Microsoft licensing

[mountainlou]

Nice.. 1st post! So I'm curious about Microsoft and what the big palm will want us to grease for licensing. I am an authorized service provider with MS for Hosted Exchange and per the SPLA we are liable to pay for a Windows SAL (Subscriber Access License, aka CAL in the corporate world) for each user mailbox, well in addition to the Exchange license. The reasoning I'm told is because of the Active Directory integration on the user level.

If this is the case and as I understand Enkompass integrates with the AD and we would be liable to pay for 1 Windows SAL per user account or on the corporate side (which I'm not too sure about) we would legally have to purchase 1 Windows CAL for each concurrent mailbox?

[Eric]

Howdy,

First off I'd like to say I am by no means a SPLA expert. Sure I use it, but I really get the feeling that no one understands it fully. That with the way it changes every quarter even if you do understand it it's going to change, often drastically.

That out of the way, Standard, Datacenter, and Enterprise editions all have a per CPU licensing that supports AD users. I'm pretty sure you still have to pay for SALS for Exchange users, but every little bit helps.

Thanks!

[vbtweb]

Nice.. 1st post! So I'm curious about Microsoft and what the big palm will want us to grease for licensing. I am an authorized service provider with MS for Hosted Exchange and per the SPLA we are liable to pay for a Windows SAL (Subscriber Access License, aka CAL in the corporate world) for each user mailbox, well in addition to the Exchange license. The reasoning I'm told is because of the Active Directory integration on the user level.

If this is the case and as I understand Enkompass integrates with the AD and we would be liable to pay for 1 Windows SAL per user account or on the corporate side (which I'm not too sure about) we would legally have to purchase 1 Windows CAL for each concurrent mailbox?

As far as I can see Enkompass doesn't support or use exchange. It requires the use of 3rd party mail programs, one of which can emunlate hosted exchange fairly well (push, active sync, outlook, etc.)

As far as CAL's go, I believe Enkompass manages it's users outside of AD. I have a test box up, and only one account on it, but I don't see the Cpanel User in AD. Most of Enkompass is running under the single account I created to install and associate services, so that would be one user. If I went live with Enkompass I'm sure I would license it per seat, not per client, which would be 0 - <5

[Eric]

Howdy,

Enkompass actually creates one user per web site owner account. That user is kept in the cPanel OU in AD. Since you're going to create a number of these it would be best to use per cpu licensing to avoid paying for SAL for each user.

Thanks!

[Cristi4n]

Hmm, I'm not an expert on SPLA either but from what I can understand is this:

Regardless of how you pay your Windows server (usually per CPU, and CPU means a physical processor and not one core, you do not pay per user accessing IIS or whatever) you need to pay for AD also.
Now, AD has unlimited users license for around $150 as I know.
Recently there were some major changes on SPLA that I do not fully understand exactly but your best shot is to ask a SPLA expert (not the Microsoft support, although they will help, they too will contact a SPLA exp)

For starters, just pay one or two Windows 2008 Web for 1 CPU (around $18) and any other Windows versions you need per CPU also, and that's it.

Install everything, including AD and after that contact MS or someone that knows exactly what this is about and see if you need to pay anything for AD. From what I also know you need to pay AD for Exchange also together with an Exchange account. But I may be wrong.

[webstyler]

Hello

We already offer Windows Hosting based on Microsoft SPLA / SAL

For linux we offer Cpanel and now would like evaluate Enkompass Vs Plesk.

MS Licensing is an important step.

Could be really use Spla unauthenticated also if AD is installed and in use ??

Uhm.. not sure.

This is important information because if the SAL x user is the only way the price is out of "all" agency that would offer Enkompass solutions..

All those information must be release fro Cpanel because Microsoft Rapresentative ask information about how software work for give right license, but they don't know Enkompass

So, pls, Cpanel done more information about Enkompass work with AD, or why, so anyone can get more info from microsoft

Thanks

[Cristi4n]

Just buy AD with unlimited users and you're good to go.

If you prefer to talk to Microsoft you can explain how the product works and I am sure they will tell you exactly what to buy.

[webstyler]

Just buy AD with unlimited users and you're good to go.

If you prefer to talk to Microsoft you can explain how the product works and I am sure they will tell you exactly what to buy.

AD unlimited users is not licensing under SPLA model, so can't be used from ISP to offer service as Enkompass

So, the only way by Microsoft is to use SAL, but this is a way too expensive

[cPanelThrash]

I'm far from a SPLA expert,but I was reading the following:

Service Providers - Microsoft

Processor License (CPU)
When licensing via the CPU licenses, an unlimited number of end users can use the software running on a single CPU for each CPU license acquired. Some products are not available to be licensed in the Processor mode. Benefits of the Per CPU Model include:

* CPU licenses are easier to monitor and count, which lowers the service provider's administrative costs.
* CPU licenses replace Internet Connector licenses, eliminating the need to distinguish between Internet, intranet, and extranet users.
* CPU licenses are economical across a variety of business scenarios where the utilization of the software may vary.

[webstyler]

I'm far from a SPLA expert,but I was reading the following:

Service Providers - Microsoft

Processor License (CPU)
When licensing via the CPU licenses, an unlimited number of end users can use the software running on a single CPU for each CPU license acquired. Some products are not available to be licensed in the Processor mode. Benefits of the Per CPU Model include:

* CPU licenses are easier to monitor and count, which lowers the service provider's administrative costs.
* CPU licenses replace Internet Connector licenses, eliminating the need to distinguish between Internet, intranet, and extranet users.
* CPU licenses are economical across a variety of business scenarios where the utilization of the software may vary.

Per Processor License (also called Unauthenticated license) could be use ONLY if user not use windows authentication model.
"Unlimited of end user" as on a web server the users that view site, manage ftp, etc..
A typical example is Microsoft Outlook that must absolutely licensed with SAL licensing x any user.

The issue here is AD and storage of users.. I have made a call of 2 hours with our microsoft rapresentative and the answers is:
- the users/accounts login with Enkompass by AD ?
- If I have a server with 10 accounts how many user is storage AD and how ?

Thanks

[Cristi4n]

@webstyler we had this problem a few years ago talked to a SPLA expert and it showed us the right path and of course it was cheap
The licensing changed until now but as I said before you can use AD with unlimited or with limited of course. And with the AD license you also need a per proc license / web server.
For example as far as I know Windows Web was made especially for hosting, you can't really buy SALs for it only per proc license and of course you can have as many users as you like although the users are actually in the AD.
Look at how some providers charge per Exchange account for example, is basically the same.
The safest way is to ask a SPLA expert especially an expert that knows about hosting and how it's done.

I know the "user/windows authentication" phrases from Microsoft, they mean something else, they (some Microsoft reprs) do not understand exactly how hosting works or what you really need. I also contacted Microsoft in my country but I end up meeting with a US MS rep that knew exactly what I want and explained everything to me.

You can also read the SPLA, but you will probably need a week to understand the basics, it's not very clear