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Windows server licensing rules. Removing the RDS CAL from the license server

The Windows Server 2016 platform takes advantage of all the advances in modern technology and provides IT professionals with new capabilities that increase the flexibility and reliability of server infrastructures. The new product has a number of innovations that allow you to secure and optimize the operation of data centers, and also simplifies the process of building and administering the company's cloud infrastructure.

What's New in Windows Server 2016

Nano Server. A new installation option for Windows Server 2016 that requires even fewer resources than Core mode. Nano Server only supports 64-bit applications and does not have local management capabilities (only network management is supported). This option has limitations on use cases, but will be useful for solving specific hosting problems.
Containers. New way to isolate applications for Core and Nano installation modes. Containers are presented in 2 variants: Windows (isolation of applications in a physical operating environment) and Hyper-V (isolation of applications in virtual machines ah running Hyper-V). Container management is available via PowerShell or Docker.
Rolling Upgrades. Ability to add Windows Server 2016 nodes to Windows Server 2012 R2 clusters. The cluster must be managed from Windows Server 2016.
Hot Aadd & Remove RAM/NIC. Possibility to add random access memory and connecting network adapters to running virtual machines, without having to stop them. This technology works on both generations of virtual machines.
Nested Virtualization. Virtualization within virtualization. The ability to “raise” Hyper-V inside a virtual machine.
PowerShell Direct. Possibility of control virtual machines via PowerShell without network access. The administrator authenticates, selects the virtual machine he needs and writes the command that should be executed on this virtual machine.
Host Guardian Service and Shielded VMs. Protecting virtual machines from the Hyper-V administrator. The administrator has the ability to turn virtual machines on and off and perform a limited list of actions, but does not have access to data on the VHD.
Storage Space Direct. The ability to aggregate local disks on cluster nodes, using SSDs to work with the cache.

More details about the innovations can be found at the link.

There are 3 main editions of Windows Server 2016:

Datacenter– contains full functionality with unlimited rights to launch virtual instances.
Standard– OS edition with full capabilities and the right to launch up to two virtual copies.
Essentials– OS edition for small businesses (supports up to 25 users or 50 devices).

Sales scenarios

Safety

Remote Credential Guard technologies include the ability to administer with time and scope restrictions, virtually eliminate the possibility of disclosure of credentials over the network and limit administrators' access to resources.
From the moment the OS boots, only authorized binaries are allowed to execute.
Active protection against known malware without impacting workload performance.
Protection against unknown vulnerabilities by blocking major attack vectors.

Optimal use of servers

Run more applications on the same server.
Simple management, cost reduction.
Easily move loads to new servers without interruption.
Improved security with shielded VMs.

Hybrid cloud

Flexibility of control methods, security of workloads.
Reduce upfront IT costs.
Fast and less labor-intensive provision of IT services.
Improved performance, reduced latency in local environments.

Remote Desktop Services

Access to all (or some) Windows applications in a virtual environment, including graphics-intensive applications.
Scalability management for resource-intensive applications.
Create virtual workspaces by taking advantage of the hybrid cloud.

Flexible and affordable storage

Storage that scales to meet growing data needs.
Flexible storage options help keep storage costs down.

Disaster recovery

Real-time disaster recovery with high availability, both on-premises and in the cloud, using Storage Replica storage replication technology.
Reduce business risk and reduce costs through efficient use bandwidth networks during off-peak periods in different locations using the Azure Backup service.

The main or only server in the organization

Simplify everyday tasks with convenient public access to files and programs.
Protect your business-critical data with affordable backup options.
Improve security with centralized user management and anti-virus and anti-malware protection.

Failover Clustering

High availability of mission-critical workloads even when upgrading or migrating to the cloud.
Distribution of risks across different physical offices and sites.
Adding resources locally and at remote sites.

Licensing

3 editions of Windows Server 2016 have been released:

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter.
Windows Server 2016 Standard.
Windows Server 2016 Essentials.

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Windows Server 2016 Standard

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Windows Server 2016 Standard are licensed under a core/CAL model. The technical differences between the editions are indicated in the table above.

First of all, you need to purchase a license for the server where Windows Server will be deployed. Required number Windows licenses Server is equal to the number of physical cores on a licensed server, and the minimum number of licenses per physical processor is 8, and the minimum number of licenses per server is 16. It should be remembered that in the price list items with server licenses come in a package of 2 licenses “per core” " Those. one purchased position covers 2 processor cores.

The indicated value of licenses in the table is given taking into account the fact that one position covers 2 physical cores.

The Windows Server 2016 Standard edition allows you to deploy two virtual instances of the Windows Server environment on a licensed hardware server with one license, and the Windows Server 2016 Datacenter edition gives you the right to unlimited virtualization rights on the server to which the license is linked.

To license client connections, you must purchase client access licenses (CALs) for all users or devices that will access Windows Server. There are two types of CALs: per user and per device. The customer can choose any type of license based on the economic feasibility of the purchase.

Windows Server 2016 Essentials

Windows Server 2016 Essentials licensing requires purchasing a server license. No client access licenses are required.

Windows Server 2016 Essentials offers the customer a simplified interface, pre-configured connection to cloud services and the right to run one virtual instance of Windows Server Essentials. The capabilities of Windows Server 2016 Essentials are significantly inferior to those of the Standard and Datacenter editions, but it is quite suitable as the first server for a small business (up to 25 people).

You can follow changes in licensing terms in the corresponding document at

With release new version Windows Server at the end of September 2016, Microsoft once again changed the licensing rules. You can express your attitude to this step as much as you like, but ignorance of the rules does not save you from responsibility. Therefore, in order to avoid getting into an unpleasant situation, we recommend everyone system administrators work with us to understand the intricacies of licensing a new server operating system.

The changes affected not only the licensing rules, but also the product line. Its main part includes three editions:

Standard- for physical systems and a small number of virtual environments;
Datacenter- for systems with a high level of virtualization and cloud environments;
Essentials- for small businesses up to 25 users and 50 devices.

There are also editions:

MultiPoint Premium Server- provides multiple user access to one computer, only an academic license is available;
Storage Server- Available only in the OEM channel for specialized storage systems.

Let's start with the small business edition. Unlike Server 2012, there is now only one edition left - Essentials, which provides up to 25 accounts and access to up to 50 devices. No client access licenses are required. With the current cost of a license being about 25,000 rubles. This, in our opinion, is a very good purchase for small businesses.

Regarding what was removed from the line Foundation, then this will have virtually no effect on users, since this edition was available only in the OEM channel, i.e. the end user could receive it exclusively as part of a ready-made server, while Essentials can be purchased through the Volume Licensing channel and used with existing hardware.

There have also been changes in the composition of the main editorial boards. If in Server 2012 the differences between Standard and Datacenter were only in the rights to run virtual machines, then in Server 2016 differences in functionality again appeared. So to users Datacenter will be available:

New storage features including Storage Spaces Direct and Storage Replica
New shielded virtual machines
New network stack

As you can see, the division is quite logical, the new opportunities relate mainly to virtual environments, the main edition for which is positioned specifically Datacenter.

In addition, Windows Server 2016 has new features available in both editions:

Windows Server Containers (Docker based)
Nano Server is a stripped-down version of Windows Server, without user interface, designed to support remotely controlled services.

Good news: Windows containers are available without additional licensing and have no restrictions on the number of running copies. Containers will also be supported in Windows 10 editions Pro And Enterprise, starting from version 1607 (Anniversary Update).

Having dealt with the editors, let's move on to licensing itself. The key difference between Server 2016 and Server 2012 is that now non-physical processors, and physical processor cores.

If previously the purchased license covered physical processors, regardless of the number of cores (one Server 2012 license covered 2 physical processors), now each physical core needs its own license. Minimum requirements: at least 8 processor licenses and at least 16 server licenses.

The transition from processor licensing to core licensing is generally clear and logical, modern technologies They allow you to place a fairly large number of cores on one chip and obtain very high computing capabilities without increasing the number of physical sockets.

So previously it was possible to assemble a high-performance system based on 14-core Xeon E5-2660 V4 and license it for quite ridiculous money. The cost of one Server 2012 Datacenter license was approximately the same as the cost of a pair of processors.

The transition to a new licensing scheme allows us to somewhat “even out” the situation, now the owners powerful systems will be forced to pay more, which in our opinion is quite fair. Server software development is a complex, resource-intensive process, and those who say that selling software is money out of thin air are wrong.

For server owners entry level(up to 8 cores per CPU) everything will remain the same. Kernel licenses are sold in pairs, the cost of one pair of licenses is set at 1/8 of the cost of a Windows Server 2012 license of the corresponding edition.

As for the rights to virtualization, everything remains the same: license Standard allows the launch of two virtualized instances, while the host system can only be used to serve virtual machines. If you need to increase the number of virtual machines, you must re-license all processor cores taking into account the minimum requirements.

Thus, for a dual-socket server with 4-core processors, you will need to purchase 16 more core licenses, which would correspond to another Server 2012 license. This will allow you to run another pair of virtual machines. How profitable is it or does it make sense to switch to Datacenter?

We pick up a calculator and count. License costs Standard And Datacenter differ by about 7 times, so you can run up to 14 virtual machines per license Standard and pay for it less than it's worth Datacenter. Taking into account the fact that the appetite comes with eating, we would advise you to be guided by the following considerations: if you plan to have up to a dozen virtual machines, then you should buy the required number of edition licenses Standard, if there are more than a dozen virtual machines, then you should think about purchasing Datacenter.

Licensing of client connections has not undergone any changes, and we see no point in repeating ourselves, everyone who is interested this topic, can familiarize yourself with it in our article:.

In short, any connection or use of server services, including indirect ones, must be licensed by purchasing a license for the user or device. All terminal connections are licensed in the same way.

Microsoft Windows Server Standard 2019 is a 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 protection network layer 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 azure 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.

21.11.2017

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

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

Installing the Remote Desktop Licensing role

Before starting installation, you need to add (or make sure that you have the right to add) a new server to the domain group Terminal Server License Servers, 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 the Remote Desktop Services role.

You must select Remote Desktop Licensing as the role component.

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

Activating the RDS License 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, right-click on your server name and select the menu item Activate Server.

The 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.

All that remains is to click the Finish button.

Now, if you right-click on the server name in the console and select the item, you can make sure that this server The RDS license server is 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 client access license (CAL). There are two types of terminal CALs.

Per Device CAL is a permanent type of license assigned to a computer or device that connects to the RDS server more than once (the first time the device connects, it is issued a temporary license). These licenses are not competitive, i.e. if you have 10 Per Device licenses, then only 10 hosts will be able to connect to your RDS server.

Per User CAL- this type of license allows one user to connect to the RDS server from any number of computers/devices. This type licenses are tied to the user Active Directory, but is not issued forever, but for a certain period of time (90 days by default).

Note: Please note that 2016 RDS CAL can only be installed on a licensing server under Windows control Server 2016, installing new CALs on previous ones Windows versions Server is not supported.

Installing RDS CAL

Now you need to install the purchased terminal license package (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), 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.

Setting up a license server on RD Session Host servers

After the licensing server service is started and activated, you can reconfigure the RD Session Host terminal servers to receive licenses from this server. You can select the type of licenses and specify the name of the terminal server using PowerShell or Group Policy.

To choose which license type to use, run the command:

$obj = gwmi -namespace "Root/CIMV2/TerminalServices" Win32_TerminalServiceSetting

Then select your desired licensing type

$obj.ChangeMode(4)

Note: 4 is indicated if the server must use the Per User licensing type, 2 - if Per Device.

Now you can specify the name of the RDS licensing server:

$obj.SetSpecifiedLicenseServerList("rds-l ic1.winitpro.ru")

And check the settings:

$obj.GetSpecifiedLicenseServerList()

When configuring via GPO, you need to create a new GPO and assign it to an OU with RDS servers. Licensing settings are specified in the section:

Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Admin Templates -> Windows Components -> Remote Desktop Services -> Remote Desktop Session Host -> Licensing

In this section there are 2 policies that interest us:

Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers- the address of the licensing server is set

Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode- choice of licensing method

You can check the status of the license server and the number of issued licenses using the RD Licensing Diagnoser console (Administrative Tools -> Remote Desktop Services -> RD Licensing Diagnoser).

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 remove the L$RTMTIMEBOMB key from the registry.

I welcome everyone again to my blog pages and I want to touch on the topic of Windows Server 2016 editions, since it will soon come to life, and we need to know what versions there are and how they differ. Since licensing of the operating system will depend on this, and we all love exact numbers expressed in money, this is especially true for business.

And so windows server 2016, I already wrote about the release date and said that there is something new planned in it, so far I haven’t seen much that’s extraordinary, what I’ve seen is more polishing and finishing 2012 R2. Let's get acquainted with the new editions and licensing features.

As before, there are two established editions of Windows Server 2016, Standard and Datacenter. As before, Datacenter is intended for mega-duper cool servers with terabytes of RAM and a bunch of processors that are used for the Hyper-V hypervisor and running a lot of virtual machines on it, both in clouds and hybrid environments, the Standard edition is more suitable for less powerful ones servers and for smaller and medium-sized companies that also use virtualization, as we see, MS has not forgotten anyone, it will shake off money from everyone :)

If we remember the editions of Windows Server 2012, then Standard and Datacenter were no different in functionality, this meant that all roles and components were available in both editions, the differences were only in terms of licensing and the number of free virtual machines that were available on them platform to launch. In Server 2016, the concept has changed and the Standard and Datacenter editions have not only licensing, but also functional differences.

Additional features of Windows Server 2016 Datacenter

Below is a list of features that are only available in the Windows Server 2016 Datacenter edition

Storage Spaces Direct- expansion of Storage Spaces technology to create highly available cluster storage;
Storage Replica- technology of block data replication between storages;
Shielded Virtual Machines- technology for protecting the contents of Hyper-V virtual machines;
Host Guardian Service- a server role designed to support protected virtual machines (Shielded Virtual Machines) and protect their data from unauthorized access;
Network Fabric- centralized monitoring and management of network infrastructure ;
Microsoft Azure Stack- support for software-defined network (SDN) stack for building hybrid solutions.

So, Microsoft makes it clear that if you want all the goodies, then pay and don’t blather, although on the other hand, everyone doesn’t need them, and there’s no point in overpaying for it.

I have already described how to install Windows server 2016, with a link to where and what to download. It is clear that Microsoft is still hinting to us, guys, let’s better join us in the Azure clouds, or make your own.

It would be surprising if nothing changed, it’s like constant renovations, new marketers come and say, not the guys are better, then after 3 years, you’re completely stupid, you have to do it like this. Of course, I understand that hardware is becoming more powerful and better, but all this movement seems unnecessary to me.

Previously, everything was licensed by sockets, there are two processors, buy two licenses in Windows Server 2016, now we have moved to processor cores. Accordingly, the cost of a license is calculated not by the number of physical processors (as in Server 2012), but by the number of processor cores. A similar licensing scheme is used in MS SQL Server.

One Windows Server 2016 license will cost eight times less than a Windows Server 2012 license. However, one new license will only cover 2 physical cores.

The procedure for licensing kernels is as follows:

All are licensed physical server core. Cores with Hyper-threading are considered one core;
If a processor is disabled at the system level, its cores do not need to be licensed;
The minimum number of purchased licenses for cores of one processor is 8 pieces;
The minimum number of licenses for cores of one server is 16 pieces.

For example, to license a single-processor 16-core server you will need a set of eight 2-core Windows Server 2016 licenses, for one physical server with two 4-core processors you will also have to purchase 8 sets of 2-core licenses, prices are shown below, so do the math.

Windows Server 2016 Licensing

Let me remind you that in addition to standard server licenses, Server 2016 requires the purchase of Windows Server CAL licenses for devices\users using this server. Licenses for Remote Desktop and RMS must also be purchased separately.

And it’s worth mentioning separately the licensing of virtual machines and containers (Hyper-V containers) in Windows Server 2016. Containers and regular VMs are licensed as follows - on the Standard edition you can run 2 VMs or containers, on the Datacenter edition their number is not limited, so the most profitable The option is to buy Datacenter.