Does Terminal Server Licensing turn off Remote Desktop for Admin?

[Guest]

I’m using terminal services on a server running Win2003 Server.

1) I’m trying to connect remotely from a particular client computer to a
server running Terminal Server Licensing. If you have Terminal Server
Licensing running, does this turn off Remote Desktop for Administration? I
was connecting fine previously logging on as the administrator, but now I’m
getting a message stating there is no license for the client computer (my
license mode is device, not user). I thought all this time when I logged on
as administrator I was connecting using Remote Desktop for Administration,
but I’m thinking I was actually connecting under Terminal Server Licensing
and now my 120 day grace period for this computer has run out. Is this true,
i.e., does Terminal Server Licensing turn off Remote Desktop for
Administration?
2) Can you change the license mode from devices to users and vice versa? My
understanding is that you cannot, but I’m hoping there is a way.
3) If a computer is decommissioned or a user leaves, can you transfer the
license to a new computer or user?
4) I was told when I bought the licenses that they were permanent and I
would never have to renew them. If so, why do they have expiration dates?

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

answers inline.

I’m using terminal services on a server running Win2003
Server.

1) I’m trying to connect remotely from a particular client
computer to a server running Terminal Server Licensing. If you
have Terminal Server Licensing running, does this turn off
Remote Desktop for Administration?

No, if you *only* install Terminal Server Licensing Service, then
you can still use Remote Desktop for Administration without TS
licenses.

I was connecting fine
previously logging on as the administrator, but now I’m
getting a message stating there is no license for the client
computer (my license mode is device, not user). I thought all
this time when I logged on as administrator I was connecting
using Remote Desktop for Administration, but I’m thinking I
was actually connecting under Terminal Server Licensing and now
my 120 day grace period for this computer has run out.

I think that you by mistake installed Terminal Services as well,
which implies in Application mode (this is a change compared to
W2K).

Is this
true, i.e., does Terminal Server Licensing turn off Remote
Desktop for Administration?

Again, no.
What you have to do is uninstall Terminal Services (but keep
Terminal Server Licensing!).
Then enable Remote Desktop for Administration in Control Panel -
System - properties - Remote, just like you would do on an XP
client. You don't have to install this feature, it's already pre-
installed.

2) Can you change the license mode from devices to users and
vice versa? My understanding is that you cannot, but I’m
hoping there is a way.

Depends on what you mean. You can not change the type of licenses
you bought. If you bought Per Device licenses, that's it. The only
exception to this rule is if you have Software Assurance or bought
your licenses under some form of Volume License Agreement. More
info in the FAQ.
You can (and sometimes must) change the licensing mode of your
Terminal Server, because it must match the type of TS CALs you
have bought. The default licensing mode is Per Device, so if you
have Per Device licenses, you don't have to change the licensing
mode of the TS.

3) If a computer is decommissioned or a

user leaves, can you transfer the license to a new computer or
user?

There's no need to do this. Any unused licenses (on discarded
clients) will automatically be returned to the pool of available
licenses on the Licensing Server when they expire, which is after
52-89 days. In the meantime, the new client gets a temporary
license, which last 90 days. Note that this is 1 day longer then
the longest expiration time, so the old license will always become
available to the new client before the new clients temporary
license expires.

4) I was told when I bought the licenses that they were

permanent and I would never have to renew them. If so, why do
they have expiration dates?

See above.

Windows Server 2003 Pricing and Licensing FAQ
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/pric
licfaq.mspx

 

[Guest]

Thank you. I have one further question. When you say I should turn off
terminal services, do you mean go to the Windows component of Add and Remove
Programs and turn off Terminal Server? It says I may have to reinstall
programs installed when Terminal Server was running, which in my case means
just about everything. Before I do this I just want to make sure I'm turning
off the correct server.

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Yes, that's what I meant: uninstall Terminal Services.
About the warning: yes, that's a bit tricky.
Normally, the biggest problem is with switching in the other
direction, from Remote Administration to Application Server mode.
Any program that was install before making that switch does *not*
have multi-user capabilities and has to be re-installed.

I don't know the effects of uninstalling Terminal Services on your
applications. That's probably application-dependent. I wouldn't
expect much problems, but I wouldn't be surprised either if one or
more of them were broke after the switch. Toggling modes is just
not something that you should do on a production system.
But if you don't want to install additional licenses, you don't
have much choice.

252330 - Toggling Terminal Services to Application Server Mode May
Cause Programs Not to Work
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=252330

--
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
--- please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ---

 

[Guest]

Thank you, you've been very helpful. I think I have just one more hurdle to
overcome to get this thing to work. I turned off "Terminal Server" and, of
course, left on "Terminal Server Licensing". I can remotely connect using
the remote connection for administration but cannot connect using a user log
on from a client computer that is licensed. Terminal Server Licensing is
activated and shows five CALS. I tried to connect with one of the client
computers that have a CAL, using a user name on the network, but I get a
message stating "You do not have access to logon to this Session." So now
what?

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Now you've got me completely confused!
Why would you keep Terminal Server Licensing Service, if you have
uninstalled Terminal Services and only want Remote Desktop for
Administration?
There is no need whatsoever for TS Licensing in this situation.

Remote Desktop for Administration does *not* need any TS CALs, nor
a TS Licensing Server. You are limited to a maximum number of 2
concurrent connections (+1 to the console). I thought that this
was what you wanted all along???

The reason that your user cannot connect is that Remote Desktop
for Administration by default is only allowed for Administrators.
You will have to add the user to the "Allowed remote users" group
in Control Panel - System - properties - Remote.

Aaaah, now I think that I maybe understand what you meant in your
first post: you meant "can an administrator still connect without
a license after I have installed Terminal Services?" Is that
correct?
The reason I misunderstood you completely is that you asked "Does
Terminal Server Licensing turn off Remote Desktop for Adm", and
the answer to that question is "No".
A very common setup is to have TS Licensing running on a Domain
Controller, and combine it with Remote Desktop for Administration.
Terminal Services often runs on dedicated servers, and does not
have to run on the same server as the Licensing Server.

So it is "Terminal Services" and "Remote Desktop for
Administration" that are mutually exclusive on one and the same
server, not TS Licensing and Remote DfA!

Going back to your original problem: yes, the moment you install
Terminal Services, all connections need to have a valid TS CAL.

--
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
--- please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ---

 

[Guest]

Sorry I confused you, but this whole MS terminal services business is
confusing. What I eventually ended-up doing was turn off Terminal Server in
Add and Remove Programs and left on Terminal Server Licensing. Then I again
turned on Remote Desktop to allow for Remote Desktop for Administration. As
I mentioned users who previously were connecting could no longer log on after
I turned off Terminal Server, so I went into the Terminal Services
Configuration console and right clicked RDP-Tcp to properties and added the
users to the permissions list where they had been before until they were
deleted when I turned off Terminal Server. Apparently this console is used
by both Terminal Server and Terminal Server Licensing because when I added
them again, they were able again to log on to the terminal server. Now users
and the administrator can log on, including from the client computer that
originally would not allow the administrator to log on and which prompted my
initial posting.

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

OK, it sounds as if you have achieved what you wanted, correct?

Two more notes:
* as long as you run only Remote Desktop for Administration, you
have no need whatsoever for Terminal Server Licensing, because the
2 concurrent connections that you can get in this situation do not
require any TS CALs. That's why you can now connect from all
workstations again (but no more than 2 at a time).

* The Terminal Services rdp-tcp properties are used for both
Remote Desktop for Administration and Terminal Services, but have
no impact whatsoever on Terminal Services Licensing.

--
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
--- please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ---

 

[Guest]

Well I thought I was finished with this but apparently I’m not, judging from
what you said that now I am limited to just two connections. Let me first
clearly state what my objectives are in terms of terminal services. I have a
satellite office that my staff and I work from once a week and from which we
connect to the main office network via a VPN setup. Everyone at the
satellite office connects to the terminal server which houses all the
required programs we need and which is a server computer running Win2003
Server. Another server computer also using Win2003 Server runs Active
Directory and holds all the data folders and files. We use terminal services
since all that gets transmitted are the keystrokes and mouse movements,
making things a lot faster, as I’m sure you know. I purchased 5 CALS because
I have more than two employees that need to be connected at the same time,
and I also don’t want to be connected as administrator unless I have to. So,
I thought I would have 5 devices with CALS, who would be the employees, and
if needed I would connect via Remote Desktop as administrator from a computer
without a CAL. The CALS appear in the Terminal Server Licensing console and
have been activated. It appears that what you’re implying now is that to
allow for more than two connections, I’m going to have to turn on Terminal
Server again and if I do, I won’t be able to connect via Remote Desktop,
which puts me bact to where I started. Is that correct?

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Yes, that's what I have been trying to say, but maybe I haven't
expressed myself clearly enough.

--
Vera Noest
MCSE,CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
*----------- Please reply in newsgroup -------------*