In this blog postal service we will hash out on Installing and Configuring a Remote Desktop License Server (RDS CALs) on Windows server 2019. We tin can also use same steps if we have windows 2016 or 2012. The steps are nearly identical on each windows server editions. There is no noticeable changes in the Steps we follow for any of these Windows Server Editions.

Applies To

  • Windows server 2019
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2012

Past default only two concurrent agile rdp sessions are allowed on a windows server editions like 2012,2016 or 2019. If we need more than two users simultaneously log into the server we need to have Remote Desktop Licensing (RD Licensing), formerly Last Services Licensing (TS Licensing), which manages the Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (RDS CALs) for users to connect to a Remote Desktop Session Host (RD Session Host) server.

If nosotros enable RDS CALs, each user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host needs a customer access license (CAL). The RDS CALs is installed as a server Manager Role. There is a default licensing practical on installation and activation with a grace menses of 180 Days during which no purchased RDS CAL license needed. Afterward that we need to choose either of below Licencing model and need to Purchase information technology from the Microsoft store or from a vendor.

RDS Per Device CALs    :     RDS CALs are physically assigned to each device.
RDS Per User CALs        :     RDS CALs are assigned to a user with or without Active Directory.

RDS CAL Version Compatibility

We can't use RDS CALs of a Windows server 2012 to access later versions of Windows Server 2016 or 2019, but we can use later on versions of RDS CALs to access earlier versions of Windows Server editions.

RDS CAL Licence Purchase

Earlier proceeding with the install first nosotros have  RDS CAL Licence in hand. There are ii methods available for RDS CAL Licence implementation.

  1. Buy the Microsoft Windows customer access Licence ( Remote Desktop service- User/Device CAL) from Microsoft store. Subsequently purchase nosotros will get a product licence key and this Key is used during installation of services in the server.
  2. Use The Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) SALs. With the SPLA, service providers and ISVs can license eligible Microsoft products on a monthly ground. This Licence structure is mainly used on a VPS/Dedicated environment Provided by a Hosting Provider. For that nosotros have to pay a monthly fee to the Hosting Provider.

Windows Server 2019 Users Only

If we are Implementing "RDS User CAL" in a Windows Server 2019 servers, Setup either of below things before Proceed with the Install of Remote Desktop Service.

  1.  Add together the new RDS CAL server to the Terminal Server License Servers domain group of existing Active Directory Domain
  2.  Install Active Directory Services ( ADDS) in the RDS CAL server.

Other wise we volition get error similar beneath screenshot while users logging in and stays for 60 Min.

There is a trouble with your Remote Desktop license, and your session will exist disconnected in 60 minutes. Contact your system administrator to ready this trouble.

The Requirement Also Described in Microsoft Page,  Below is the particular section screenshot where it mention.

We just need to Activate Active Directory Services (ADDS) if we settings up a RDS User CAL on Windows Server 2019. Not necessary for RDS Device CAL implementation on a Windows server 2019. And then lets go started.

Installing the Server Roles

Nosotros can install Remote Desktop Licensing Part using Server Director

Open "Server Manager" >> Click "Add Roles and Features"

Click "Adjacent" in the Before You lot Begin Section.

Select "Role based or Feature based Installation"  and Click Next.

Cull pick  "Select a server from the server pool".  Choose Our server from the Server pool and Click Adjacent.

Scroll downwards and select "Remote Desktop Services" then click Next

Click Next by Leaving Default Selection in  Features Section.

Click Side by side on Remote Desktop Services Department.

Select the "Remote Desktop Licensing" and "Remote Desktop Session Host"

A Pop Up Window Volition Appear. Click Add Features for Each of them

Click Adjacent and Select the "Restart the destination server automatically if required" so click Install

The server will reboot automatically during install process and finally we will get below screen when the installation succeeded. One time finished click Close.

This  ended Installation of Remote Desktop Licensing Role Using Server Managing director.

Install the Server Roles Using Powershell Command

We can likewise install the the RDS Licensing service and "Remote Desktop Licensing" and "Remote Desktop Session Host" using PowerShell Commands instead of Using above graphical Server Manager method. Below is that three commands we need to use.

If needed (and possible), restart the server using Beneath PowerShell command after the server role install.

After the server reboot. We can Check if the "Remote Desktop Session Host" , RDS Licensing service and "Remote Desktop Licensing" is bachelor using Below Powershell command.

The command Output can view from below screenshot. You will also go similar results when bug those commands.

Activating the RDS License Server

Now lets Proceed with Actuate Licensing Server. For that we need to launch the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager. We tin can launch the installed "Remote Desktop Licensing Director" from below windows server department.

Go to Windows Kickoff  >> Control Panel >> Organization and Security  >> Administrative Tools >> Remote Desktop Services >> Double click "Remote Desktop Licensing Manager"

A popular-up window volition announced  and that is the "RD Licencing Manager".  Expand the Server department by clicking the plus icon.

Right click our server name and then click Actuate Server

Click Next on Welcome to the Activate Server Sorcerer.

Cull the "Connectedness Method" equally "Automatic connection" and click Next

Enter our Company  Data and click Next

[Optional] Enter additional information and click Next

Or Leave it as Bare in the Optional Data fields  and Click Next

This Completes the Activate RDS License Server steps. Now Lets Go on with the Install RDS Licence section.

Installing RDS CALs

In the Activate Server Wizard itself, Cheque the box to "Offset Install Licenses Magician now then click Adjacent"

Accidentally If we didn't clicked the "start Install Licenses Magician" in the previous step, we tin can admission the Install RDS CAL Licence wizard by right clicking our "server name" in the "RD Licensing Manager" then click "Install Licenses"

Click Next on Welcome to the Install Licenses Magician.

At present In this section we need to Selection the type of license Program that we use. There are few Options  available, in that we are discussing ii Licence Program methods. Those two are the about unremarkably used Ones. Nosotros only Need to Choose either of them as per our Personal pick and Licence Type we are currently holding.

  1. Choose Licence plan as "Licence Pack (Retail Purchase)", if we purchased RDS Licence direct from Microsoft.
  2. Cull Licence programme as " Service Provider License Agreement" if you are in a VPS/Dedicated servers provided by a Hosting Provider and they already accept a data centor Licence and our VPS Operating System licence comes under it.

If we Cull Licence program as "Licence Pack (Retail Purchase)" and Click Next

Enter the Licence Code and Click Next.

If we Cull Licence program equally " Service Provider License Agreement" and Click Side by side.

Enter Our Licence Understanding Number and Click Next.

  • Now Select "production version" as per your Windows Operating Arrangement Edition. In our case It Windows Server 2019
  • Select Licence Type equally " RDS Per User CAL" or "RDS Per Device CAL" Co-ordinate to the Licence type given past our Provider. In our case we choose "RDS Per User CAL"
  • Choose the Quantity equally per our requirement. Say if you need to have 5 users simultaneously log into the server. Type five and Click Adjacent

Click Terminate to complete the RDS license install.

Review RDS CAL Licence Install

Right click our "server name" in the "RD Licensing Manager" then click "Review Configuration"

In Our case we got two yellow warning. This happened considering we enabled RDS User CAL on a ADDS Environment. If yous don't take whatever Warnings, you are good to Go further.  Lets see How to Prepare this alarm before Proceed further.

  • Click the "Add together to Group" adjacent to " The Licence server or the network service business relationship is not a fellow member of the Last Server Licence Servers grouping In Active Directory Domain Services. This Licence server will non be able to issue RDS Per User CALs to Users in the domain, and you will non be able to track or study the usage of RDS per User CALs on this Licence Server.
  • Click "Register as SCP" next to This licence server is non registered as a service connection indicate (SCP) in Active Directory Domain Services. The licence server will non appear in the list of known licence servers in the Remote Desktop Secession Host Server Configuration tool.

Now nosotros can run across the bulletin as You must restart the Remote Desktop Licensing service. Until the service is restarted this Licence server will not able able to issues RDS Per user CALs to users in the domain, and y'all will not able able to rails or report the usage of RDS Per User CALs on this licence server.

In order to fix this alarm. Get to the windows services section and restart the windows service named " Remote Desktop Licensing service" and Click Ok.

Once more, Right click our "server name" in the "RD Licensing Director" and then click "Review Configuration". This time we can meet no warnings appears and our RDS CAL Licence Install is successful.

Nosotros can also run into The New license key we just added from the  "Licence manager" itself and a light-green tick appears next to our Windows server name.

How To Diagnose Remote Desktop Licence

Utilize the "Remote Desktop License Diagnoser" for checking any issues with the RDS CAL Licence Server.

For that Go to Windows Start >> Control Panel >> Arrangement and Security >> Administrative Tools >> Remote Desktop Services >> Double click "Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser"

In Our case we get beneath warnings.

  • Licenses are non available for this Remote Desktop Session Host server, and RD Licensing Diagnoser has identified licensing problems for the RD Session Host server.
  • The licensing mode for the Remote Desktop Session Host Server is non configured.
  • The Remote Desktop Session Host server is inside its grace menstruum, but the RD session Host server has non been configured with any licence server.

Commonly this error volition get on RD Licence server, when nosotros haven't configured the correct group policy for Licencing Server. So lets see how it can be done.

Enable Group Policy for RDS licensing Server.

For settings upwardly Group Policy in a RDS Licence server, Open Windows RUN, and enter gpedit.msc, click Ok

Get to department Local calculator Policy>> Figurer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Remote DesktopServices\Remote Desktop Session Host\Licensing

  • Double click on "Use the specified RD license servers" >> click Enable, then Enter Our server proper noun shows up in the Remote Desktop Licence Managing director and click on Apply

Now Double click on "Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode" >> click enable, and so select "Per User" or "Per Device" equally per your Licence and Apply

Now restart Remote Desktop Licensing service from the Windows services section and  click the Refresh button available in the right side from the RD Licensing Diagnoser. We can see  the diagnoser showed the message every bit " RD Licensing Diagnoser did not identify any licensing problems for the Remote Desktop Session Host server.  Additional information like, Licence mode and Number of Licenses will also announced in the same window.

This will conclude the Group Policy for RDS licensing  Server and RDS CAL Server is ready to Employ for Users.

How to Rebuild the RDS Licence

Some times we may come across situation similar, we  need to add more users to the RDS CAL User type Licence, Demand to Change the User type CAL into Device CAL or The Installed Licence has become corrupted. In such cases, nosotros can right those issues by rebuilding the current RDS Licence.

For that Right click our "server proper name" in the "RD Licensing Manager" then click "Manage Licenses"

Click Side by side on the Welcome to the Manage licenses Wizard.

Choose the option "Rebuild the license server database"  and select the reason as " The certificate for the licence server has become corrupted". Click Adjacent

Ostend the deletion of licenses currently installed on this licence server and click Adjacent

This will delete the current Licence installed in the server and will prompt the Licence install step again. Complete those and finalise the rebuild.  This completes the Rebuild and Install of New RDS CAL Licence in the server.

How to Remove RDS CALs from a RD License Server

Some times we desire to transfer our RDS CAL license set from one Remote Desktop licensing server to another,  in such cases we can remove installed CAL licenses pack from the current  licensing server using two methods.

  1. Using PowerShell commands.

Use the post-obit cmdlet, and  list all the installed RDS CAL packages on the server.

Find the KeyPackID value for the RDS CAL parcel that you want to remove and run the control. We tin can get the KeyPackID value from the Remote Desktop Licence Manager Itself.

         ii.  By Removing the RDS CAL database file.

To do this, stop the Remote Desktop Licensing service from the Windows Services section

Rename the file C:\Windows\System32\lserver\TLSLic.edb to C:\Windows\System32\lserver\TLSLic.edb_bak and offset the "remote desktop service" once more. That will delete  all the RDS CAL licenses in the server and we demand to reactivate them for further usage.

This web log article covered most of the  common options in the RDS CAL server. We hope this become informative  for those having similar needs. Go out your thoughts at the below comment box.

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