by Greg Shields

Now that your first Terminal Server is up and operational, it is time to consider the positioning and installation of its associated license server. First, for a refresher, take a look back to Parts 8 and 9 where I discussed some of the intricacies of Terminal Server licensing. In those two parts, I explained the differences between Per User and Per Device licensing as well as the impact of selecting the scope for licensing. For example, if you plan for your TS Licensing server to handle the distribution of TSCALs for your entire forest, you’ll obviously need to configure it into that mode.

Installing the TS Licensing role service is as simple as instlling any other role service in Windows Server 2008. From Server Manager, right-click the Terminal Services node and choose to Add Role Services. In the resulting window, select the TS Licensing role service. Two initial configurations are exposed during the role service’s installation, first asking you to select the discovery scope for licensing. Again, refer back to Part 9 for the details on which discovery scope works best for your particular environment. The second option is to choose the location for the TS Licensing database. This database, which defaults to C:Windowssystem32LServer, is exceptionally small in size, so housing it in its standard location is a safe bet for all but the very largest of environments.

It is worth mentioning as well that the TS Licensing role service does not require a large amount of system resources on the server where it is installed. Traditionally, the TS Licensing role service was installed onto a domain controller as this automatically enabled Terminal Servers to auto-discover their license server. However, this old guidance has steadily grown out of practice as many environments want to keep their domain controllers free of additional services and their added complexity. As such, you can select any server in your environment with sufficient extra processing power to serve in this capacity, including a Terminal Server for environments that are not too large in size.

In fact, these days, it can be considered a good practice not to install TS Licensing to a domain controller simply because it does not enable just that automatic discovery. Consider the situation in many IT environments where administrators may enable Terminal Services that are not approved or intended for production use. If the TS Licensing role service can be auto-discovered, these Terminal Servers may automatically discover and withdraw TSCALs, removing them from the available pool. By preventing auto-discovery and requiring administrators to directly enter TS License server information, the chance of inadvertent TSCAL withdrawal is slightly diminished. Your mileage will vary.

About the Author

Greg Shields is an independent author, speaker, and IT consultant, as well as a Partner and Principal Technologist with Concentrated Technology. With 15 years in information technology, Greg has developed extensive experience in systems administration, engineering, and architecture specializing in Microsoft OS, remote application, systems management, and virtualization technologies. He is a Contributing Editor and columnist for TechNet Magazine and Redmond Magazine, and serves as the Series Editor for Realtime Publishers, the world’s leading provider of high-quality content for the IT market. Greg is a highly sought-after and top-ranked speaker for both live and recorded events, and is seen regularly at conferences like TechMentor Events, Microsoft Tech Ed, VMworld, and more. He is a multiple recipient of Microsoft “Most Valuable Professional” award.