Licensing is full of unclear language, terms with limited descriptions and software licensing models that confuse as much as clarify. Nonpersistent vdi especially causes issues, because some licensing and support agreements do not allow for software to be shared among multiple devices andor users. Desktop oses have always been tied to the hardware in an original equipment manufacturer agreement, which made them fairly easy to work with. This software license agreement, including in the case of a paid license. The only scenario where you would not need windows vda is if you were using pcs covered under software assurance as the access devices, since virtual desktop access rights are included as a benefit of sa. If a device is covered by software assurance, no additional licenses are required to access a windows vdi desktop. An attorney with experience in particular types of intellectual property transactions, such as trademark listening or licensing, can provide invaluable help with drafting your agreement. In addition to initial procurement for vdi licensing, ongoing maintenance and support agreements affect the bottom line. A vmware licensing guide to expanding your environment.
Microsofts licensing terms define mandatory administrative activities. Both virtual desktop infrastructure and desktop as a service daas products operate on the same or similar technology and deliver many of the same benefits to administrators and users, including simple updates for desktop groups. The enterprise license agreement program ela helps organizations adapt to changing business needs and control costs by allowing customers to buy only what they need, when they need it, at the best possible price allinclusive discounts apply the same discount you receive for your first qualified purchase to. Vmwares menu of license agreements is relatively straightforward, as it only has 3 major licensing agreements. For one, per cpu licensing is being dislodged by the core licensing or per user model. Properly licensed microsoft operating systems such as windows 10, windows 8. Solution providers learn how to overcome software licensing issues in. Microsoft licensing in vdi environments flexera blog.
It also enables centralized control over what applications the user is allowed to have access to on the workstation. For example, a computer that is running microsoft windows may host a virtual machine that looks like a computer with the ubuntu linux operating. This analysis focuses on the tangible costs quantifiable dollars spent. This means the desktop license itself windows 10 as an example must be enterprise and have active software assurance sa. Vdi is a secure way to remotely access your uf and.
If you are accessing a windows client operating system os as your guest os in the datacenter from a thin client, windows vda is the appropriate licensing vehicle. Furthermore, microsoft windows workstation andor server licensing is required and may represent an additional cost. Why microsoft is sabotaging desktop virtualization infoworld. Microsoft licensing for virtual desktops explained vdiworks. If vdi licenses go unused for 90 days, the licensing server eventually reclaims a terminated userdevice license for a new employee. In this document, we have compiled a cost comparison of vdi solutions by leading vendors.
Remote access the pediatrics desktop virtual desktop infrastructure vdi is a secure way to remotely access your uf and pediatrics software and files. In addition, vdi can complicate software licensing and support. Do your pc workstations have microsoft software assurance sa coverage. Windows now includes a number of major security enhancements, including advanced biometrics, advanced threat protection, malware protection, and trusted hardware. Negotiating microsoft licensing agreements is a complex process that favors microsoft and requires customers to devote resources and develop detailed analysis before negotiations begin. Windows xp, windows vista, windows 7 running on virtual machines vms using vdi. Conditionally approved clickwraps are approved, but software licensing wants users to be aware that there are some risks associated with using the product. This report covers the rules and options for licensing microsoft software for serverbased desktops. Standard users my company has 100 pcs and 100 users that access windows client operating system os windows client os implies one of the following operating systems. This software license agreement, including in the case of a paid license the purchase order form which is incorporated by reference herein this agreement, is a binding agreement between leostream corporation and the person or entity a identified on the purchase order form as the licensee of the software in the case of a paid license or b. The problem is that desktop virtualization can change the way software is installed and operated, which can violate existing license agreements between the software manufacturer and user potentially exposing the user to legal repercussions. Jun 29, 2015 i suggest you always reach out to an expert and conduct regular software asset management to ensure you are in compliance with agreements of the software that you are using. The right to run windows desktop operating system software in a virtual desktop infrastructure vdi solution is granted.
Leostream software license agreement perpetual leostream. Top 75 microsoft licensing terms software asset management. Terminal servers now rds remote desktop services, vda virtual desktop access and vdi virtual desktop infrastructure increase the complexity of licensing. Software licensing central is also the home of dell emcs most recent capability software usage intelligence. This problem is especially common with graphicsintensive applications and other software with high processing demands. The agreements that these licenses are offered are the eampsa and ees agreements. Despite isvs evolving their delivery capabilities e. What is virtual desktop infrastructure vdi and how does it. Compare vmware horizon to alternative virtual desktop infrastructure vdi software. Software licensing central provides the tools and visibility to activate and manage your software licenses, view entitlements and certificates, and run reports. In this case depending on whether you are covered under software assurance sa or not, the licensing cost varies.
Leostream platform remote access for vdi and hosted desktops. Pdf benefits, limitations and costs of it infrastructure. Vdi by microsoft, as expressed in its windows software license restrictions. There are many ways you might deliver software to endusers. Enterprise license agreement program flexible agreements and streamlined procurement to meet evolving business needs. Below is a brief overview of all three, starting from the bottom with little customer spendseats, and ending with the complex, enterprisecaliber agreement. Im buying vdi software from vmwarecitrixother vendor. New easy ways to license microsoft windows and office for. As an exsoftware license auditor at kpmg specializing in microsoft licensing, ive seen firsthand how organizations large and small misunderstand the licensing impacts of virtualizing their desktops.
Gone are the days when licensing models benefited the customer and you could get away with a few grayline approaches when it came to licenses, hence this vmware licensing guide. Microsoft releases new faq doc to clarify vdi, vda, and. Top 75 microsoft licensing terms a glossary from a. May 26, 2016 placing desktops or using virtual desktop infrastructure vdi is so complex that it practically requires legal assistance to make sense of the agreements. Software executed on these virtual machines is separated from the underlying hardware resources. You bought it once, then youre in the software assurance cycle for ever.
This is a mandatory role for microsoft to be set up in your rds environment. Exploring the hidden license costs in application delivery and vdi. Virtual desktop infrastructure vdi there are many scenarios where you would opt to not go the rds route and need your users to access a windows desktop operating system such as windows 7 or windows 8. Byod and the challenges of managing vdi and vda itproportal. Many licensing agreements apply to traditional pc delivery models and focus on device licensing. What is virtual desktop infrastructure vdi and how does. Im buying vdi software from vmware citrix another vendor. Rds cal licensing options with the basics out the door, lets go one level deeper into rds cal licensing. Sep 02, 2011 microsoft offers two possibilities to license windows in a virtual desktop infrastructure vdi environment. Licensing of intellectual property involves a tricky mix of legal and business judgment, and also requires a degree of specialization. Chances are, youre looking at the same vdi vendor you use for traditional vms, but the licensing model for vdi differs from your traditional hypervisor. Microsoft releases new faq doc to clarify vdi, vda, and rds. Do i still need windows vda if i have vdi software from vmware or ctrix. This can get tricky for organizations with a fluctuating number of employees.
Software license optimization is a resource for it asset managers and it procurement to help them better optimize software use, reduce software costs, and ensure license compliance with vendor license agreements. The licensing agreements for windows 2000 professional and. Microsoft reserves the right to change prices at any time. Solved licensing vdi for azure and multitenant platforms. In order to buy software assurance, i would need a volume licensing agreement. This is the official microsoft licensing home page with information about product licensing and licensing programs for new and existing customers.
Mar 04, 2019 rds and vdi licensing options at a glance. As an option we can purchase this student option which covers the os and software assurance, as well as the required vda license. What to consider when signing a licensing agreement for your. Hardware virtualisation or platform virtualisation refers to the creation of a virtual machine that acts like a real computer with an operating system. Issues with vditype desktop virtualization are mainly related to. You may need to bring your own license for daas with some providers others can offer windows licensing for each of your users as part of a daas package. Terms related to license administration and software asset management sam. Licensing windows vda or windows sa per device still allows you to access the vms, they just need to reside on your infrastructure not azure. Vdi uses machine virtualization to allow multiple copies of a windows. The first option is software assurance sa which provides product use rights that allow virtual desktop access. Pediatrics it center college of medicine university of. Changes to software licensing models may put buyers at risk. Also, memory limits on licensing have mostly faded away.
Todays agreements are nothing short of small books requiring legal teams to decrypt them. Typical companies have volume licensing contracts with microsoft dating back many years. Windows server 2016 vdi licensing considerations solutions. I suggest you always reach out to an expert and conduct regular software asset management to ensure you are in compliance with agreements of the software that you are using. Mar 31, 2015 when you throw xendesktop vdi into the mix, things get more interesting.
For small deployments, it can be deployed on the rd session host. Written by joe kozlowicz on tuesday, july 19th 2016 categories. Citrix offers a single enduser license agreement eula for its onpremises software and hardware offerings, and a single enduser service agreement eusa for its citrix cloud and other saas offerings. Apr 12, 2012 microsoft releases new faq doc to clarify vdi, vda, and rds licensing yesterday nathan coutinho blogged that microsoft has released a new faq document that spells out different virtual desktop and rds licensing scenarios in very plain and simple language. The enterprise license agreement program ela helps organizations adapt to changing business needs and control costs by allowing customers to buy only what they need, when they need it, at the best possible price. Microsofts licensing makes vdi unaffordable, to keep its stranglehold. Oct 24, 2017 citrix uses a licensing server to assure licensing agreements match the type of license assigned to each user and endpoint device. Solve the mystery of vdi licenses searchvirtualdesktop.
In proceedings of the th international conference on software. The two options are going to be windows 10 enterprise e3e5 peruser or windows vda peruser, that will have these new virtualization benefits. Licensing the windows desktop for vdi environments microsoft. The eula and eusa address all offering terms, including those for maintenance and optional consulting services. Licensing is a challenge with both vdi and daas, as many software vendors dont have specific options for this kind of application or operating system delivery. The vdi suite is designed to provide the infrastructure, management and. Snow presales expert, florian jorno explores the difficulties faced by organizations when it comes to licensing vdi implementations. Microsoft offers two possibilities to license windows in a virtual desktop infrastructure vdi environment. From devices to the cloud, windows 10 helps to strengthen identity and protect data, with protocols and features designed to prevent. You can only buy sa coverage at the time you buy the pc, or up to 90 days after purchase. Virtual desktop infrastructure vdi virtual desktop. Citrix uses a licensing server to assure licensing agreements match the type of license assigned to each user and endpoint device.
This vdi is available to all department faculty and. Find answers to windows server 2016 vdi licensing considerations from the expert community at experts exchange. What licensing would small businesses require in order to host vdi on azure. The eula and eusa address all offering terms, including those. Mar 11, 2009 software is licensed, not owned, and licensing grants the user or purchaser certain rights to install and use the software. Does solidworks support vdi type workstations solidworks. This analysis focuses on the tangible costs quantifiable dollars.
Unfortunately i dont know when of if the peruser license option will be available in open or open value agreements. Software licensing is a complex area, even in organisations with a. Aug 23, 2018 this problem is especially common with graphicsintensive applications and other software with high processing demands. Where a traditional hypervisor will typically be sold on a perprocessor basis, vdi licensing is usually sold on a device or peruser basis. Software is licensed, not owned, and licensing grants the user or purchaser certain rights to install and use the software. Cerd to meet certain obligations to laws and contractual agreements. You need this regardless of the vdi software vendor you choose. Cost comparison real costs of vdi are hard to find out, hard to compare and hard to quantify tangibly.
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