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How we licence your VMs and access for Infrastructure-as-a-Service
Precedence is a member of the following programmes:
- Microsoft Service Provider Licencing Agreement (SPLA)
- Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP)
- Citrix Service Provider (also CSP)
Under these schemes, Precedence owns the licences and bills you on a monthly basis for using them.
How the operating systems in your virtual machines (VMs) are licensed depends on the operating system. Please see the relevant section below:
Microsoft Server
This covers all Microsoft Server operating systems, even those that are no longer supported. e.g.:
- Server 2019
- Server 2016
- Server 2012R2
- Server 2008R2
- Server 2003R2
Your monthly usage report will include a fee for Microsoft Server for every virtual machine that has been used in the preceding calendar month that had a Microsoft Server operating system installed on it.
Your virtual machines can be exported for use or backup elsewhere (another hosting provider or on your own premises). If you do this, you are responsible for ensuring that the operating systems are licensed correctly; for the avoidance of doubt, once the operating system has left our datacentres it is no longer licensed. Versions 2008R2 and above will use KMS licencing and so will either activate from your own KMS server or will show themselves as unlicensed after a period of time (180 days maximum).
Microsoft Desktop
Microsoft Desktop operating systems that will run on our platform include:
- Windows 10
- Windows 8/8.1
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP
Licensing a Microsoft Desktop operating system is significantly more complicated than a Server operating system. The following guides cover this and are referenced in the notes below:
Some points to note:
- Your own copy of Windows on your computer does not cover you to run Windows on any other machine (guide 1, page 2):
[These license terms] do not provide use rights for accessing Windows running remotely in a virtual OSE (Operating System Environment) from the licensed device. [...] OEM licenses do not permit remote access to a Windows virtual machine running in a data center. - Downgrades for commercially licensed Windows include every Enterprise or Professional operating system including Windows 2000 Professional as well as Windows 95/98/NT (guide 2, pages 14 and 15)
- An OEM licence for Windows 10 covers you for Windows 7 and 8.1, but not any earlier operating systems (guide 2, pages 14 and 15)
- As virtual desktops can be accessed on any type of device (including ones not running Windows, e.g. iOS), then Windows VDA per User subscription gives you the ability to access a virtual desktop (VDI) from any device (guide 1, page 3).
If you were to license every user with Windows VDA per User, every user would have access to Windows Enterprise without the need to track the operating system license(s)on the user’s device(s) - (guide 2, page 12)
With Windows VDA per User, you must declare to us the users that you want to make Windows Desktop available to in the upcoming month. Actual usage is not taken into account. Note this is different to all the other licences described on this page (which are all invoiced after they are used).
Your virtual machines can be exported for use or backup elsewhere (another hosting provider or on your own premises). If you do this, you are responsible for ensuring that the operating systems are licensed correctly; for the avoidance of doubt, once the operating system has left our datacentres it is no longer licensed. Images containing Windows Vista and above will use KMS licencing and so will either activate from your own KMS server or will show themselves as unlicensed after a period of time (180 days maximum). Images of earlier operating systems (e.g. Windows XP or 95) will have been activated by a key and should not ask for re-activation (unless they determine the hardware has significantly changed), but nonetheless you are responsible for ensuring you are licensed to use them.
Citrix ADC and Gateway
If you have a private network on our infrastructure, then Citrix ADC and Gateway are licensed per instance. However, if in an active/passive high-availability pair, only a single licence is needed (if active/active, both members must be separately licensed). Your monthly report will show the number of instances you used in the previously calendar month. You may change your edition or licensed bandwidth as desired, you will invoiced for the highest edition or bandwidth used in the month
Linux, NetBSD, etc.
Free operating systems have no licence cost. You will only be charged for the actual hosting.