Client Access Licences

[Belnando A. Weekes]

My sitatuation is that origanally, some of my thin
clients on my Terminal Server were not receiving a
permanent license. In roaming around the MS site, they
recommended installing the latest service pack or delete
the license from the client's registry.

Due to that fact that we are using thin clients, I could
not find the client's registry so I installed SP 4 for
Server 2000. This did not resolve the problem.

I therefore deactivated the Licensing Server and
installed a new licensing server and 5 pack licence. Now
that the licensing server is back up, I no longer get the
expiry notice on the thin clients but the new license
pack had an expiry date for some unknown reason.

Likewise, when I look at the license module, I no longer
see any references to temporary licenses as before but I
simply see that CAL listed, decalring how many licenses
are available and how many licenses issued. In this case,
I tested two clients simultaneously and they both log on
perfectly but yet only one license is issued. Puzzling.

It is noted that the data shows that there are five
licences available but only one license is issued.

My queies then, would be :-

1. How do I get the license server to issue all five
licenses?

2. Why does the license pack now have an expiry date if
they are permanent licenses?

3. Why isn't each license shown when each client connects?

4. Should I therefore expect to see these licenses
expiring in 90 days?

5. Why would licensing be so difficult with Microsft?

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

comments inline

My sitatuation is that origanally, some of my thin
clients on my Terminal Server were not receiving a
permanent license. In roaming around the MS site, they
recommended installing the latest service pack or delete
the license from the client's registry.

Due to that fact that we are using thin clients, I could
not find the client's registry so I installed SP 4 for
Server 2000. This did not resolve the problem.

Some licensing problems with thin clients were solved in SP4 (see
KB 813508), but obviously, not yours.

I therefore deactivated the Licensing Server and
installed a new licensing server and 5 pack licence.

Had this 5-pack been installed before, or was it a new, unused
one?

Now
that the licensing server is back up, I no longer get the
expiry notice on the thin clients but the new license
pack had an expiry date for some unknown reason.

This is good! There has been an important enhancement to the
license issueing mechanism, introduced in a pre-SP3 hotfix.
Previously, a permanent license was permanently issued to a
client. If that client was discarded, or the client got a fresh
install of the OS, the license was lost and you had to phone the
Clearinghouse to get it re-issued.
Since you now installed your licenses *after* the licensing
enhancement is installed, your permanent licenses have an
expiration date. They will expire after 90 days. A week before a
license expires, the client will automatically renew the license
and get a new expiration date. If the client is discarded, the
license will be returned automatically to the pool of licenses on
the Licensing Server.

Likewise, when I look at the license module, I no longer
see any references to temporary licenses as before but I
simply see that CAL listed, decalring how many licenses
are available and how many licenses issued. In this case,
I tested two clients simultaneously and they both log on
perfectly but yet only one license is issued. Puzzling.

If these clients still hold a (old) permanent license, you will
not see it in the Licensing Server.

It is noted that the data shows that there are five
licences available but only one license is issued.

My queies then, would be :-

1. How do I get the license server to issue all five
licenses?

To comply with the EULA (if you reinstalled a previously used
license pack) and to see all your TS CALs in the LS, you will have
to delete the old permanent license from the clients that hold
one. Then install all your TS CALs on the LS (reinstallation of a
previously installed license pack *may* make it necessary to call
the Clearinghouse (I am unsure of this).

187614 - Removing Terminal Server Licenses from an RDP Client
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=187614

291795 - HOW TO: Locate a Phone Number for the Microsoft
Clearinghouse
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=291795

2. Why does the license pack now have an expiry date if
they are permanent licenses?

See explanation of expiration date above. Check:
287687 - Terminal Services Licensing Enhancements
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=287687

3. Why isn't each license shown when each client connects?

See above. They probably still hold a permanent license.

4. Should I therefore expect to see these licenses
expiring in 90 days?

You *could* still have a problem with these thin clients. Have you
updated the firmware to the latest version?
What you should check is the EventLog. If there is any problem
with licenses, you can rely on that it will show up there. Either
a "cannot issue license" event or a "cannot connect to license
server" event. This would be on the Terminal Server.

5. Why would licensing be so difficult with Microsft?

I find licensing difficult with most companies. I guess it is
difficult to make it straightforward in a multi-OS environment.
But then, there's the FAQ to help you out

Windows 2000 Terminal Services Licensing FAQ
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/server/howtobuy/pricing/tsfaq
..asp