How to Activate a Terminal Services License Server and Install CALs Over the Internet

ID: Q237811

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

SUMMARY

The process of deploying and tracking licenses within an organization is enhanced in Windows 2000 Terminal Services. Terminal Services Licensing now includes a Licensing wizard to download license packs and manage license quantities for Windows 2000 Terminal Services Client Access Licenses (TS CALs or Windows 2000 Terminal Services Internet Connector licenses (ICs). To deploy TS CALs or ICs you must enable and activate a Terminal Services "License Server" and then install the TS CALs or ICs onto it. Terminal Services Licensing supports four connection methods to the Microsoft Certificate Aut ority and Clearinghouse to the activate your license server and install licenses; Internet, World Wide Web(WWW), Telephone, and Fax. This article discusses the Internet method; which is the fastest and easiest method to complete the process.


MORE INFORMATION

There is a one-time activation of the license server and the license packs are then installed onto the license server. The Terminal Services server uses these licenses to track and allow/disallow client permissions to Windows 2000-based computers that have Terminal Services enabled.

To activate a Terminal Services licensing server, use the following steps.

NOTE: The following steps assume that Terminal Services is installed in Application Server mode. Application Server mode is similar to Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, with clients gaining access to the Terminal Server computer for shared resources and Microsoft BackOffice programs.

If Terminal Services is installed in Remote Administration mode, the Terminal Services licenses are not enforced because only the Administrator account and members of the Administrators group can connect to the Terminal Services computers using the Terminal Services client (by default), and only two members of the Administrators group can run a session at one time.

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Terminal Services Licensing.


  2. The Terminal Services Licensing dialog box is displayed and the All servers option is selected by default. Click the plus sign (+) to expand the Windows 2000 Terminal Services servers, and then click the name of the licensing server you want to activate.


  3. On the Action menu, click Activate Server.

    NOTE: The Activate Server option is not available when the All servers option is selected.


  4. The Licensing wizard starts and the following items are displayed:


    • Activated For


    • Connection Method


    • Licensing Program


    • Product ID


  5. The Product ID area is the only area that contains information at this point. The rest of the information is filled in during the wizard process. Click Next.


  6. In the Connection Method area, click the connection method you want to use (Internet, World Wide Web, Fax, or Telephone) or click Internet for the default (you must have an existing Internet connection configured prior to this process to use the Internet option).

    NOTE: The remainder of this article describes the Internet process.


  7. Click Next.


  8. In the License Program area, click one of the following options:


    • Microsoft Select or Microsoft Enterprise Agreement


    • Microsoft Open License Program


    • Other


    NOTE: If you did not purchase your licenses from a channel distributor, you cannot continue this process. You cannot use this process to purchase licenses online; this process implements the "paper" licenses on the Terminal Services computer. The remainder of the article assumes that you choose the Other option. Typically, this is the option to use when you purchase licenses through a retail store.

  9. Click Next.


  10. The Company Information dialog box is displayed. Fill in your corporate information on the two screens, and then click Next.


  11. The Microsoft Registration Authority and Clearinghouse server is detected and the Completing the Process dialog box is displayed. The Registration Authority and Clearinghouse server sends the Personal Identification Number (PIN) through electronic mail to the e-mail address you provide; the activation cannot be completed without the PIN. You can choose from one of the following options for receipt of the PIN through e-mail:


    • Complete the server activation process now (I already have my PIN). Choose this option if the e-mail message with the PIN arrives quickly.


    • Postpone completion of the process until the PIN arrives. Choose this option if you want to postpone the activation process for any reason (including delays in receiving the e-mail message containing the PIN).


    • Restart the licensing process. Choose this option if you want to reset the activation process to its initial state. This option is useful if you never receive the e-mail message containing the PIN.


  12. Choose one of the options above and click Next, or wait until you receive the PIN, as described in the following step.


  13. When you receive the PIN in an e-mail message, click Complete the server activation process now (I already have my PIN), and then click Next. The PIN e-mail looks like the following:


    14. Electronic mailing from the Microsoft Terminal Services Activation with the subject "Terminal Services License Server Activation"
    Thank you for activating your Terminal Services License Server with Microsoft.

    This mail contains the PIN needed to complete the activation process. This PIN must be entered into the Licensing Wizard exactly as shown:

    Your PIN: XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXX

    This PIN is valid for the Terminal Services License Server with the following Product ID:

    Product ID: 00000-270-8764055-60434
  14. Type the PIN exactly as it is sent (or click the alphanumeric PIN, copy the PIN by pressing CTRL-C, and then press CTRL-V to paste the PIN into the wizard), and then click Next.


  15. The wizard locates the Microsoft Registration Authority and Clearinghouse server to activate the license server. If all information is typed correctly, the following Completing the Licensing Wizard dialog box is displayed:
    Status:
    Your License server is successfully activated. To install license key packs now, click Next. To postpone license installation, clear the following check box, and then click Finish.
    Check box for "Install licenses now" is checked by default.
    Click Next.


  16. The following message is displayed:


    17. Your license server has been activated. The wizard can now help you install license key packs.
  17. Click Next to install license packs.


  18. You can now type the number of licenses that you want to track and enforce on this Terminal Services computer in the Program and Client License Information dialog box. The steps in this article assume that you purchased licenses from a retail store. The license pack for Terminal Services CALs contains a license code, which you now need to type into the wizard. Type the information, and then click Next.

    NOTE: If you chose the Microsoft Select or Microsoft Enterprise Agreement option, an Enrollment number box is displayed. If you chose the Microsoft Open License Agreement option, the Authorization Number and License Number boxes are displayed. If you chose either of these options, you must also type information in the Product Type and Quantity boxes (in the Product Type box, choose Terminal Services CAL or Terminal Services Internet Connector). If you click Next without typing a valid authorization/license number (for the Open License Agreement option) or enrollment number (for the Select or Enterprise Agreements option), the process is unsuccessful and an error message is displayed. Click Back and type a valid number before proceeding.


  19. When the licenses packs are downloaded and are ready for use, the following dialog box is displayed:


    20. Status:
    "The new client license key pack has been successfully installed."
  20. Click Finish.


  21. In the Terminal Services Licensing dialog box, click the Terminal Services License server in the left pane, and the CALs or Internet Connector Licenses that you downloaded are displayed in the right pane.


For additional information about Windows 2000 Terminal Services enforced licensing, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q237801 Windows 2000 Terminal Services Utilizes Enforced Licensing

Additional query words: win2000hotds kbfaqw2ktermsrv

Keywords :
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: January 31, 2000
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