Microsoft KB Archive/279561

= How to override the license server discovery process in Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services =

Article ID: 279561

Article Last Modified on 3/1/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
 * Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)

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This article was previously published under Q279561



Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry



SUMMARY
This article describes how to override the license server discovery process in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services.



MORE INFORMATION
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

To select a specific license server for use with various Windows Terminal Services servers in a domain or site, you can modify the registry to point to a particular license server. You can specify that all Terminal Services servers work with a particular license server for accounting purposes. A Terminal Services server and the license server can reside in different domains. Microsoft recommends that you use the LicenseServers registry key to reduce any issues with the Terminal Server licensing discovery process.

Note The license servers and the terminal servers should be in the same domain or the servers should be in domains that trust each other.

Note If you select license servers in a different forest or workgroup, you must apply a hotfix. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

905687 A Windows Server 2003-based terminal server in a forest cannot obtain a license from a license server in a different forest

A Windows Server 2003-based terminal server in a forest cannot obtain a license from a license server in a different forest.

Note The location and method involving the registry have changed from Microsoft Windows 2000.

To select a specific license server, follow these steps, and then quit Registry Editor.  Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. Locate and then click the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TermService\Parameters

 On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key. Name the new key &quot;LicenseServers&quot; Locate and then click the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\TermService\Parameters\LicenseServers

 For each licensing server to which you would like to point the Terminal Services server, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click Key.</li> Name the new key &quot; &quot; where  is the NetBIOS name of the license server that you want to use, and then press ENTER.

Note The new key name can be any of the following designations that represent the license server: <ul> The NetBIOS name of the server</li> The fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the server</li> The IP Address of the server</li></ul> </li> Restart your computer.</li></ol>

The selection of a specific license server enables administrators to select a license server at a site and to have Terminal Services servers from various domains located at the same site. This enables the Terminal Services servers to use one license server, instead of requiring a local license server for each domain.

Currently, Terminal Services servers work with license servers in their own domain, which may force them to use wide area network (WAN) links to find a license server, even if there is a license server from another domain located at the same site. The preceding method enables the crossing of domains for license tracking and accounting purposes. Microsoft Windows 2000 uses a different registry value to specify a license server.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

239107 Establishing preferred Windows 2000 Terminal Services license server

Keywords: kbinfo KB279561

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