Everything That There Is To Know About VDI Licensing with Windows
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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.
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I wrote to Chris (GG on SW) and he gave me a link to his article from last year.
Damn, things have changed a lot!
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Yes, I had to write a paper on it yesterday and was doing a lot of research for it. 2015 totally changed MS VDI.
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But RDS has never been a part of the picture
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@scottalanmiller said:
But RDS has never been a part of the picture
at least in regards to licenses, from what you're saying.
Assuming you're using the RDP client to connect, you're using the RDS technology to show the GUI on the client from the VM on the server.
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Was retail pricing part of that research? If so, could you share it here?
Will your paper be published publicly?
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@Dashrender said:
Was retail pricing part of that research? If so, could you share it here?
No, what aspect of retail pricing are you wondering about?
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@Dashrender said:
Assuming you're using the RDP client to connect, you're using the RDS technology to show the GUI on the client from the VM on the server.
No, don't confuse RDP and RDS. No RDS is involved. There is an RDP server and a client. RDS doesn't come into it unless you are adding it externally as an additional non-VDI component.
And RDS licensing is unrelated to RDP, it's about remote access, not the technology.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
Was retail pricing part of that research? If so, could you share it here?
No, what aspect of retail pricing are you wondering about?
Well, now I know that your options are
- Enterprise upgrade with SA or
- VDA
Apparently there is a third option, SA per user. I don't think this per user version allows the use of Windows Enterprise edition, but it does allow for VDI access according to Chris on SW.
And the SA per user option gives that user the rights to use VDI on up to ANY 5 devices (corporate owned, personal, borrowed, etc) from any location (work, home, moon, etc)So I'm guessing that the least expensive option will be VDA, followed by Enterprise upgrade with SA and last, most expensive will be per user SA.
I'm wondering what the price breakdowns are?
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Everything I have seen from everyone, including Chris, is that VDA is the most expensive option. VDA is a special case fallback for large companies that want to use non-Windows thin clients.
