KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub
Q187629: Terminal Server Licensing

Article: Q187629
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 11-DEC-2001

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Terminal Server's licensing requirements are different from those of Windows NT
Server. This article describes Terminal Server licensing.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Terminal Server Clients require two licenses to connect to a Terminal Server.

The first license is a Windows NT Workstation license. This is necessary because
the Terminal Server Client effectively provides a Windows NT Workstation to the
client. If the RDP client is run on a computer running Windows NT 4.0 (Server,
Workstation, or Terminal Server) client already purchased the license, and it is
not necessary to purchase an additional Windows NT Workstation. If the RDP
client is run on a Windows NT 3.5x computer, then that client requires a Windows
NT Workstation Upgrade license. If the RDP client is run on a Windows 95 or
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 computer, then the client requires a Windows NT
Workstation full license. These three license types are displayed in Terminal
Server License Manager. In the right pane of the display, notice that the first
license category of existing Windows NT Workstation licenses is "unlimited." The
Full and Upgrade license types, however, will display how many licenses have
been purchased and entered into Terminal Server License Manager.

The second license is a Client Access License for the server. This is the
standard server access license measured in License Manager, the same utility
that is in Windows NT Server. License Manager does not distinguish between RDP
client access and other types of server access (for example, it does not
distinguish between a normal shared file and printer resource access). Per
Server and Per Seat modes are identical to those of Windows NT Server 4.0.

Terminal Server License Manager reports but does not enforce licensing.
Enforcement comes from the License Manager in Windows NT. If an RDP client is
denied access to the server when it tries to make a connection, increasing the
license count in Terminal Server License Manager will not resolve the problem.
Client Access Licenses must be added to License Manager.

If License Manager denies an RDP client access, the event will be recorded as
event 201 in the Event Log. The event message will show that a license was not
available for SYSTEM to access the TermService.

If Client Access Licenses are available in License Manager, and Terminal Server
License Manager runs out of needed licenses, a temporary license will be
granted. In this case, a fourth and fifth category of license can appear in
Terminal Server License Manager: Temporary Windows NT Workstation Full license,
or Temporary Windows NT Workstation Upgrade license. These licenses are good for
60 days. The RDP client making use of a temporary license will continue to do so
for the full 60 days even if new licenses are added. After 60 days, the client's
temporary license will expire, and the client will get a new license (either a
temporary license if no normal licenses are available, or one of the new
licenses that have been added).

NOTE: Logging on at the Terminal Server console uses one Client Access License,
but this is not reflected in the license count in License Manager. In the event
that only one Client Access License is available, RDP clients (at the console or
elsewhere) will not be able to connect even though the License Manager in-use
license count is zero.

If no Client Access Licenses are available, not even the administrator can
connect through the RDP client. This is different from normal licensing behavior
because administrators can always log on at the console or connect to the server
remotely even if no licenses are available. Administrators must log on at the
Terminal Server console, or access the server by means other than the RDP
client, if the Terminal Server runs out of licenses.

When an RDP client is denied access, the client will receive the generic message,
"Terminal Server has ended the connection."

License information is recorded on the Terminal Server, Windows NT, and Windows
95 computers under:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MSLicensing

Licenses are stored on the Terminal Server in the %systemroot%\system32\lserver
directory in the hydra.mdb file. Computers running Windows for Workgroups 3.11
store licensing information in the *.bin files in the Regdata directory under
System. The typical path is C:\Windows\System\Regdata.

Terminal Server License Manager creates seven temporary files in the System32
directory. The temporary files are called JET1.TMP through JET7.TMP. These files
are used to temporarily store newly created licenses.

When an RDP client connects to a Terminal Server and requests a license, the
initial license is generated and cached in the appropriate JETx.TMP file. The
license is sent to the client, and the client stores the license (in the
registry or in the mstsc.ini file as mentioned). Licenses are tied to the client
computer, so some computer-specific information is added to the license, during
the license request or when the license is presented to the client (the details
on this process are sketchy. Please comment this article if you have further
information). The license is presented to the Terminal Server as part of logon,
written to the license database, and removed from the JETx.TMP file.

It is possible to have more than seven JETx.TMP files. If the server is powered
off without using the shutdown routine or if the server is shut down inside an
RDP client session, the JETx.TMP files are not cleaned up. Shutting the server
down through an RDP client session is generally not an issue, since services are
written to handle power outages by committing cached data very quickly.
Administrators should be aware, however, that the normal shutdown procedures are
not followed. If you shut down the server at the console, all services are
stopped before the server shuts down. The server shuts down immediately, without
stopping services correctly if the shutdown is performed through a client
session. Because services are not notified, the JETx.TMP files will already
exist when the server is restarted. The Terminal Server License Manager service
will create seven new JETx.TMP files.

If JETx.TMP files numbered 1-7 exist, the server will create new files numbered
8-14. If you deleted files 1-7 (which could be done since they would not be
open) and shutdown the system through the RDP client again, the new files
created at startup would again be numbered 1-7. So, the highest numbered files
are not necessarily the files that are in use

If left over JETx.TMP files are an issue, simply delete JET*.TMP files. Only the
closed, unused files will be deleted. You cannot delete open files, or delete
files in use.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch
Version           : winnt:4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.