Everything That There Is To Know About VDI Licensing with Windows
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Quoting @chris: I can definitely help with any licensing questions on this subject... in fact it is one that I know very well.
Windows SA will be less expensive over the long run, if you plan on hosting your desktop VMs longer than 3 years. Windows VDA is more for thin clients, 3rd party owned devices or any device that doesn't have SA. It is more expensive and doesn't include local install rights, like Windows SA does.
If you can use a Windows Server OS, going with a Data Center license might save some costs, versus going with a Windows desktop OS VM.
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@scottalanmiller said:
If you can use a Windows Server OS, going with a Data Center license might save some costs, versus going with a Windows desktop OS VM.
Definitely will if you plan to have them be around for more than 3 years (assuming 50 + device access) - but you still need RDS connections licenses, don't you?
Do you need RDS connection licenses when using VDI with SA?
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@Dashrender said:
Do you need RDS connection licenses when using VDI with SA?
No, RDS is for access to servers as a non-admin user. You don't need an RDS license to access your own desktop remotely.
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I'm no expert on VDI, but I use my InTune licence to create and licence a Windows VM on my server which I then remote desktop onto. That's VDI isn't it? I believe I'm ok to do that.
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@Carnival-Boy said:
I'm no expert on VDI, but I use my InTune licence to create and licence a Windows VM on my server which I then remote desktop onto. That's VDI isn't it? I believe I'm ok to do that.
A Windows Desktop VM is VDI. Last time I used InTune, it did not provide Windows licenses, when did they start that?
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We were on InTune last year and at that time it included upgrades for Windows, but no licenses itself. Looking at their site now, it looks like even the upgrade options have been removed:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/products/microsoft-intune/Purchasing.aspx
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According to this, if you got the Intune + Software Assurance, the SA portion would include VDI rights (SA does anyway, so it is SA not InTune providing it there) but it looks like SA has been dropped now as an InTune add on.
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So it depends on when you took out your InTune licence as to whether or not you get it?
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@Carnival-Boy said:
So it depends on when you took out your InTune licence as to whether or not you get it?
Right, that appears to be the case. When we had InTune, it was available. So I assume that your plan is grandfathered. But if you were to sign up fresh today, the option for operating system licensing isn't even on the site any more. Maybe you can request it, but it's not being offered publicly. It used to be extremely prominent.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
Do you need RDS connection licenses when using VDI with SA?
No, RDS is for access to servers as a non-admin user. You don't need an RDS license to access your own desktop remotely.
Not talking about access your own desktop remotely - I'm talking about accessing the VDI, that you simply have rights to use by having SA on your endpoint device.
It was my understanding that to access VDI you had to have two licenses, a VDA (which you would get through your SA) and RDS for the actual connection to a VM host based VDI session.
If though, you were running a VDI in something like VirtualBox locally on your endpoint, then you would not require an RDS license.
Is my understanding completely wrong?
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@Dashrender said:
It was my understanding that to access VDI you had to have two licenses, a VDA (which you would get through your SA) and RDS for the actual connection to a VM host based VDI session.
Nope, no idea where that would have originated. RDS is a license for end user access to servers, VDI is the license for remote end user access to a virtualized desktop. RDS has no means of being licensed for a desktop OS, it doesn't exist for them. So you can buy RDS CALs, but you have nowhere to apply them.
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@Dashrender said:
If though, you were running a VDI in something like VirtualBox locally on your endpoint, then you would not require an RDS license.
If it is local and accessed locally, it does not require a VDI license either. You are viewing it on the console.
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@Dashrender said:
It was my understanding that to access VDI you had to have two licenses, a VDA (which you would get through your SA) and RDS for the actual connection to a VM host based VDI session.
Actually it is VDA or SA. They are competing ways to get access.
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@Dashrender said:
Not talking about access your own desktop remotely - I'm talking about accessing the VDI, that you simply have rights to use by having SA on your endpoint device.
But RDS isn't related to virtualization. It's about remotely accessing a server. That the server is physical or virtual is not a factor in RDS licensing.
VDI is specific for when the desktop OS is accessed remotely. It only exists when accessed remote and when it is virtual.
A physical desktop install allows for one remote connection without RDS or VDI licensing.
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This MS page seems to indicate that VDI does use RDS. Though it does not talk about licensing in my quick glance.
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@Dashrender said:
This MS page seems to indicate that VDI does use RDS. Though it does not talk about licensing in my quick glance.
Which part of that page do you feel suggests that? I see it mentioned but in no way that it would suggest that it is part of VDI at all. I see them mentioning that you are free to use RDS with VDI.
Remember, that is a page telling you about MS VDI architecture strategies, NOT a page telling you what VDI is.
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That page is partially a sales pitch trying to convince people to buy RDS on top of VDI. That's a totally valid way to do VDI, but it's in no way a requirement nor suggested.
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How do you connect to VDI sessions running on a VM host? Heck - on a physical host?
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@Dashrender said:
How do you connect to VDI sessions running on a VM host? Heck - on a physical host?
Any way you like. RDP, VNC, PCoIP, NX, ICA, etc.
