The general believe, Remote Desktop 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:
- 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. - 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. - 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. - 2003 and 2008 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.
UPDATE: The RDS Team developed a Per User CAL Reporting Script to help with this task.
Find out more inforamtion if problem is not solve, here we go !!!! Windows Server 2008 specific infomation:
- Remote Desktop Services Licensing
- What’s the difference between a RDS CAL and a TS CAL?
- Licensing FAQ
- 971302 – Single CALs support is available for Terminal Server license servers that are running Windows Server 2008
- 968074 – An update is available that enables the Terminal Services license servers that are running Windows Server 2008 to be able to use the CALs for the Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services
- Windows Server 2008 TS Licensing Step-by-Step Setup Guide
- Control the Issuance of RDS CALs
- Managing lower version licenses from a license server running Windows Server 2008 R2
- Manage Remote Desktop Licensing by using Windows PowerShell
- Terminal Services Per User Licensing Usage Tracking
- Generating Per Device license usage reports
- Manual Revocation of Client Access Licenses (CALs)
Known Error:
- Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions
- 979548 – You cannot enter an agreement number of a volume license that contains more than seven digits in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager or in TS Licensing Manager
- 977686 – The Licensing Diagnosis tool incorrectly reports that there are no available Terminal Services client access licenses in Windows Server 2008
- 2260754 – The License Diagnosis utility reports that the Terminal Server account is not a member of the Terminal Server Computers local group if the Terminal Services group is added instead of the Terminal Services Name in Terminal Server Computers local group
- 2028637 – A domain administrator or local administrator incorrectly receives a warning message “Cannot find a valid Terminal Services Licensing Server” when this user account logs on to a Windows Server 2008 Terminal server
- 957068 – Event 1004 is logged even though a user successfully logs on to a Windows Server 2008-based terminal licensing server that has “Per User” terminal licenses installed: “The terminal server cannot issue a client license”
- 955425 – Event 4106 generated by a Windows Server 2008-based Terminal licensing server may report incorrect number of issued “Per User” licenses
- 972069 – A terminal server that is running Windows Server 2008 cannot obtain terminal licenses from a Terminal Server license server that is running Windows Server 2008 after you enable the “License Server Security Group” Group Policy setting
- 958612 – Citrix ICA clients are not disconnected from a Windows Server 2008 terminal server as expected when the grace period has expired and a terminal license server is not configured
Windows Server 2003 specific information:
- 813052 – Maximizing the Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services Evaluation Period
- Checklist: Configure Terminal Server Licensing
- Windows Server 2003 Terminal Server Licensing
- 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
- 301932 – Terminal Services Licensing service discovery
- 279561 – How to Override the License Server Discovery Process in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services
Known Error:
- Troubleshooting Licensing Error Messages
- Troubleshooting Terminal Server Licensing
- 2276913 – A Windows Server 2003-based TS Licensing server does not renew new versions of TS Per Device CALs or of RDS Per Device CALs when the CALs expire
- 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
- 945631 – A Windows Server 2003-based terminal server cannot locate the Terminal Services license server
- 911832 – A Windows Server 2003-based terminal server that is added to the Terminal Services Computers group cannot obtain a license from a terminal licensing server that has the “License server security group” setting enabled
- 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
Common to 2008 R2, 2008 & 2003:
- 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
Citrix License Specific:
- XenDesktop 4 makes desktop virtualization real for a broader set of use cases now!
- ParseCitrixLicense – a free tool which displays the contents of Citrix license files, by Helge Klein
- CTX112636 – Application Streaming Licensing Explained (PS4.5)
- Citrix Access Suite Licensing Guide
- CTX132197 – How to Overcome the “License Not Present” Error after a XenApp License Upgrade
- CTX106032 – How to Enable Report Logging with Access Suite Licensing 4.x
- CTX112587 – How to Determine the Version of the Citrix License Server
- CTX108654 – Licensing: Generating Usage Reports Using the License Management Console
- 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:
- Licensing Overview for Windows Server 2008
- 948472 – How to extend the Windows Server 2008 evaluation period
- Windows Server 2008 Downgrade Rights
- Run the online Microsoft Product Licensing Advisor to find the right Volume Licensing program
- Volume Licensing – Volume Activation
- SBS Licensing: Frequently Asked Questions
- 327644 – How to configure licensing on an additional Windows server in an SBS network
- 153140 – How to reset License Manager information
- 10 Key Licensing, Pricing Changes For Vista, Office 2007
- 824196 – Description of the License Logging Service in Windows Server Operating Systems
- Office 2003 Licensing – Office as a client on Windows Terminal Services
- Download Licensing of Microsoft Desktop Application Software for Use with Windows Server Terminal Services
- Keeping compliant with software licensing through a batch file
Share your knowledge and comments are welcome here
Mehboob
