| The following is Microsofts official stance on Terminal Services licensing: User Client Access License (User CAL) - The User Client Access License (User CAL) is designed to provide you with a manageable and cost-effective way to allow your users to access server software from any device. The User CAL eliminates the need for you to obtain a Device CAL for every device from which a particular user accesses your server software. If you prefer the current model, Device CALs will still be a licensing option. In general, you will have the option of acquiring Device and/or User CALs for new versions of Microsoft server products that are licensed on a Server/CAL basis. You should make this decision based on your own business needs. For example, a company whose executives and sales people access Microsoft Windows Server from multiple devices (e.g., a work PC, a home PC, and a wireless PDA), would now be able to purchase 1 User CAL for each of those people rather than purchasing multiple Device CALs. In comparison, a company whose employees share devices (e.g., a call center) may still opt to purchase 1 Device CAL for each device accessing the server software. External Connector for External Users - The External Connector license is designed to provide you with a manageable and cost-effective way to allow your business partners and end-customers access to your licensed server software. For many, the External Connector license will be a simplified solution because it eliminates the need to count and purchase individual CALs for each business partner or end-customer accessing the licensed server software. This option will generally be available for new versions of Microsoft server products that are licensed exclusively on a Server/CAL basis (i.e., products without a processor-based licensing alternative). External Connector licenses cannot be used for hosting. For example, a company that allows both suppliers and their end-customers to access its servers may have difficulty counting and tracking individual CALs for these users. As an alternative, this company would be able to purchase the External Connector license for each copy of the server software accessed by an unlimited number of their suppliers and/or end-customers. As part of this announcement, Microsoft also announced that the provision for Operating System Equivalency (OS equivalency provision) will not apply to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services. The OS equivalency provision states that there is no need for a Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services Client Access License (CAL) for devices accessing Microsoft Terminal Services that are running a corresponding version of the Professional Edition of the Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System. The following table summarizes the versions of the Microsoft Windows Professional Desktop Operating System that correspond to a version of Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services: | Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services Version | Corresponding Versions of Windows Desktop Professional | | Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Terminal Services | Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional (or later version of Windows Professional) | | Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Terminal Server Edition (Terminal Server was a separate product at the time of this version release) | Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 (or later version of Windows XP Professional) | This decision was made based on: Additional features/functionality that has been added to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services. The OS Equivalency provision that was inconsistent with Microsoft's new software licensing framework, in providing consistent and flexible licensing terms. Microsoft realizes that the removal of the OS Equivalency provision for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services will affect some customers and is committed to ensuring that existing Microsoft customers who would like to take advantage of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services features have a cost-effective way of doing so. As a result, we have developed a transition plan to provide a cost effective means for existing Volume Licensing customers to migrate to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CALs, upon product launch. The introduction of the new options for licensing Microsoft software products that are licensed in the Server CAL model reflects our commitment to making licensing more consistent, flexible, and valuable to customers. We received feedback from customers that the OS Equivalency provision was inconsistent with those qualities for the following reasons: The OS Equivalency Provision resulted in situations where customers were at risk of becoming noncompliant. In the past, if you were using the most current version of the desktop operating system, then you were granted access to Microsoft Windows Terminal Services in the Microsoft Windows Server Operating System. But if you upgraded to a new server operating system and didnt upgrade your client operating systems, you were required to acquire Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services CALs. Depending on your client upgrade cycles, you could easily find yourself moving in and out of compliance with licenses. This caused customers a great deal of frustration and confusion. Microsoft Windows Terminal Services is adding the User CAL and External Connector options to solve many customer problems encountered with our previous Microsoft Windows Terminal Services licensing models. Keeping the OS Equivalency Provision, in conjunction with the new CAL options, would result in you having to do complicated calculations to figure out what to buy and when. For more information on the User Cal and External Connector options, please refer to: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/. The new licensing model for Microsoft Windows Terminal Services in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is more consistent with the Microsoft Windows Server licensing model. We received feedback from numerous customers that the licensing of Terminal Services was highly confusing, largely due to the OS Equivalency provision. Because Microsoft Windows CALs and Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services CALs are both required when using Microsoft Windows Terminal Services, having the same license structure removes a layer of complexity. Transition Plan for OS Equivalency Removal in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Terminal Services Microsoft realizes that the removal of the OS Equivalency provision will affect some customers and is committed to ensuring that existing Microsoft customers who would like to take advantage of Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Terminal Services features have a cost-effective way of doing so. As a result, we have developed a transition plan to provide a cost effective means for existing Volume Licensing customers to migrate to Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Terminal Services CALs, upon product launch. The following table summarizes the migration path to Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Terminal Services CALs for customers by agreement and license type, at the time of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Launch. | How do I migrate to Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL, if I have the following situation upon the launch of Microsoft Windows Server .. | Answer*: Note that the bolded items represent migration rules that apply only to customers with licenses and active Software Assurance/Upgrade Advantage (SA/UA) or Enterprise Agreement (EA) enrollments at the time of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 product release, as part of a special transition migration. | | Open License | Microsoft Windows Desktop Professional Edition Upgrade L&SA/UA, with UA/SA active at the time of launch of Windows Server 2003 | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and SA/UA coverage during remaining term of SA/UA. | | Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition Upgrade L | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL | | Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System license (any edition or version other than Microsoft Windows XP Professional), not including SA/UA. | Either 1) Acquire Microsoft Windows XP Professional Upgrade License before the launch of Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services and receive a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL, or 2) Acquire a CAL for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services | | Current Terminal Server Work at Home CAL | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL | | Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services CAL (any version other than Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services.) | Either 1) Acquire Microsoft Windows XP Professional before the launch of Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services and receive a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL, or 2) Acquire a CAL for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services | | Terminal Services CAL&SA/UA, with UA/SA active at the time of launch of Windows Server 2003 | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and SA/UA coverage during the remaining term of SA/UA. | | Select License | Microsoft Windows Desktop Professional Edition Upgrade L&SA/UA, with UA/SA active at the time of launch of Windows Server 2003 | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and SA/UA coverage during remaining term of SA/UA. | | Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition Upgrade L | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL | | Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System license (any edition or version other than Microsoft Windows XP Professional), not including SA/UA. | Either 1) Acquire a Microsoft Windows XP Professional Upgrade license before the launch of Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services and receive a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL, or 2) Acquire a CAL for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services | | Terminal Services Work at Home CAL | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL | | Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services CAL (any version other than Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services) | Either 1) Acquire Microsoft Windows XP Professional before the launch of Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services and receive a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL or 2) Acquire a CAL for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services | | Terminal Services CAL&SA/UA, with UA/SA active at the time of launch of Windows Server 2003 | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and SA/UA coverage during the remaining term of SA/UA. |
| Enterprise Agreements (active enrollments) | Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System enrolled in an EA that is active at the time of launch of Windows Server 2003 | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and maintenance coverage during remaining enrollment term. | | Terminal Services Work at Home CAL | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and maintenance coverage during remaining enrollment term (unless otherwise stated in your agreement). | | Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services CAL (any version) (without Microsoft Windows Desktop Operating System Upgrade) | Receive Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CAL and maintenance coverage during remaining enrollment. | * Note, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services CALs can be either User or Device CALs. However, Microsoft Windows Server Terminal Services will not be able to accommodate downgrades for User CALs (i.e. a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Terminal Services User CAL cannot be downgraded to a Microsoft Windows 2000 Windows Terminal Services User CAL) because Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Services (and prior version) technologies only support Device CALs. When users access a session through a MetaFrame XP server, by default, they have access to all files, features and applications on the server. This gives a stray user the ability to detrimental effect all other users of the MetaFrame XP server. In order to prevent this behavior you will want to lockdown the environment through Computer and User Policies. A Policy is a set of registry settings that defines the computer resources available to an individual or to a group of users. Policies define the various facets of the desktop environment that a system administrator needs to control, such as which applications are available, which applications appear on the users desktop, which applications and options appear in the Start menu, who can change their desktops and who cannot, and so forth. System policies can be implemented for specific users, groups, computers, or for all users. In the following sections, I have documented how to implement Policies in both a Microsoft NT 4.0 and or Novell Netware environment and a Windows 2000 Active Directory environment. You will also find a great Administrative Template (MIAB.ADM) that incorporates most of the changes found throughout this document and a few more and how to add and configure it.
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