Forum Discussion

Oletho's avatar
Oletho
Copper Contributor
Jun 20, 2019

Mixed licensing for WVD?

As far as I understand there are two ways of licensing a WVD user, either giving the user a M365 license or pointing the Windows 10 multisession host at a TS licensing host the old-fashioned way. Rig...
PieterWigleven's avatar
PieterWigleven
Former Employee
Jun 20, 2019
You cannot use Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session if a user is only licensed for Office. They need to be licensed for Windows. Either through E3, E5, Business, F1 or M365 E3/E5 Per User. What endpoints are you using? Is that Windows? If so, switching to Windows Per User licensing for everyone might be the best option.
Oletho's avatar
Oletho
Copper Contributor
Jun 20, 2019

So TS/RDS CALs is not an option? Now I am confused.

 

According to your blog “Getting started with Windows Virtual Desktop”:

 

Organizations with “Windows 10 Enterprise E3 Per User” licenses or better (e.g. Windows 10 Enterprise E5 or Microsoft 365 E3, E5, F1, or Business) or RDS CALs can use Windows Virtual Desktop for no additional charge apart from Azure compute/storage and network usage billing

 

In my POC tenant I have Windows 10, Mac and iOS endpoints. Some of my customers have M365 licenses, most have O365 and then some have mixed.

 

  • PieterWigleven's avatar
    PieterWigleven
    Former Employee
    Jun 20, 2019

    Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) is a combination of licensing entitlements (e.g free Windows 7 ESU) and net-new technology which includes the management plane featuring things like AAD support, reverse connect, broker, gateway. licensing etc.

     

    All of this is included with Windows 10 Enterprise E3 Per User” licenses or better (e.g. Windows 10 Enterprise E5 or Microsoft 365 E3, E5, F1, or Business) or RDS CALs.

     

    From that point on, WVD supports multiple operating systems as RDSH including Windows Client and Windows Server. You will need Per User Windows licenses for a client OS and RDS CALs for a Server OS.

     

    Hope this clarifies.

    • Bucklebery's avatar
      Bucklebery
      Copper Contributor
      Jun 24, 2019

       

      Please may I also ask for clarification?

      We are a non-profit and are hugely grateful for the help Microsoft give us with our Charity licences.

      Currently we have a:

      • an on prem Window Server 2012 using AD sync
      • a Azure Windows 2016 instance that our few users access.
      • E2 Licences for 365
      • Windows Remote Desktop Services - User CAL's

      BUT we only have 8 users - so this is rather cumbersome.

       

      So rather than unnecessarily messing with a server I wondered if I can use our existing E3 or using our Windows Remote Desktop Services - User CALto get access to  WVD  and make our live simpler?

      This would be the case for many non-profits that want to keep life simpler.

       

      Many thanks for your suggestions!

      • PieterWigleven's avatar
        PieterWigleven
        Former Employee
        Jun 24, 2019
        Could you help me understand the following: - What exact licenses do you have, Windows, Office and/or M365? - Is the Windows 2016 instance running in Azure?
    • Oletho's avatar
      Oletho
      Copper Contributor
      Jun 20, 2019
      Ah, sure got that wrong.

      Yes, this clarifies. Thanks!

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