The second time a computer or device connects to an RD Session Host, the license server issues it a permanent RDS Per Device CAL, if the license server is activated and enough RDS Per Device CALs are available. The first time a computer or device connects to an RD Session Host, its by default issued a temporary license. These are permanent CALs assigned to any computer or device that connects to an RD Session Host Server more than once. There are two types of Client Access Licenses available in this type of setup.
Click next when you are readyĢ.8 You can start the Install Licenses Wizard if you like from this page, but I chose not toĢ.10 If you right-click the server name, and select Review Configuration, you can review the configuration of the RD license server.Įach user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host needs a client access license (CAL). These four fields are required, so enter information for each fieldĢ.6 These fields are optional. Click NextĢ.5 You will be requested to provide some information about yourself. If your license server does not have access to the internet, you can also choose to activate it through the web browser (of another computer, which is connected to the internet) or over telephone. I’m selecting Automatic connection, which connects to the Microsoft clearinghouse over the internet, by using https. The license server must be activated to issue RD CALs.Ģ.1 In Server Manager, Click Tools → Remote Desktop Services → Remote Desktop Licensing ManagerĢ.2 Right click the server name, and select Activate ServerĢ.4 Select desired connection method. Otherwise, you will not be able to issue RDS Per User CALs to users in the domain, and you will not be able to track or report the usage of RDS Per User CALs on the License Server.ġ.1 Start the Add Roles and Features Wizard in Server Managerġ.3 Select Role-based or feature-based installation, click Nextġ.5 Select Remote Desktop Services, click Nextġ.8 Select Remote Desktop Licensing (click Add Features when prompted), click Nextġ.10 Click Close when the installation is finished Specify Licensing Mode and License server for RD Session Host Serversīefore you start, you should add the designated license server to the Terminal Server License Servers group in Active Directory. There will be no Remote Desktop Connection Broker.ĥ. Such a deployment will only have RD session host servers and license server(s). Keep in mind, the license server we set up in this blog post, will only be used to issue licenses to session host servers that will host shared desktops and deliver applications in a Citrix XenApp environment. So you will need licenses for both XenApp and RDS. Each time a user connects to a XenApp session, he is also connecting to a Remote Desktop Session. Because what XenApp essentially does, is to extend the capabilities of the Microsoft Remote Desktop session host server.
If you have Windows Server 2016 session host servers, then the RD Licensing role service must be installed on a Windows Server 2016 machine, because 2016 RDS CALs can only be installed on a Server 2016 RD license server.Ĭitrix XenApp also relies on a RD license server. You can use RD Licensing to install, issue, and track the availability and usage of licenses. This is a role service of the Remote Desktop Services role on Windows Server 2016. To install Remote Desktop Services CALs, you first need to install Remote Desktop Licensing. If you don’t have Remote Desktop Services Client Access Licenses (RDS CALs), your users will not be able to connect to a remote desktop session host server, after the initial grace period of 120-days expires.
Finally, we will look at how to designate specific License Servers to RD Session Host Servers, through PowerShell and Group Policy. We will also review the two different types of CALs, and how to install CALs on the RD License Server.
In this blog post we will look at how to install and activate a Remote Desktop License Server on Windows Server 2016.