Microsoft KB Archive/301932

= Terminal Services Licensing service discovery =

Article ID: 301932

Article Last Modified on 12/3/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q301932





SUMMARY
This article describes the Terminal Services Licensing service discovery methods that are used by Windows Server 2003-based servers.



Workgroup or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Domain
If a server that has Terminal Server enabled is a member of workgroup or a Windows NT 4.0 domain, there are two methods that you can use to discover a Terminal Services Licensing server. After a Terminal Services Licensing server is located, the discovery process stops.

Method 1: LicenseServers Registry Key Query
A server that has Terminal Server enabled first queries any servers that are listed in the LicenseServers registry key that is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

279561 How to Override the License Server Discovery Process in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

Method 2: Mailslot Broadcast
A server that has Terminal Server enabled issues a mailslot broadcast. All Terminal Services Licensing servers that receive the broadcast respond. The server that has Terminal Server enabled then selects one of the Terminal Services Licensing servers at random.

Microsoft Windows Server Domain
If the server that has Terminal Server enabled is member of a Windows Server-based domain, there are three methods that you can use to discover a Terminal Services Licensing server. After a Terminal Services Licensing server is located, the discovery process stops.

Method 1: LicenseServers Registry Key Query
A server that has Terminal Server enabled first queries any servers that are listed in the LicenseServers registry. This registry key is described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

279561 How to Override the License Server Discovery Process in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services

NOTE: You can now run the Terminal Services Licensing service on member servers and on domain controllers. If the service runs on a member server, you must implement the LicenseServers registry key because the discovery process cannot locate it.

Method 2: Enterprise License Server Query
A server that has Terminal Server enabled queries the Active Directory directory service site for the following object, where  is the name of the site in which the server that has Terminal Server enabled resides, and   is the domain name that the server that has Terminal Server enabled is a member of:

LDAP://CN=TS-Enterprise-License-Server,CN= ,CN=sites,CN=configuration,DC= ,DC=com

Method 3: Domain License Server Query
A server that has Terminal Server enabled queries all domain controllers in the site. If no Terminal Services Licensing servers are found in the same site, the search ends. Use Method 1 to specify the license server.