Licensing question

woodworm

This is from the MS Press book (page 9-42 if you have it)

Microsoft Press wrote:

Q2. You are hiring a team to tackle a software development project. There will be three shifts of programmers, and each shift will include six programmers. Each programmer uses four devices to develop and test the software, which authenticates against a Windows 2003 Server. What is the minimum number of CAL's required if the servers involved are in Per Device or Per User licensing mode?

a. 6
b. 4
c. 18
d. 24

The correct answer is c. If you were to license based on devices, there are six times four devices, or 24 devices. It will be more cost-effective to license based on the number of users, which is 18.

I thought the answer would be 6 as there would only ever be 6 concurrent users if they are working shifts? (you would setup a license group for all the developers).

Have I missed something?

Thanks for your replies

Sie

Per device
6 users at any one time using 4 machines = 24 devices = 24 licenses

Per user
18 users in total = 18 licenses
Only 6 would be used at anyone time but all user will need to have one.

Anyone correct me if this is wrong?

woodworm

I thought if it was per user license, then one user could log onto multiple machines at a time and only use a single CAL?

so if that's the case, then there are only 6 users logged on at a time, therefore 6 CAL's?

Not for the first time - I'm confused!

Sie

Yes there are 6 users logged on at anyone time but there are 18 different users in total so the total number needed is 18 regardless of how many are logged on at a time at one point of another all 18 would log on.

Am i making much sense?

24 per client would allow as many users using 24 machines

Where

18 per user allows 18 users using as many machines

You have to either cover the total number of machines or the total number of users.

woodworm

Ok, I understand - think I was getting a bit mixed up with implementing License groups.

Thank you

gabrielbtoledo

Do you actually apply the "per user" licesing mode to a specific user?
I thought, lets say I have a single one per user license, so any user(one at time) can logon into a Windows server.

Sie

http://www.netscum.dk/uk/windowsserversystem/windowsserver2003/how-to-buy/cal-overview.mspx

Here you are guys

Explains it better than more confusing babble!

So per named device
or
per named user

gabrielbtoledo

Cool. Yeah "per user" associates to each individual user, because of authentication.
However per server would be a better approach, but the question says it's using per device/user type of licensing.

Hey, thanks for clarifying.

woodworm

Thanks for the link

woodworm

ok, I have a few more small licensing questions , I just need to clarify a couple of points ....

1. I have read many times that if you change from 'Per Server' to 'Per User or Device' mode, you can not change back - but Windows 2003 Server doesn't seem to prevent you from doing this. Is it a case of you are violating your agreement rather than you can't physically change it?

2. Is there a time when you would use the Licensing Control Panel applet, rather than the Licensing mmc? It doesn't look as though it does anything additional?

3. Do you need to have the License Logging Service running on all your Servers, or just the Licensing Server itself?

Thanks for your patience with this. I promise to not ask anymore questions until I'm onto the next chapter! (woohoo!, Device Drivers!)

woodworm

I may have found the answers to q2 & q3, please correct me if I'm wrong ..

q2 You use the Licensing Control Panel Applet to configure license's for a standalone server, and the Licensing mmc to manage license's in a Domain/Enterprise environment

q3 You start the service on all servers, this then replicates the license logs to the central Site Licensing Server

Thank you

gabrielbtoledo

Control Panel Licensing- This interface allows the management of a single Windows 2003 computer. It lests you add or remove licenses (for those in the per server mode), lets you change the licensing mode (per server to per seat), and lets you control the replication of licensing information to a centralized server.
Administrative Tools - Licensing - This interface provides for centralized license management, and tracking.

Taken from my study guide.