Terminal Service License Will Expire in...

[Carlos Sunden]

Hello,
Hope all is well. A Windows 2000 Terminal Server in
application mode shows the message: Your terminal services
temporary client license will expire in 13 days. Please
contact your system administrator to get a permanent
license.
I recall another admin "applying" a new license. Never done
this myself & this admin is not around to ne contacted.
1. What are the options?
2. How can it be that it is a temp license & not a
permanent?
3. It is a configuration setting?
4. Do we have to get/buy a new license?
I will certainly appreciate any advise.
Thanks in advance.
Sunden

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Log in to your Licensing Server, open TS Licensing Manager and check
the status of your installed TS CALs.
You should be able to see how many unused licenses you have
available. If none, you have to buy more.

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

237811 - How to Activate a Terminal Services License Server and
Install CALs Over the Internet
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=237811

 

[Carlos Sunden]

Hello

I've logged in to the Terminal Licensing Server, which is
different from the Terminal Server that the client is
ACCessing & getting the error.

There's a "Existing Windows 2000 Licenses" & "Temporary
licenses for Windows 2000 Terminal Services Client Access
License". The server that is exibiting the issue is not
listed in the Existing section.

Is this where you pointed me to?

Thanks for the quick post.

Sunden

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Yes, that's the place where you can check your TS licensing
situation.
It is normal that the Terminal Server itself is not listed there,
since TS CALs (Client Access Licenses) are issued to clients, not
to the Terminal Server itself.
According to what you report, you have not installed any TS CALs.
What Operation System is the client running (the client that
receives a warning about an expiring temporary license)?

If this client runs Windows 2000 Pro or XP Pro, it should get one
of the "Existing Windows 2000 Licenses". If it runs any other OS,
you have to buy a TS CAL for this client and install it on the
Licensing Server.

 

[Carlos Sunden]

Vera,

Exactomundo!!! It's a W2k Pro or Windows Xp Pro node.
"A computer that is running a licensed copy of Windows
2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional does not
require a Terminal Services Client Access License" taken
from Microsoft Knowledge Base Article ? 244749

Also:
"Pre-Windows Server 2003, all TSCALs were allocated to
computers, not to users. The current version of Windows
Client Operating System (whether that was NT Workstation or
Win2K Pro) could draw its TSCAL from the Unlimited pool on
the terminal server. You may have heard this described as
"Win2K Pro clients have a built-in license", but that's
misleading. No operating system has a built-in license.
Win2K Pro clients still only get temporary licenses if they
connect to a terminal server that does not have a license
server available. However, if you have a license server
then those clients may draw from the Unlimited pool instead
of needing a license purchased for them. XP Pro clients
were also able to draw from this Unlimited pool when
connecting to a Windows 2000 Terminal Server." So, I have a
TS server & a separate Licensing TS server. The above
conflicts then with "if you have a license server then
those clients may draw from the Unlimited pool instead of
needing a license purchased for them." I should not be
getting the "temporary" message or even using a temporary
license since there's a Licensing server with an "unlimited
pool" supposedly available.

Thanks again for your insight, do let me know if you happen
to know more.

Regards,

Angel

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Have you checked the EventLog on your Terminal Server? Maybe it
cannot locate the TS Licensing Server. If so, you will see EventID
1010, as well as EventID 1004.

Windows 2000 TS Licensing Service *must* be running on a Domain
Controller (if in a W2K domain). What is the domain role of your
Licensing Server?
If it is a DC, and the TS can still not locate it, then this might
help:

239107 - Establishing Preferred Windows 2000 Terminal Services
License Server
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=239107

 

[Carlos Sunden]

Vera,

The Licensing server is a W2k DC.

The actual terminal server does not have those event IDs
mentioned, 1010 & 1004 in the event viewer.

Before trying that registry hack (!!!), how is it possible
to find out if it's using the Licensing server? I take it
is discovery process.

I wonder if there's anything else that's being overlooked.
Maybe the past admin did something I was not aware of.

Thanks again!

Sunden

 

[Guest]

There are tools in the resource kit like

Lsreport.exe: Terminal Services Licensing Reporter
Lsview.exe: Terminal Services License Server Viewer

But these are for 2003, so I'm not sure if they'll work for 2000, but you could try. The resource kits can be found here
http://www.workthin.com/tsdown.ht

Patrick Rous
Microsoft MVP - Terminal Serve
http://www.workthin.com
----- Carlos Sunden wrote: ----

Vera

The Licensing server is a W2k DC

The actual terminal server does not have those event IDs
mentioned, 1010 & 1004 in the event viewer

Before trying that registry hack (!!!), how is it possible
to find out if it's using the Licensing server? I take it
is discovery process

I wonder if there's anything else that's being overlooked.
Maybe the past admin did something I was not aware of

Thanks again

Sunde

 

[pio.egan]

Carlos,

Did you find a fix for this issue? I have exactly the same problem.

Thanks.

Pio.