TS Licensing

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Policy settings in this node control configuration of a Terminal Services license server.

Note

For policy settings that control configuration of TS Licensing settings on a terminal server (for example, Set the Terminal Services licensing mode), see Licensing.

The full path of this node in the Group Policy Management Console is:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Terminal Services\TS 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 terminal servers to which a Terminal Services license server will offer Terminal Services client access licenses (TS CALs).

You can use this policy setting to control which terminal servers are issued TS CALs by the Terminal Services license server. By default, a license server issues a TS CAL to any terminal server that requests one.

If you enable this policy setting and this policy setting is applied to a Terminal Services license server, the license server will only respond to TS CAL requests from terminal 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 Terminal Services license server issues a TS CAL to any terminal 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 terminal 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 Terminal Services client access license (TS CAL) a Terminal Services license server will issue to clients connecting to terminal servers running other Windows-based operating systems.

A license server attempts to provide the most appropriate TS 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 a terminal 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 TS 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 TS CAL to the client if an appropriate TS CAL for the terminal server is not available. If the client has already been issued a temporary TS CAL and the temporary TS CAL has expired, the client will not be able to connect to the terminal server unless the TS Licensing grace period for the terminal 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