VM Template with MS Licensing

[royberk]

Im not sure that this belongs in here, but I have no access to other areas so here it goes.

I am building a Win 7 template.

My issue is not with Win 7 itself, but with MS Office (+other apps)

I create an image.

Install MS Office , MS SQL Server etc.

Before I convert to template do I enter in the Valid License key and then clone the machine 100 times or create linked clones? (Essentually using the same license 100 times)

Do I use the eval license until we clone the machine 100 times or create linked clones and then enter the license once the cloned machine is created? (Using a different license 100 times but not having a machine ready at startup)

Do I not enter in any license and enter in the valid license once the machine is ready after cloning?

How does MS view license usage on Software not server related via VM?

Any insight would be appreciated.

[Linjo]

This can be tricky and is depending on the software and the license-scheme.

For example with MS Office 2010 there are a KMS server you can use to activate and run the software.

Other software have other licensing-schemes that needs to be fulfilled.

Most software vendors have a licensing model that can be implemented with these kind of solutions and its basically the same problem if you are ghosting, using terminal services or VDI.

Another advice I can give you is to have a look at application virtualisation in combination with View, one of those are included in View Premier. (ThinApp).

ThinApp makes it much easier to deploy, manage and update your applications

// Linjo

[royberk]

Does anyone have any other examples of what they do with their templates?

I wouldnt think that making an image with a license included is legal as you are essentially using the one license for many VMs.

How do you all do it?

[royberk]

Anyone?