDS licenses do I need?
You need one user CAL for every user account that is used on the RDS server, doesn't matter how many are used concurrently. If you plan on using MS Office then you will need additional per user/device CALS for that as well.
Does RD Gateway require licensing?
Remote Desktop Gateway This requires additional licensing to use, as per Microsoft: “An RDS CAL is required to use any functionality included in the Remote Desktop Services role in Windows Server.
What is RDP license?
Remote Desktop for Administration: This licensing mode allows for up to two administrative sessions, including the local console session, to be running simultaneously on a Windows server. This is the only licensing mode that does not require Remote Desktop client access licenses (RD CALs) or a license server.
Do RDS CALs expire?
An RDS User CAL expires 60 days after it is issued to the user and then returns to the available pool, however, if the user connects within 7 days of the expiration date the license will be renewed for another 60 days.
Do I need server CALs and RDS CALs?
Remote Desktop Services requires a Windows Server CAL and an RDS CAL for each user/device.
What is a Remote Desktop license?
Remote Desktop for Administration: This licensing mode allows for up to two administrative sessions, including the local console session, to be running simultaneously on a Windows server. This is the only licensing mode that does not require Remote Desktop client access licenses (RD CALs) or a license server.
What happens if RDS licensing server is down?
As mentioned by Wilson, if your RDSH is not able to contact the license server - the clients that are having valid license will not get connection denial even if your license server is down for some time. Only the clients that either have no license or have expired licenses, will face connection denial.
What is terminal server licensing?
What is Terminal Server Licensing? Each user/device connecting to the TS server should have an RDS CAL. The terminal server licensing role is installed on an RDS license server. The role of this TS licensing server is to store and track all RDS CALs installed for a group of servers.
What is Remote Desktop Services used for?
Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is an umbrella term for features of Microsoft Windows Server that allow users to remotely access graphical desktops and Windows applications.
Install the RD Licensing role
Sign into the server you want to use as the license server using an administrator account.
Activate the license server
Open the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager: click Start > Administrative Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
What is the entire agreement for Microsoft?
ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This agreement, and any other terms Microsoft may provide for supplements, updates, or third-party applications, is the entire agreement for the software.
What happens if you fail to comply with Microsoft terms?
TERMINATION. Without prejudice to any other rights, Microsoft may terminate this agreement if you fail to comply with any of its terms or conditions. In such event, you must destroy all copies of the software and all of its component parts.
Does Microsoft give warranty on software?
However, Microsoft gives no contractual guarantee in relation to the licensed software.
Is Microsoft software sold?
SCOPE OF LICENSE. The software is licensed, not sold. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you will not (and have no right to):
Is Microsoft liable for negligence?
In other cases of slight negligence, Microsoft will not be liable for slight negligence.
Is Microsoft obligated to provide support services?
SUPPORT SERVICES. Microsoft is not obligated under this agreement to provide any support services for the software. Any support provided is “as is”, “with all faults”, and without warranty of any kind.
Can you recover from Microsoft?
LIMITATION ON AND EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES. IF YOU HAVE ANY BASIS FOR RECOVERING DAMAGES DESPITE THE PRECEDING DIS CLAIMER OF WARRANTY, YOU CAN RECOVER FROM MICROSOFT AND ITS SUPPLIERS ONLY DIRECT DAMAGES UP TO U .S. $5.00. YOU CANNOT RECOVER ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING CONSEQUENTIAL, LOST PROFITS, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES.
Can an offline license server prevent users from logging on?
An offline License Server issuing Per User CALs will not prevent users from logging on
Does RDSH defer to secondary RD license?
As Per User CALs are tracked but not strictly enforced, an RDSH server will not defer to a secondary RD License Server if the primary listed server has no remaining CALs. Instead, any reporting will show an over-allocation of licenses – and the customers need to ensure that they have enough CALs.
What is per user access pricing?
Per-user access pricing lets you pay for Azure Virtual Desktop access rights on behalf of external users. You must enroll in per-user access pricing to build a compliant deployment for external users. To learn more, see Enroll in per-user access pricing.
What is internal user in Azure?
In the context of providing virtualized infrastructure with Azure Virtual Desktop, internal users refers to people who are members of your own organization, for example employees of a business or students of a school. External users are not members of your organization, for example customers of a business.
Does Contoso use Azure?
A software vendor called Contoso might use Azure Virtual Desktop to sell remote streams of Contoso’s productivity app to Contoso’s customers (external users). Because Contoso is serving external users, Contoso must enroll in Azure Virtual Desktop’s per-user access pricing. This enables Contoso to pay for Azure Virtual Desktop access rights on behalf of those external users who connect to Contoso's deployment. The users don't need a separate license like Microsoft 365 to access Azure Virtual Desktop. Contoso still needs to create and manage identities for those external users.
Can Azure Virtual Desktop be used for external users?
This article explains the licensing requirements for using Azure Virtual Desktop to stream remote applications to external users. In this article, you'll learn how licensing Azure Virtual Desktop for external users is different than for internal users, how per-user access pricing works in detail, and how to license other products you plan to use with Azure Virtual Desktop.
Can you start planning Azure Virtual Desktop?
Now that you're familiar with your licensing pricing options, you can start planning your Azure Virtual Desktop environment. Here are some articles that might help you:
Does Azure Virtual Desktop charge for user?
Azure Virtual Desktop will issue at most one access charge for a given user in a given billing period. So if your deployment grants user Alice access to Azure Virtual Desktop resources across two different Azure subscriptions in the same tenant, only the first subscription accessed by Alice will incur a usage charge.
How to license a network?
If you want external users—such as business partners, external contractors, or customers—to be able to access your network, you have two licensing options: 1 Acquire CALs for each of your external users. 2 Acquire External Connector (EC) licenses for each server that will be accessed by your external users.
How many EC licenses are required for a server?
Each physical server that external users access requires only one EC license regardless of the number of software instances running. An "instance" is an installed copy of software. The right to run instances of the server software is licensed separately; the EC, like the CAL, simply permits access. The decision on whether to acquire CALs ...
What is an external user?
An external user is a person who does not have employee-level access to your company’s network or the network of your affiliates, and is not someone to whom you provide hosted services. An EC license assigned to a server permits access by any number of external users, as long as that access is for the benefit of the licensee and not the external user. Each physical server that external users access requires only one EC license regardless of the number of software instances running. An "instance" is an installed copy of software.
Is a CAL a license?
The right to run instances of the server software is licensed separately; the EC, like the CAL, simply permits access. The decision on whether to acquire CALs or an EC for external users is primarily a financial one.
Do you need separate licenses for management server software?
Included with the ML are the rights to run the corresponding management server software, so you do not need to acquire separate licenses for the management server software. Management of server OSEs requires Server MLs (only OSE type offered), while management of non-server OSEs require Client MLs (OSE/User types offered).
