Licensing

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Policy settings in this node control configuration of RD Licensing settings on a Remote Desktop Session Host server.

Note

For policy settings that control configuration of a Remote Desktop license server, see RD Licensing.

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

Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers

This policy setting allows you to specify the order in which an RD Session Host server attempts to locate Remote Desktop license severs.

If you enable this policy setting, an RD Session Host server first attempts to locate the license servers that you specify. If the specified license servers cannot be located, the RD Session Host server will attempt automatic license server discovery.

In the automatic license server discovery process, an RD Session Host server in a Windows Server-based domain attempts to contact a license server in the following order:

  1. License servers that are specified in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool

  2. License servers that are published in Active Directory Domain Services

  3. License servers that are installed on domain controllers in the same domain as the RD Session Host server

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the RD Session Host server uses the license server discovery mode specified in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool.

At least Windows Server 2003 with SP1

Hide notifications about RD Licensing problems that affect the RD Session Host server

This policy setting determines whether notifications are displayed on an RD Session Host server when there are problems with RD Licensing that affect the RD Session Host server.

By default, notifications are displayed on an RD Session Host server after you log on as a local administrator, if there are problems with RD Licensing that affect the RD Session Host server. If applicable, a notification will also be displayed that notes the number of days until the licensing grace period for the RD Session Host server will expire.

If you enable this policy setting, these notifications will not be displayed on the RD Session Host server.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, these notifications will be displayed on the RD Session Host server after you log on as a local administrator.

At least Windows Server 2003 with SP1

Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode

This policy setting allows you to specify the type of Remote Desktop Services client access license (RDS CAL) that is required to connect to this RD Session Host server.

You can use this policy setting to select one of two licensing modes: Per User or Per Device.

Per User licensing mode requires that each user account connecting to this RD Session Host server have an RDS Per User CAL.

Per Device licensing mode requires that each device connecting to this RD Session Host server have an RDS Per Device CAL.

If you enable this policy setting, the licensing mode that you specify takes precedence over the licensing mode that is specified during the installation of Remote Desktop Session Host or specified in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the licensing mode that is specified during the installation of Remote Desktop Session Host role service or specified in the Remote Desktop Session Host Configuration tool is used.

At least Windows Server 2003 with SP1