VMware Horizon Community
ir1shm1ike
Contributor
Contributor

Licenses for XP Transfer from Desktop to ESX?

If I purchased 20 Dell Desktops my Users are currently using, and I am going to replace those desktops with Thin-Clients, and wipe the desktops clean and trash them.......do my XP Licenses that were on those desktops I still have and I can use them on my ESX for VDI machines...so I would transfer them from PC to VDI? Is that possible?

Reply
0 Kudos
12 Replies
mreferre
Champion
Champion

Unfortunately this is going to break the license. What you are using is an OEM license bound to the desktop. I am afraid you have to buy 20 new "retail" licenses to do that.

Massimo.

Massimo Re Ferre' VMware vCloud Architect twitter.com/mreferre www.it20.info
Reply
0 Kudos
paramd
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

The OEM licenses are tied to desktop hardware and are not transferable.

For what you want to do, you need a fully packaged product (FPP) licenses for Windows XP or a volume licensing agreeement for Windows XP licenses.

Reply
0 Kudos
TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

Speak to your MS rep, they may be able to do a deal, it may be cheaper to get a SA deal of some sort.

You are not legally allowed to transfer OEM licenses between machines.

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
Reply
0 Kudos
benoit_a
Contributor
Contributor

We are planning to use VDI for remote access, for Fat application access(replacing our current Citrix Farm) So our users keep their internal PC for regular day work.

Question:

Could I share my existing MS licences between my internal desktop and my virtual desktop or I need to buy a different subset of licences (OS,CAl, Office etc) for my virtual desktop? This kill my buisiness case!

Thanks!

Reply
0 Kudos
Peter_vm
Immortal
Immortal

Could I share my existing MS licences between my

internal desktop and my virtual desktop or I need to

buy a different subset of licences (OS,CAl, Office

etc) for my virtual desktop? This kill my buisiness

case!

Wrong forum. Ask MicroSoft.

Reply
0 Kudos
paramd
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Microsoft response....

Point 6: Desktop Virtualization

VMware claims that Microsoft is inhibiting desktop virtualization through its license terms in the Windows EULA and by not licensing Windows OEMs to ship Windows in a virtual machine.

Microsoft response to customers

• The primary virtualization use cases on the desktop are with business customers and enthusiasts.

• Windows Vista Enterprise Edition allows the user to have 4 installs of Windows in virtual machines, and users can install and use Windows Vista Business Edition and Windows Vista Ultimate in a virtual machine.

• The Windows Vista Home editions cannot be licensed for installation in a virtual machine. These policies apply equally to all virtualization software, including use of Windows in a virtual machine on Microsoft’s own Virtual PC and Virtual Server products.

• OEMs are licensed to ship Windows in a virtual machine.

• We continually evaluate our licensing policies based on customer and partners input.

Bottom line: Interpret the way you want and talk to MS. In my opinion, customers should have the right to decide where they want to put their money and time better, not Microsoft.

Reply
0 Kudos
benoit_a
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for the fast answers!

I already sent the questions to Microsoft rep...

As far as i Know there an agrement in the Office licensing to allow an Office installation on user personal PC if you have a Microsoft Enterprise agreement (EA) licensing model. Im not sure that this agreement could apply to virtual desktop.

I know that such questions should be answered by Microsoft but like i kn ow that a lot of you already did VDI business cases for large enterprise...

Sometime even Microsoft experts are not sure about their licensing rules...

As soon as I get the answers from them i will post the forum.

(On another post i found interresting information about RDP licensingm, good to know)

Thanks again for your inputs!

Reply
0 Kudos
devzero
Expert
Expert

>The OEM licenses are tied to desktop hardware and are not transferable.

isn`t that something being handled very different, depending on the country you`re living in ?

Reply
0 Kudos
paramd
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

That's possible. Best things to do is send an email to your Microsoft rep. and say - I want to go VDI. Work out an agreement with them and push forward.

Microsot licensing is also tied to their Products Use Right documents. So it is best to ask/tell them.

Reply
0 Kudos
TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

Have a read of this little gem that Mass posted from MS

http://news.com.com/MicrosoftlicensesVistafordiskless+PCs/2100-1016_3-6172269.html?tag=html.alert

Apparently you can now purchase licenses for Virtual or as MS term them Diskless workstations, (where have i heard that term before?)

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
Reply
0 Kudos
heybuzzz
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

benoit.a -

Did you hear anything back? Thanks

Reply
0 Kudos
jagripino
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Microsoft licensing is also tied to their Products Use

Right documents. So it is best to ask/tell them.

Yes, and the PUR changes every few months, sometimes with good news to the licensing customers. It's all terribly complicated though, you should definitely check with Microsoft or with your Microsoft Licensing reseller and post the feedback you get here.

Reply
0 Kudos