Thursday, March 4, 2010

Licensing

Licensing

Contrary to the general believe, Terminal Services licensing isn't very difficult to implement.
If you have a licensing problem (verify this by checking the EventLog on your Terminal Server), following this checklist should solve most problems:

  1. Do you have a Terminal Services Licensing Server installed and activated?
    Note that you always need an activated Licensing Server, even when your TS runs Windows 2000 and all of your clients run W2K Pro, XP Pro or Vista Business.
  2. Can the Terminal Server located the Licensing Server?
    Again, the EventLog on the Terminal Server will tell you if you have a Licensing Server discovery problem. If that is the case, use KB article 279561 (for 2003) or 239107 (for W2K) to fix it.
    If you run 2003 SP1 or later, you can also set the preferred TS Licensing Server in Administrative Tools - Terminal Services Configuration - Server Settings, which will create the registry entry described in KB 279561. Or use a GPO setting to define the preferred licensing server, but be sure to apply the hotfix from KB 922508 (included in SP2) first.
  3. Do you have enough available TS CALs on the LS for every client or user that needs one?
    Note that every client or user needs a purchased 2003 TS CAL when connecting to a 2003 TS.
  4. 2003 only - If you installed Per User TS CALs, is the Terminal Server configured to use the Per User licensing mode?
    You can check this from Administrative Tools - Terminal Services Configuration - Server Settings - Licensing Mode
    If it's set to Per Device mode, it will request a Device TS CAL from the LS. And since the LS only has Per User TS CALs, it will issue temporary Per Device TS CALs, which will expire after 90 days.

    In Windows 2003, your Per User licenses are listed as "Not Applicable" (N/A) in the Licensing Manager. That's because Per User licenses are unmanaged in Server 2003, as documented in KB article 822134, and won't be issued at all. You will have to keep track of the total (not concurrent!) number of connecting users by hand.
    This is changed in Terminal Services Licensing for Windows Server 2008, which provides Per User TS CAL tracking and reporting.

If the above doesn't solve your problem, check the information below to find out more:

Windows Server 2008 specific

Windows Server 2003 specific

  • 813052 - Maximizing the Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services Evaluation Period
  • Checklist: Configure Terminal Server Licensing
  • Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server Licensing


  • Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server Licensing White paper - highly recommended reading, especially if you have a mixed 2003/W2K environment!
  • Guidelines for Deploying Terminal Server
  • 823313 - Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server licensing issues and requirements for deployment
  • 822134 - The Function of Terminal Server CALs in Windows Server 2003
  • 325869 - How to activate a License Server by using Terminal Server Licensing in Windows Server 2003
  • 814593 - HOW TO: Deactivate or Reactivate a License Server Using Terminal Services Licensing
  • 932453 - You receive an error message when you try to install Terminal Services Client Access License by using automatic activation after you configure Terminal Services on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
  • 832917 - "A Product ID was not generated during installation" error message when you try to activate a Terminal Server license server
  • 310122 - Terminal Services Licensing Service May Not Start and Event ID 43 May Be Logged


  • 301932 - Terminal Services Licensing service discovery
  • 279561 - How to Override the License Server Discovery Process in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services
  • 945631 - A Windows Server 2003-based terminal server cannot locate the Terminal Services license server


  • Troubleshooting Licensing Error Messages
  • Troubleshooting Terminal Server Licensing
  • 917915 - A terminal server cannot obtain a license from a licensing server that is running Windows Server 2003
  • 918658 - Some Windows Server 2003-based terminal servers cannot acquire a license when there is more than one License Server security group
  • 926935 - A Terminal Services client may be unable to connect to a Terminal Services license server that is installed on a Windows Server 2003-based computer
  • 927074 - An incorrect client name appears in the license server database when you connect the client to a Windows Server 2003-based terminal server
  • 885013 - Event ID 1009 is logged on a Terminal Server License server in a Windows Server 2003-based domain
  • 283760 - "No License Server" Error Message Appears When You Try to Connect to Terminal Server After Mode Change

Windows 2000 specific

  • Windows 2000 Terminal Services Licensing
  • 291807 - Terminal Services Licensing Server Required for Windows Server Terminal Services Clients
  • 232520 - Description of Terminal Services License Server Discovery
  • 304080 - Terminal Server is unable to locate a License Server
  • 239107 - Establishing Preferred Windows 2000 Terminal Services License Server
  • 281258 - Event 1010 Is Reported After Specifying Default License Server
  • 306622 - HOW TO: Activate a License Server by Using Terminal Services Licensing in Windows 2000
  • 306578 - HOW TO: Deactivate or Reactivate a License Server Using Terminal Services Licensing
  • 237811 - How to Activate a Terminal Services License Server and Install CALs Over the Internet
  • 823427 - Error while activating your terminal licensing server
  • 276141 - Terminal Services Licensing Wizard May Not Work
  • 277917 - Terminal Server Licensing Service Failure
  • 274026 - Terminal Services Licensing Service does not start
  • 312028 - Cannot Start the Terminal Server Licensing Service and Events 7024 and 37 Occur
  • 887443 - Event 17 is recorded in the System log on a Windows 2000 Server-based computer that is running Terminal Services Licensing Server
  • 262663 - Error Message: The Licensing Wizard Cannot Connect to the Selected License Server
  • 280667 - You receive an error message when you try to open the Terminal Services Licensing snap-in in Windows 2000 Server
  • 329888 - "Error Connecting to Terminal Server: " Error Message Occurs When You Try to Connect to a Terminal Server
  • 323597 - Windows XP Clients Cannot Connect to a Windows 2000 Terminal Services Server
  • 256854 - Terminal Services OEM License Server Activation Does Not Validate PIN or Recognize License Server ID
  • 268519 - How to Activate License Server on OEM Versions of Windows 2000
  • 258045 - Terminal Services Licensing Does Not Accept a Valid License Key Pack
  • 825027 - Terminal Services Licensing Denies Your Connection to Your Terminal Server from Your WBT Device
  • 827355 - Event ID 1004 is logged when a thin client tries to obtain a Terminal Services license


  • 275052 - Terminal Services Licensing Technology for Application Service Providers
  • 274441 - Not for Resale and Microsoft Developer Network Versions Report that Terminal Services Cannot Issue Licenses
  • 288379 - Terminal Services Internet Connector License and ASPs

Common to 2003 and W2K

  • 291795 - HOW TO: Locate a Phone Number for the Microsoft Clearinghouse
  • Microsoft Licensing Sites Worldwide
  • How do I move my TS licenses to a new TS Licensing Server?
  • 317592 - HOW TO: Use the Terminal Services Licensing Reporter Tool (Lsreport.exe)
  • 270898 - Permissions Required to Install a Terminal Services Enterprise License Server
  • Manually Publishing and Un-publishing Terminal Server License Servers
  • 895151 - Windows Server 2003-based or Windows 2000-based terminal servers do not automatically discover a license server that is designated as an enterprise license server
  • 887444 - You cannot activate a Terminal Services license server in Windows 2000 Server or in Windows Server 2003
  • 839878 - You cannot install the Terminal Services CAL pack on Windows Server 2003-based or Windows 2000 Server-based computers
  • 313567 - Terminal Services License Database Size Increases
  • 273566 - How to rebuild Windows 2000 and 2003 Terminal Services Licensing database
  • 187614 - Removing Terminal Server Licenses from an RDP Client
  • 315277 - "Event ID 1004" error message when you connect to Terminal Server
  • 253292 - Windows Base Terminal Devices Take Multiple Terminal Services Client Access Licenses

Citrix specific

  • CTX112636 - Application Streaming Licensing Explained (PS4.5)
  • Citrix Access Suite Licensing Guide
  • CTX106032 - How to Enable Report Logging with Access Suite Licensing 4.x
  • CTX108654 - Licensing: Generating Usage Reports Using the License Management Console
  • 329700 - Event ID 1004 and "Network or Dialup Problems Are Preventing Communications with Citrix Server" Error Message When Clients Try to Connect to Terminal Server (W2K + MF1.8)
  • 329944 - Event Message 1004 Terminal Services Licensing When You Use the Citrix ICA Client
  • CTX103626 - Clients or Servers Consume Multiple Licenses from the Citrix License Server
  • CTX104605 - RDP Connections Will Consume a Connection License on MetaFrame Presentation Server
  • CTX101845 - Terminal Server Client Access License (TSCAL) Issue with the Citrix ICA Client for Java

OS / Software licensing

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