questons on Microsoft RDS 2022 licensing

Question

hi everyone,

Good morning. Hope you can help. I would like to ask a question on the RDS license.

My company use RDS (terminal servers). Our users can remote in via vpn.

Now I would like to setup a new 2022 server with RDS on it to replace the very very old 2008 terminal server(no good). We purchased the 20 piece user licenses from a vendor.

Now I would like to ask: In order to configure the RDS server, do I need to get the license keys to activate the server so I can start to configure it? In order words, do I need to punch in any RDS license keys before I can configure the server settings?

I have no experience in setting it up before. Hope you can help.

Thank you

TakamiChiro

Answer 1

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to us.

To configure your new RDS server, you do not need to input any RDS license keys before starting the configuration process.

The RDS CALs are not required to be entered during the initial setup of the server. However, after the RDS roles are configured and you are ready to allow users to connect, you will need to install and activate the RDS CALs (before the end of the grace period 120 days) on RD Licensing role to ensure that your users can connect legally and without interruption.

Here's a general outline of the process:

1. Install the RDS Role: You'll first install the RDS roleon your Windows Server 2022 machine through the Server Manager.
2. Configure RDS Services: Go through the steps to configure the different RDS components such as the Connection Broker, Session Host, Licensing, and Gateway (if needed), without necessarily needing to enter license keys at this stage.
3. Grace Period: Microsoft provides a grace period, usually 120 days, for RDS licensing. During this time, your RDS server will function without specific license keys being entered, but it will display warnings. This is ample time to complete your setup and testing.
4. Activate Licenses: Once your RDS environment is set up and ready for production use, you would then activate the licenses. This involves entering the license server into the RDS deployment and installing the licenses you've purchased.

Please note that you will need to activate your Windows Server 2022 with a valid license key before you can configure the RDS settings.

The RDS licensing is separate from the Windows Server licensing.

Regards,

Karlie

Answer 2

Hi Karlie,

Thank you very much for your info and response. I really appreciate it.

I am sorry to reply you late and hope you do not mind.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Takami Chiro