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Microsoft enterprise/SMB sales process (via channel partners) is a laughable disaster. Recent task: Run a Windows Server VM on Azure, with 4 remote desktop use

Microsoft enterprise/SMB sales process (via channel partners) is a laughable disaster. Recent task: Run a Windows Server VM on Azure, with 4 remote desktop users connecting in. Result: almost a MONTH of back and fourth with THREE different MSPs since none of them knew details of proper licensing. In fact, even Azure support did not know licensing terms and said just to contact the MSPs, who in turn advised we contact Azure support. In the end, after a couple of days of googling and reading obscure MSDN entries, we THINK we got the right licensing approach. Oh, and total cost difference between different MSPs on even such a small order was over 40%. Sadly, its currently a classic example of "please take my money" and the company doing everything in their power not to. Until microsoft clears up their licensing terms and makes pricing transparent, they will be hated.

rjbwork 10y ago
I'm slightly confused...you think the multiple users RDPing into it will cause an increase in cost if you go 100% legit? The price of the windows OS is priced into the Azure hosting costs. Windows vms are a bit more expensive than linux ones for this reason.
- taspeotis 10y ago
  Remote Desktop on Azure is a bit of a licensing nightmare. See this [1] old blog post: > Effective January 1, 2014, Volume Licensing customers who have active Software Assurance on their RDS User CALs are entitled to RDS CAL Extended Rights, which allow use of their RDS User CAL with Software Assurance against a Windows Server running on Windows Azure Licensing costs for Remote Desktop Services (not Azure RemoteApp) is not built-in to the virtual machine pricing. [1] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/luispanzano/2013/07/15/remote-desktop-services-are-now-allowed-on-windows-azure/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/luispanzano/2013/07/15/remo...
  - rjbwork 10y ago
    So... does that mean you can't RDP into your machine to do administrative stuff? EDIT: Oh i see, ONLY administrative stuff if you need more than 2 users.
    - taspeotis 10y ago
      The admin. connections are free of licensing restrictions, anything beyond that is a PITA (on Azure).
  - drglitch 10y ago
    Exactly right - you only get 2 admin RDP licenses with Azure Windows VM. More users requires running RD License Host and using either user or device RDS CALs (not to be confused with Server access CALs which ARE included with Azure cost). Further, extended rights enablement seems (to still) requires an active SA contract. To make matters worse (and this is unclear) you can only do RDS User CALs in Active Directory mode, but must use Device RDS CALs in workgroup mode, making an install scenario where a couple of users just want to share a desktop app (quickbooks, for example) a freaking nightmare. In essence, it seems that RDS licensing is currently targeted only at hybrid deployments (e.g. you're taking your RDS from on-premises to hybrid via SA/Extended Rights). As of this summer, it should be possible to also use RDS via SA/ExRights on AWS, which, ironically, costs materially less than Azure for a Windows Server license on top of decent hardware+ssds. Oh, and because its microsoft, every single possible combo of user/device/rds/sa/whatever licenses carries its own SKU. After this "exercise" I know far more than i ever wanted to about Microsoft licensing :(

rjbwork 10y ago

I'm slightly confused...you think the multiple users RDPing into it will cause an increase in cost if you go 100% legit? The price of the windows OS is priced into the Azure hosting costs. Windows vms are a bit more expensive than linux ones for this reason.

taspeotis 10y ago
Remote Desktop on Azure is a bit of a licensing nightmare. See this [1] old blog post: > Effective January 1, 2014, Volume Licensing customers who have active Software Assurance on their RDS User CALs are entitled to RDS CAL Extended Rights, which allow use of their RDS User CAL with Software Assurance against a Windows Server running on Windows Azure Licensing costs for Remote Desktop Services (not Azure RemoteApp) is not built-in to the virtual machine pricing. [1] https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/luispanzano/2013/07/15/remote-desktop-services-are-now-allowed-on-windows-azure/ https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/luispanzano/2013/07/15/remo...
- rjbwork 10y ago
  So... does that mean you can't RDP into your machine to do administrative stuff? EDIT: Oh i see, ONLY administrative stuff if you need more than 2 users.
  - taspeotis 10y ago
    The admin. connections are free of licensing restrictions, anything beyond that is a PITA (on Azure).
- drglitch 10y ago
  Exactly right - you only get 2 admin RDP licenses with Azure Windows VM. More users requires running RD License Host and using either user or device RDS CALs (not to be confused with Server access CALs which ARE included with Azure cost). Further, extended rights enablement seems (to still) requires an active SA contract. To make matters worse (and this is unclear) you can only do RDS User CALs in Active Directory mode, but must use Device RDS CALs in workgroup mode, making an install scenario where a couple of users just want to share a desktop app (quickbooks, for example) a freaking nightmare. In essence, it seems that RDS licensing is currently targeted only at hybrid deployments (e.g. you're taking your RDS from on-premises to hybrid via SA/Extended Rights). As of this summer, it should be possible to also use RDS via SA/ExRights on AWS, which, ironically, costs materially less than Azure for a Windows Server license on top of decent hardware+ssds. Oh, and because its microsoft, every single possible combo of user/device/rds/sa/whatever licenses carries its own SKU. After this "exercise" I know far more than i ever wanted to about Microsoft licensing :(