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Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

Licensing problems and resolutions for the terminal server

Licensing Diagnosis is capable of diagnosing potential problems in a typical terminal server/ license server deployment.  Here is the list of the potential problems along with their suggested resolutions.

ISSUES WITH DISCOVERY

Problem 1: The terminal server has not discovered any license servers.  If the grace period for the terminal server has expired, connections to the terminal server will be denied unless a license server is configured for the terminal server.

Resolution 1: Configure a license server for the terminal server. If you have an existing license server, use the Terminal Services Configuration tool to specify that license server for the terminal server. Otherwise, install TS Licensing on a computer on your network.

If you have configured a license server for the terminal server but the license server does not appear in the list of discovered license servers, use TS Licensing Manager to review the configuration of the license server.  TS Licensing Manager may be launched using the ‘Start TS Licensing manager' action item available in the action pane for Licensing Diagnosis tool.  For more information on reviewing the configuration for a license server, refer to How to review and configure a license server.

 

Problem 2: License server <Server Name> is not available. This could be caused by network connectivity problems, the Terminal Services Licensing service is stopped on the license server, or TS Licensing is no longer installed on the computer.

Resolution 2: Make sure you have network connectivity between the terminal server and the license server. Also check that the Terminal Services Licensing service is started on the license server. If TS Licensing is no longer installed on the computer, ensure that the license server is not manually specified and/or is no longer published in Active Directory Domain Services.  For more information on un-publishing a license server, refer to Un-publishing license server from AD .

 

ISSUES WITH CREDENTIALS

 

Problem 3: The Terminal Services Configuration tool is running with local account credentials. Licensing Diagnosis will not be able to discover domain or forest license servers automatically and the Total Number of TS client access licenses available value may be inaccurate.

Resolution 3: For best results with Licensing Diagnosis, use the Terminal Services Configuration tool with domain account credentials.

 

Problem 4: To identify possible licensing issues, administrator credentials for license server <Server Name> are required.

Resolution 4: Provide administrator credentials for the Terminal Services license server.  To provide credentials use the ‘Provide Credentials' action item in the action pane for Licensing Diagnosis.

 

ISSUES WITH CONFIGURATION

 

Problem 5: License server <Server Name> cannot issue TS CALs to the terminal server because of a version incompatibility.

Resolution 5: Check that the version of the license server supports issuing TS CALs to the terminal server. The license server must be running the same (or a more recent) version of the operating system as the terminal server. You might need to upgrade your license server to an appropriate operating system or install a new license server with the appropriate operating system.

 

Problem 6: License server <Server Name> is not activated.

Resolution 6: Use TS Licensing Manager to activate and install TS CALs on the license server.  TS Licensing manager may be launched using the ‘Start TS Licensing manager' action item available in the action pane for the Licensing Diagnosis tool.  For more information on activation and installation of TS CALs on a license server, refer to How to activate a license server.

 

Problem 7: License server <Server Name> cannot issue TS CALs to the terminal server because the "License server security group" Group Policy setting is enabled.

Resolution 7: Add the computer account for the terminal server to the Terminal Server Computers group on the license server. 

 

Problem 8: The licensing mode for the terminal server is not configured.

Resolution 8: Set the licensing mode on the terminal server to either Per User or Per Device by using Terminal Services Configuration tool. Use TS Licensing Manager to install the corresponding TS CALs on the license server.  For more information on installation of TS CALs on license server, refer to How to install CALs on a license server.

 

Problem 9: The terminal server is in <Per Device or Per User> licensing mode, but license server <Server Name> does not have any <Terminal Server Version> <Per Device or Per User> TS CALs installed.

Resolution 9: Use TS Licensing Manager to install the appropriate TS CALs on the license server.  If the license server has installed licenses of the other mode, changing the licensing mode for the terminal server may also resolve the issue.  To change the licensing mode, use the Terminal Services Configuration tool.

 

Problem 10: The terminal server is in <Per Device or Per User> licensing mode, but license server <Server Name> does not have any <Terminal Server Version><Per Device or Per User> TS CALs available.  (Note: The license server may have CALs installed but these CALs are currently not available for issuance.)

Resolution 10: Use TS Licensing Manager to install the appropriate TS CALs on the license server.  TS Licensing manager may be launched using the ‘Start TS Licensing manager' action item available in the action pane for Licensing Diagnosis tool.

Additional references

Published Friday, February 01, 2008 10:50 AM by termserv

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Comments

# Terminal Services Team Blog : Summary of Licensing Diagnosis 2

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

Is a step-by-step migration path available to move your current W2K3 licensing server to 2008 with all the previous registred and activated calls ?

This would simplify the migration of our whole terminal server cluster

Wednesday, February 06, 2008 7:37 AM by Kristof

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

Hi Kristof,

With what I understand, you have a terminal server cluster with W2K3 license server and you want to upgrade this license server to W2K8 while ensuring that the state of license server (including installed and issued CALs) is maintained.  Is this correct?

Well if this is your requirement then the approach should be to perform a simple OS upgrade from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.  This will ensure that the license server and all corresponding licensing information (installed and issued CALs) will be retained after the upgrade.  

Let me know if that answers your query.

Regards

Pushkar

Thursday, February 07, 2008 1:13 PM by Pushkar [MSFT]

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

In my 2008 server i have 10 device cal's but the server is in user mode.  I cannot change to per device because all options are grayed out.  how can i change this to enable the mode change.  I have logged in as Domain Admin as well as local admin account.

Friday, April 04, 2008 6:49 PM by Don Broxson

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

To change the mode, all you need to o is launch tsconfig.msc and set mode from per user to per device through the licensing tab.

If you are unable to do so, there might be some issues related to the state of your server.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:05 PM by Jovialn

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

What about this error? (1004) I keep getting it every time someone logs into the TS. I have searched the web and tried everything suggested but it keeps happening. Licensing is all OK and the server is activated and has many per user CALS, is running per user mode and no issues with DNS or communication. Running a Windows 2003 R2 domain.

Happens on both my Windows Server 2008 TS which are load balanced using NLB and in a farm. TS Gateway and TS Session broker is used.

What are the consequences? There doesn't seem to be any as I have tried 15 simultaneous connections without issue (though that error appears 15 times).

The terminal server cannot issue a client license.  It was unable to issue the license due to a changed (mismatched) client license, insufficient memory, or an internal error. Further details for this problem may have been reported at the client's computer.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:34 AM by Charles

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

i licensed the terminal service server 2008 on a separate server for 15 per user CALS and did link on ip to the discovery option of the licensing of the t.s. service for the user to go to the terminal license server for license access. while the t.s. license server is on, i notice on the original t.s. server has 60 days more left on demo mode, i disconnect the license server, but users still have access to the t.s. server. what do you have to do to take the demo licensing service off the original 2008 server on t.s. service and use the t.s. licensing server instead?

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 2:05 PM by alan

# re: Licensing Diagnosis: Problems and Resolutions

i licensed the terminal service server 2008 on a separate server for 15 per user CALS and did link on ip to the discovery option of the licensing of the t.s. service for the user to go to the terminal license server for license access. while the t.s. license server is on, i notice on the original t.s. server has 60 days more left on demo mode, i disconnect the license server, but users still have access to the t.s. server. what do you have to do to take the demo licensing service off the original 2008 server on t.s. service and use the t.s. licensing server instead?

Tuesday, August 26, 2008 2:05 PM by alan

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