RD Licensing

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Policy settings in this node control configuration of a Remote Desktop license server.

Note

For policy settings that control configuration of RD Licensing settings on a Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) server (for example, Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode), see Licensing.

The full path of this node in the Group Policy Management Console is Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote Desktop Services\RD Licensing.

Note

If you are using the Local Group Policy Editor, Policies is not part of the node path.

Available policy settings

Name Explanation Requirements

License server security group

This policy setting allows you to specify the RD Session Host servers to which a Remote Desktop license server will offer Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (RDS CALs).

You can use this policy setting to control which RD Session Host servers are issued RDS CALs by the Remote Desktop license server. By default, a license server issues an RDS CAL to any RD Session Host server that requests one.

If you enable this policy setting and this policy setting is applied to a Remote Desktop license server, the license server will only respond to RDS CAL requests from RD Session Host servers whose computer accounts are a member of the Terminal Server Computers group on the license server.

By default, the Terminal Server Computers group is empty.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the Remote Desktop license server issues an RDS CAL to any RD Session Host server that requests one. The Terminal Server Computers group is not deleted or changed in any way by disabling or not configuring this policy setting.

Note
You should only enable this policy setting when the license server is a member of a domain. You can only add computer accounts for RD Session Host servers to the Terminal Server Computers group when the license server is a member of a domain.

At least Windows Server 2003

Prevent license upgrade

This policy setting allows you to specify which version of Remote Desktop Services client access license (RDS CAL) a Remote Desktop Services license server will issue to clients connecting to RD Session Host servers running other Windows-based operating systems.

A license server attempts to provide the most appropriate RDS CAL for a connection. For example, a Windows Server 2008 license server will try to issue a Windows Server 2008 TS CAL for clients connecting to an RD Session Host server running Windows Server 2008, and will try to issue a Windows Server 2003 TS CAL for clients connecting to a terminal server running Windows Server 2003.

By default, if the most appropriate RDS CAL is not available for a connection, a Windows Server 2008 license server will issue a Windows Server 2008 TS CAL, if available, to the following:

  • A client connecting to a Windows Server 2003 terminal server

  • A client connecting to a Windows 2000 terminal server

If you enable this policy setting, the license server will only issue a temporary RDS CAL to the client if an appropriate RDS CAL for the RD Session Host server is not available. If the client has already been issued a temporary RDS CAL and the temporary RDS CAL has expired, the client will not be able to connect to the RD Session Host server unless the RD Licensing grace period for the RD Session Host server has not expired.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the license server will exhibit the default behavior noted earlier.

At least Windows Server 2003