[K12OSN] Terminal Services Licenses for rdesktop

Sudev Barar sbarar at gmail.com
Sun Jan 28 05:59:34 UTC 2007


On 26/01/07, Rusty Pywtorak <rusty at enveloptech.com> wrote:
> > So the question is - Do I have to purchase these Terminal Services
> Client Licenses?
>
> Yes. Terminal services (on 2003) can be licensed either per seat or per
> user. The per seat license is a per device license so every device that
> connects takes a license (doesn't matter whether it is linux or Mac or
> whatever).

With this and the old thread recalled this is very much clear that you
need TCAL's.

Question really is can "per device" be taken to imply the server since
the MS sessions control (or what ever it is called which refuses
connection when numbers go in excess of registered licenses) reads all
request coming from one server as one connection? Dave (and others)
confirms that RDP sessions from all terminals under LTSP show as
connection from one machine to Window$.

SO while the M$ rep would want to improve his revenue (and history
shows he will not likely interpret otherwise) the final decider could
hinge on "What would be the situation if there are two RDP sessions
launched form one client?"

Do you need a license for every RDP session and not every
seat(machine)? Else one license is sufficient as their software is
only recognizing multiple sessions from single machine as one
connection.

Conjecture: While M$ rolled out per seat license to accommodate
corporates and schools (where per computer there are many users) they
perhaps did not envisage this sort of situation.

Safe approach: What I would like to do is put synopsis across to a M$
guy and ask for a written reply. If in future it turns out I was given
wrong advise then may be some claims could be pressed.

Brave approach: I would say as consumers (customers) you should
interpret what benefits you unless expressly prohibited. This is like
people taking advantage of airfares / holidays at cheap prices because
of wrong price listing by seller. Those that have booked and paid get
the benefit.

This of course is my view point and needs some more thought.

-- 
Regards,
Sudev Barar




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