How to Activate a Terminal Services License Server and Install CALs Over the Internet

There is a one-time activation of the license server and the license packs are then installed onto the license server. The Terminal Services server uses these licenses to track and allow/disallow client permissions to Windows 2000-based computers that have Terminal Services enabled.

To activate a Terminal Services licensing server, use the following steps.

NOTE : The following steps assume that Terminal Services is installed in Application Server mode. Application Server mode is similar to Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, with clients gaining access to the Terminal Server computer for shared resources and Microsoft BackOffice programs.

If Terminal Services is installed in Remote Administration mode, the Terminal Services licenses are not enforced because only the Administrator account and members of the Administrators group can connect to the Terminal Services computers using the Terminal Services client (by default), and only two members of the Administrators group can run a session at one time.

1. Click  Start, point to  Programs, point to  Administrative Tools, and then click  Terminal Services Licensing.
2. The  Terminal Services Licensing dialog box is displayed and the  All servers option is selected by default. Click the plus sign (+) to expand the Windows 2000 Terminal Services servers, and then click the name of the licensing server you want to activate.
3. On the  Action menu, click  Activate Server.

NOTE : The  Activate Server option is not available when the  All servers option is selected.

4. The Licensing wizard starts and the following items are displayed:
• Activated For
• Connection Method
• Licensing Program
• Product ID
5. The Product ID area is the only area that contains information at this point. The rest of the information is filled in during the wizard process. Click  Next.
6. In the  Connection Method area, click the connection method you want to use (Internet, World Wide Web, Fax, or Telephone) or click  Internetfor the default (you must have an existing Internet connection configured prior to this process to use the Internet option).

NOTE : The remainder of this article describes the Internet process.

7. Click  Next.
8. In the  License Programarea, click one of the following options:
• Microsoft Select or Microsoft Enterprise Agreement
• Microsoft Open License Program
• Other

NOTE : If you did not purchase your licenses from a channel distributor, you cannot continue this process. You cannot use this process to purchase licenses online; this process implements the "paper" licenses on the Terminal Services computer. The remainder of the article assumes that you choose the  Other option. Typically, this is the option to use when you purchase licenses through a retail store.

9. Click  Next.
10. The  Company Information dialog box is displayed. Fill in your corporate information on the two screens, and then click  Next.
11. The Microsoft Registration Authority and Clearinghouse server is detected and the  Completing the Processdialog box is displayed. The Registration Authority and Clearinghouse server sends the Personal Identification Number (PIN) through electronic mail to the e-mail address you provide; the activation cannot be completed without the PIN. You can choose from one of the following options for receipt of the PIN through e-mail:
• Complete the server activation process now (I already have my PIN) . Choose this option if the e-mail message with the PIN arrives quickly.
• Postpone completion of the process until the PIN arrives . Choose this option if you want to postpone the activation process for any reason (including delays in receiving the e-mail message containing the PIN).
• Restart the licensing process . Choose this option if you want to reset the activation process to its initial state. This option is useful if you never receive the e-mail message containing the PIN.
12. Choose one of the options above and click  Next, or wait until you receive the PIN, as described in the following step.
13. When you receive the PIN in an e-mail message, click  Complete the server activation process now (I already have my PIN), and then click  Next. The PIN e-mail looks like the following:

Electronic mailing from the Microsoft Terminal Services Activation with the subject "Terminal Services License Server Activation"
Thank you for activating your Terminal Services License Server with Microsoft.

This mail contains the PIN needed to complete the activation process. This PIN must be entered into the Licensing Wizard exactly as shown:

Your PIN: XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXX

This PIN is valid for the Terminal Services License Server with the following Product ID:

Product ID: 00000-270-8764055-60434

14. Type the PIN exactly as it is sent (or click the alphanumeric PIN, copy the PIN by pressing CTRL-C, and then press CTRL-V to paste the PIN into the wizard), and then click  Next.
15. The wizard locates the Microsoft Registration Authority and Clearinghouse server to activate the license server. If all information is typed correctly, the following  Completing the Licensing Wizarddialog box is displayed:

Status:
Your License server is successfully activated. To install license key packs now, click Next. To postpone license installation, clear the following check box, and then click Finish.
Check box for "Install licenses now" is checked by default.

Click  Next.

16. The following message is displayed:

Your license server has been activated. The wizard can now help you install license key packs.

17. Click  Next to install license packs.
18. You can now type the number of licenses that you want to track and enforce on this Terminal Services computer in the  Program and Client License Information dialog box. The steps in this article assume that you purchased licenses from a retail store. The license pack for Terminal Services CALs contains a license code, which you now need to type into the wizard. Type the information, and then click  Next.

NOTE : If you chose the Microsoft Select or Microsoft Enterprise Agreement option, an  Enrollment number box is displayed, and the Enrollment number is listed on the Select or Enterprise Agreement document that you purchased from Microsoft or a channel distributor. You need to locate that document and type the license code in the  Enrollment number box. If you chose the Microsoft Open License Agreement option, the  Authorization Number and  License Number boxes are displayed. Locate the document that you purchased from the channel distributor and type the Terminal Services CAL license code. If you chose either of these options, you must also supply information in the  Product Type and  Quantity boxes (in the  Product Type box, click  Terminal Services CAL or  Terminal Services Internet Connector). If you click  Next without typing a valid authorization/license number (for the Open License Agreement option) or enrollment number (for the Select or Enterprise Agreements option), the process is unsuccessful and an error message is displayed. If this happens, click  Back and type a valid number before you continue.

19. When the licenses packs are downloaded and are ready for use, the following dialog box is displayed:

Status:
"The new client license key pack has been successfully installed."

20. Click  Finish.
21. In the  Terminal Services Licensing dialog box, click the Terminal Services License server in the left pane, and the CALs or Internet Connector Licenses that you downloaded are displayed in the right pane.