Microsoft Licensing Primer
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@Jason said:
@Dashrender said:
@BRRABill said:
Yeah, I am back to being confused.
OK, so let's say I just bought 10 new DELL Windows 10 machines (with an OEM license, of course). I want to be able to re-image these with a standard image, as has been suggested here on ML.
What do I need to do this? Perhaps real world examples are better.
What you need to do for this real world situation is the following.
You purchase :
1 Software Assurance license for Windows Desktop $125
4 Windows Server CALs ($80/ea) $320This is the least expensive way to get into a Volume license agreement. Total approximately $445.
FYI, you are only allowed to add Software Assurance to an OEM license that you have purchased within the past 90 days. So you buy a computer on Nov 1, 2015, you have until January 29 to purchase a SA license. If you wait until Feb 1 to buy... now you much buy an Upgrade Volume License for that machine.
You don't need SA for imaging rights.
He is not stating SA is required for imaging, he is stating SA is cheaper than buying a full Win 10 VL. Because SA is recurring, that is only true up front.
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@BRRABill said:
@JaredBusch said:
Yes. Because the machines are already legally Windows 10 Pro via OEM. You may now use imaging services to create and deploy a clean image on all 10 devices.
If it is so inexpensive, why the heck don't they just allow that with OEM?
So, if I had 100 machines, same thing? 1 license, and I get imaging rights?
AND ... that's the main reason people go to VL? To get imagine rights?
Mostly. Though companies will also buy it to upgrade computers such as from XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro.
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@Jason said:
Mostly. Though companies will also buy it to upgrade computers such as from XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro.
And that is because the VL Win7Pro (in that scenario) license is generally the cheapest way to go?
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@BRRABill said:
@Jason said:
Mostly. Though companies will also buy it to upgrade computers such as from XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro.
And that is because the VL Win7Pro (in that scenario) license is generally the cheapest way to go?
Depends on your agreement but yes it will usually be cheaper. But retail upgrades would cost more in OPex even if the CAPEX of it was the same or less because of the Key management required.
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So imaging and potential cost+ease (key managment, no retail boxes) for upgrading from older OSes.
That's the reason companies move to VL.
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@BRRABill said:
@JaredBusch said:
No, then you have imaging rights.
On all 10 machines?
It's an organizational level right.
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@BRRABill said:
If it is so inexpensive, why the heck don't they just allow that with OEM?
Since it is so inexpensive, why doesn't everyone just pay for it?
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@scottalanmiller said:
Since it is so inexpensive, why doesn't everyone just pay for it?
My point being if a 200 PC company wants this and can get it for under $500 ... why don't just allow people to image?
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OK, so I think we are fine there on the desktop side. It is NOW safe to move to SA.
DESKTOP: is it even worth discussing SA, or is it too complicated? Maybe a high level overview, or the Cliff Notes version?
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@BRRABill said:
OK, so I think we are fine there on the desktop side. It is NOW safe to move to SA.
DESKTOP: is it even worth discussing SA, or is it too complicated? Maybe a high level overview, or the Cliff Notes version?
In Most cases SA is not worth it. There are a few cases where software assurance might be used
1.) A VDI environment since it's the same cost as the VDA and provides more
2.) if your company upgrades to every version of the software, For example if you upgraded all computers from WinXP, to Win7, then Win8, Win8.1 and now are considering Win10 then it would be worth it For the desktop. If for example you upgrade from Win XP -> Win7 and now conserding windows 10 it would have not been worth it.Same goes for Office if you went from 2003->2007->2010->2013->2016 it would be
If you went 2003->2010>2016 it would not be worth it to get SA. -
@BRRABill said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Since it is so inexpensive, why doesn't everyone just pay for it?
My point being if a 200 PC company wants this and can get it for under $500 ... why don't just allow people to image?
You can't just image 200 PC's. They have to be 200 PCs with OEM licenses of the version of your image or better.
You cannot image 200 machines with no OEM key (ie whitebox).
You cannot image 200 machines with OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 by only purchasing 1 Windows 10 VL.
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You cannot image 200 machines with OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 by only purchasing 1 Windows 10 VL.
Yeah, this is my current problem... I'm going to have to manually upgrade all of my win7 and win 8 to win 10... Then use my VL to roll images... What a pain!
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@Dashrender said:
You cannot image 200 machines with OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 by only purchasing 1 Windows 10 VL.
Yeah, this is my current problem... I'm going to have to manually upgrade all of my win7 and win 8 to win 10... Then use my VL to roll images... What a pain!
Is that true? Is that because you have some path that by doing it manually MS will grant you upgrade rights but only one version at a time? What is making this the case?
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@Jason said:
2.) if your company upgrades to every version of the software, For example if you upgraded all computers from WinXP, to Win7, then Win8, Win8.1 and now are considering Win10 then it would be worth it For the desktop. If for example you upgrade from Win XP -> Win7 and now conserding windows 10 it would have not been worth it.
Same goes for Office if you went from 2003->2007->2010->2013->2016 it would be
If you went 2003->2010>2016 it would not be worth it to get SA.And in these cases VL+SA is one option and now Office 365 and InTune options will cover this upgrade path too. The movement is away from traditional to subscription licensing.
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@BRRABill said:
My point being if a 200 PC company wants this and can get it for under $500 ... why don't just allow people to image?
I'm sure it involves control, monitoring and getting people into the VL program.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
You cannot image 200 machines with OEM Windows 7 to Windows 10 by only purchasing 1 Windows 10 VL.
Yeah, this is my current problem... I'm going to have to manually upgrade all of my win7 and win 8 to win 10... Then use my VL to roll images... What a pain!
Is that true? Is that because you have some path that by doing it manually MS will grant you upgrade rights but only one version at a time? What is making this the case?
I remember a SW thread where Chris from Microsoft addressed this, and to upgrade your machines to 10 and image them, you have to manually run the update to 10, then go back and re-image.
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@brianlittlejohn said:
I remember a SW thread where Chris from Microsoft addressed this, and to upgrade your machines to 10 and image them, you have to manually run the update to 10, then go back and re-image.
To get the free upgrade, you mean? Since there is a free 8.1 -> 10 path, I could see that. Is there something similar to get from 7 -> 8?
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@scottalanmiller I don't think there is a free upgrade path to 8.1 only directly to 10
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@brianlittlejohn said:
@scottalanmiller I don't think there is a free upgrade path to 8.1 only directly to 10
How would that help his situation then? Once he has the upgrade rights, just jump to 10. I must be missing something.
