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Windows 2008 Editions?

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semaja2

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Hi Guys,

We are looking at deploying this to a site that would potentially having upwards of 50 simultaneous calls, and we are trying to choose a Windows 2008 edition that will meet the need.

I would like to deploy Windows 2008 Standard Edition but we must give the client the option for a lesser, has anyone used Web or Foundation editions? What are the limitations in these?
 
I'm working on an article about the different versions of wWndows Server for use with Windows pbx's. Also licensing issues.

Windows Foundation Server will work fine IF you need no more tht 15 Active Directory users in the network domain that the Foundation server is joined to. Otherwise Foundation is the same as Standard Server. (There is the possibility of not joining the foundation server to the domain to avoid this, but it kind of defeats the purpose of a managed network--)

Web server is meant for a web server. One role it is not meant for is file sharing and "application sharing". In this case the server may do it but I'm not getting a clear on licensing which may be more the issue.

Chart: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/r2-compare-roles.aspx

"Windows Web Server 2008 can be used solely to deploy Internet-accessible Web pages, Web sites, Web applications, Web services, and POP3 mail serving"

I've also been in a discussion with Microsoft on CAL's required for deskphones connecting a PBX running on a Windows Server. The licesning specialist I talked to was adamant that devices using an application running on a Windows Server require a CAL. (at the moment I have the verifying this is the case) IF this is the case (and I hope not ;-) then Windows 7 Pro may be a better than Windows Server for a Windows pbx like 3CX. In all reality in most SMB senarios users will already have a CAL and if CAL's are allocated "per user" they would cover the deskphone fine making this a moot point.

Matt Landis
 
From my research it appears that the Foundation edition does not permit being installed under ESX etc?

Whilst I would like the idea of a managed network, I believe when we deploy our 3CX systems we will be using them as standalone systems to increase security and reduce costs etc.

So really by the looks of it either edition will be fine, but both have their cavets on issues such as virtualisation, AD implementation etc...

PS. I dont see why you would need CALs for a specific application use? Does this mean all web servers that run IIS out there have 1000 CALs installed? :S
 
mattlandis said:
I've also been in a discussion with Microsoft on CAL's required for deskphones connecting a PBX running on a Windows Server. The licesning specialist I talked to was adamant that devices using an application running on a Windows Server require a CAL. (at the moment I have the verifying this is the case) IF this is the case (and I hope not ;-) then Windows 7 Pro may be a better than Windows Server for a Windows pbx like 3CX. In all reality in most SMB senarios users will already have a CAL and if CAL's are allocated "per user" they would cover the deskphone fine making this a moot point.

Matt Landis

Now this is very interesting, and I'd like to hear an official reply from 3CX on this if possible !.

When a user has a desk phone connected to 3CX this is not accessing a shared folder on the server, you're not running a Remote Desktop session, or any of the traditional services that requires a CAL. At most you'll be accessing IIS for My Phone and IVR (?), and as you are not authenticating against Active Directory you're not consuming any CAL's.

To quote an MS MVP...

'if you don't intend to authenticate users as Windows users then you don't need any additional CALs. The external connector license only applies if you need to have users connect to your server as Windows users, say through terminal services or file/print shares.'

... so I think that the Microsoft representative was being a little extreme here, however,
 
So let me sum up:
-If you have CALs already allocated by user (so then they would cover PC, mobile device, deskphone) NO problem--no matter how you slice it.
-If you have a high concentration of phones without PC (and therefore no CAL's) is where the CAL question even comes up. In a retail senerio, say big grocery store, it could.

We did discuss at length that the devices were not consuming any Windows Services (no file&print, no mssql,no RDP, etc [DHCP is exempt]) but that the application is merely running on a Windows Server.

What I would want is a Microsoft rep that will go on record clarifying this and giving referencing source for the reason. The one I talked to was known enough they didn't want their name mentioned because they didn't want "a hord of geeks clogging email with messages containing Microsoft spelled with dollar signs." ;-)

So to get back the originial question:
-I wouldn't get foundation server for 50 user system because it is designed for 15 users
-Web Edition would likely technically work if the system is not primary server (no AD) and if licesning requirements filled.
-Standard of course will work.
-And...good ole Windows 7 will work too.
 
NO Cals are needed for the application. Official answer. Web Edition is $300ish and our preferred platform for 3CX IIS installs. You have no need for active directory on the 3CX server and you can still import users from a DC on your network from another server if needed.
 
sigma1 said:
NO Cals are needed for the application. Official answer.

I have to ask, offical answer from whom ?, Microsoft or 3CX ?.

I'm being a little pedantic here, as we all know that this is the case, however you can't just state that this is official without providing any references.
 
We are a MS Gold Partner and we reserached this issue extensively with MS.

A Windows Server 2008 CAL is required when a user or device accesses or uses the Windows Server 2008 server software. However, if access is through the Internet and is anonymous (for example, when browsing a public Web site), a Windows Server CAL is not required. Also, if that user is an external user, another option is to acquire an External Connector license. See the Windows External Connector License section below for more detail. Further information is available at the External Connector License Overview. Further to this Windows Server 2008 CALs are not required if you are using Windows Server 2008 R2 solely as a virtualization host. The only exception to this is if you are running Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual machines, which would require Windows Server 2008 CALs. If you deploy Windows Server 2003 virtual machines onto Windows Server 2008 R2, you do not require Windows Server 2008 CALs for your virtual machine users. (You will still require CALs for your appropriate Windows Server edition, in this case, for Windows Server 2003) This is only true if the Windows Server 2008 R2 in the physical operating system environment is running the Hyper-V server role.

Key concept "anonymous". You do not need to create an account within the OS (Activer directory or otherwise) and you use none of the Windows software features (no file sharing etc). All you use is IIS in anonymous mode....
 
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