D&C Lug - Home Page
Devon & Cornwall Linux Users' Group

[ Date Index ][ Thread Index ]
[ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Linux in Schools - client licences



hi,

i work with MS products during the day and spend spare time working with 
linux.

the extra licenses required are called CAL - client access licence.  with 
NT4 you can choose to have per computer or per user.  we have just 
installed a windows 2000 server and when adding the CAL's we were not 
given the option.  there is a way of choosing which is the better one to 
use - but as with MS - they give the impression it is simple - but it is 
not.  it something to do with the ratio between the number of computers 
and the number of users - and the total number of each.  if you go over 
certain limits you can get discounted cost etc. as well.

when we install a SQL server database we have to add CAL's to enable the 
client windows computers access to the SQL server database.  but i'm not 
sure if these are just for SQL server or for accessing the server 
machine.  i've seen multiple computers logging on to a MS domain server 
when it had no CAL's installed.  but the terminal server program which 
allows users to run a virtual desktop from the server on the local 
windows machine reported license errors - but then dished up temporary 
licenses.  adding the CAL stopped this error being logged.  

windows 2000 networking is very different from NT4.  NT4 used netbios but 
win2K uses DNS to resolve local network names.  but - win2k is able to 
emulate an NT4 primary domain controller for backwardds compatibility.  
then again you have to be careful because 'trust' relationships are very 
different between NT4 and win2k.  

as you can tell - it is a mess.

linux effectively removes licensing issues because they are mostly Gnu 
Public License(GPL) and free for anyone to use.  this is a difficult 
point to get across to non open source people.  it is better and cheaper 
- as simple as that.

adam sounds like they have an excellent system setup and it should be 
used as a model for all schools.  if he could persuade them i'm sure he 
would be able to set up a fast server running applications like star/open 
office, browsers, email clients, databases, gimp etc.  and then could 
replace the client PC's with terminals costing approx £200/300 each.



...and... after spending 6/7 days trying to set up a Small Business 
Server (SBS 2000 which is win2k with extras) the only way my colleague 
can shut down the shared internet link is by unplugging the ISDN cable!!! 
 oh - and exchange server (email server) does not do what is says it will 
- and the 'service pack 2' (snorts) is 189MB.  i mean - if you have to 
get 189MB of (compressed) fixes what was right about the original!!!

i'm going to find that government RFC article mentioned in another 
posting and put the case for linux - we should all chip in because linux 
will save this country money (bill gates now has enough of our cash)  and 
more importantly we would have FAR more efficient computer systems.

kev

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 12/14/01, 10:31:29 AM, Adam Scott <ads@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote 
regarding Re: [LUG] Linux in Schools - client licences:


> Quoting Paul Sutton <psutton@xxxxxxxxxxx>:

> > Hi
> >
> > With regard to client licences,  NT server and Win2k,  how does the user 
/
> > client licencing situation work, I have the impression that if I have say
> > 15
> > user workstations I need to add 15 client licences to the server in order
> > for all of them to be able to connect,.  is this for each user account,  
or
> > just for each computer,

> You need to have one 'CAL' on your server for every computer that will be
> accessing the server.

> > in thinking that if I have a Linux server and 50 Nt work stations,  I 
only
> > need to pay for the NT software licences, and not have to pay a 
additional
> > fee for each client linked to the server.  (and of course the licences 
for
> > office and any other software I would want to use).

> Yes, If you have a Linux server running Samba you can do away with the 
NT/2000
> server and CAL's.  The only licence you will require is the copy of 
Windows and
> software on the clients.

> We have a Win 2K server (for political reasons only) running as our PDC, 
and
> then 4 Linux servers providing user areas, email, proxy, printing and
> multimedia.  The only licences on the servers are for the Win2k server.

> > I am not fully sure what the problem is,  and don't really understand
> > client
> > licences I have a very rough idea.  But a while back at the other school
> > where I work we added a 15 station computer suite and not all the 
children
> > could log on at the same time,  however I could log on to around 5 
machines
> > as me,  and so could the teacher as himself,  the technician had to add
> > clients to the server or something (NT with Win98 clients). and this 
fixed
> > the problem.

> There are two ways of addings CALS to the server, per 'seat' or something 
else
> but this changed with Windows 2000 i believe.


> Adam


> --
> Adam Scott
> Network Manager
> Pool School & Community College


> -----------------------------------------------------
>    Pool School & Community College ICT Department

> The school does not accept responsibility for the
> content of messages sent from this system.  Misuse
> of the service should be reported to...
>          postmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

>          http://www.pool.cornwall.sch.uk


> --
> The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
> Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
> message body to unsubscribe.

--
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
message body to unsubscribe.


Lynx friendly