Windows Terminal Services CAL question

We're actually right in the middle of this with plans to set up a Terminal Server to replace the bulk of the physical workstations in the student clinics area.

We decided against per-machine since, while there is greater control over being able to revoke the licenses, at least with Server 2008 you are limited to how many of the licenses can be in a revoked state at a given time (small number, too - like 10% or 20%, I think). Since it's possible that a single person could be connecting from different physical devices, per-user is a more accurate model for our situation.

When you use per-user, though, you are more on the honor system for how many people are issued licenses since the server doesn't actually enforce the count. (e.g. you have 10 CALs and an 11th user connects - if I understand what I've read, TS doesn't stop that 11th user, although in per-device mode it would refuse connection to an 11th device). I don't think you actually can revoke per-user CALs (no mechanism for it that I've seen).

There are reporting services for per-user mode that let you see how many users have been issued licenses, but for this to be accurate the TS computer has to have sufficient access to your Active Directory to record the CAL information in the user account. Users will still be able to connect if this is not the case (for example, they are in another domain that doesn't trust yours), but the reporting won't work.

-> Thayer

-----------------------------------------------
Thayer York - CompTIA Security+, MCSE: Security
Desktop Environment Administrator
Computing Services - University of Washington School of Law

> -----Original Message-----
> From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:teknoids-
> bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Sparks, Michael
> Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 12:45 PM
> To: Teknoids
> Subject: [teknoids] Windows Terminal Services CAL question
>
> For those of you making Terminal Services available to faculty, staff
> and/or
> students, how do you manage the CALs? Per user or device?
>
> Per user seems to be a problem if you don't want to license everyone -
> I
> guess you just enable it for those requiring it, and then revoke it
> when
> they no longer do (ie clinic students)? Is it even possible to
> remove/reassign CALS from a user to reuse on another?
>
> Per device seems crazy to me. A traveling user hitting internet café's
> across the plant could eat up dozens of them in one summer.
>
> Thanks,
> Michael
>
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