My understanding is that to run FLEXLM like licensing servers under windows, you need a SERVER OS and while a workstation OS like Windows 11 is technically perfectly able to run it, according to Microsoft TOS, EULA and whatever I tried to read it seems that using a workstation OS for server purposes is a violation of EULA and a possible compliance issue for the company.
I have a software vendor that claims that their license server could run on ANY windows OS and they say explicitly WINDOWS 11 is allowed.
I trust more Microsoft about Microsoft products licensing than a software vendor, so I inquired our Microsoft dealer about it. I do not know if and when they are going to reply us, so in the meantime I post the question here.
c. Restrictions. The device manufacturer or installer and Microsoft reserve all rights (such
as rights under intellectual property laws) not expressly granted in this agreement and
no other rights are licensed to you. For the avoidance of doubt, this license does not
give you any right to, and you may not (and you may not permit any other person or
entity to):
(…)
(v) use the software as server software or to operate the device as a server, except as
permitted under Section 2(d)(iii) below; use the software to offer commercial
hosting services; make the software available for simultaneous use by more than
one user over a network, except as permitted under Section 2(d)(vi) below; install
the software on a server for remote access or use over a network; or install the
software on a device for use only by remote users;
(…)
d. Multi-Use scenarios.
(…)
(iii) Device connections. You may allow up to 20 other devices to access the software
installed on the licensed device solely to use the following software features for
personal or internal purposes: file services, print services, Internet information
services, and Internet connection sharing and telephony services on the licensed
device. You may allow any number of devices to access the software on the
licensed device to synchronize data between devices. This subsection does not
mean, however, that you have the right to install the software, or use the primary
function of the software (other than the features listed in this subsection), on any
of these other devices.
(…)
Our Microsoft representative spoke:
WINDOWS 11 cannot be used for server purposes, like as a flexlm license server!
Only folder, printer and internet sharing are allowed up to 20 users.
Now I have to tell it to a certain local CAD maker that explicitly states their licensing service can be installed on Windows 11…as usual never blindly trust software makers.
This is a gray area. I know for a fact it does work on Windows 10/11. Even the Flexera documentation indicates it.
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Of course they can claim it works, from the technical point of view running a win32 or win64 service poses no problem at all. From a licensing point of view MS has the EULA they explained above and the clear client-server architecture of flexera et similar is not gray: they require a server side and license wise you should not host it on a windows 11 machine.
I asked MS and they stated their stance: a clear cut “no server use” unless the other cases stated above. (basically to share a printer and some document)
BTW I explained them our use case as distribution of floating licenses for CAD software in our correspondence.
As I stated it is a compliance issue, not a technical one. A limitation MS imposes on us.
My stance is: like it or not this is what MS is saying, you can be compliant running a linux distro instead or a hyper-V VM under the same windows server standard (you are allowed to run them up to two) or enterprise you are already paying.
One implication is that all the clients must be covered by the CAL license scheme to connect to the windows server. An organization already running a windows server on a domain has no additional licenses required, but for small companies it could be a way to out avoid a server machine, running it on the guise of a win11 client and it can serve more than 20 licensed hosts since floating licenses are not checked at the same time.
All to save 1,000USD that comes with 10 CALs and to use a non redundant hardware (used as a real client by “someone” because “it is a waste of resources”) until it leaves your organization without a CAD for days. (real story, until rebuild of a license machine, panic and the VAR inertia on response, engineers had to be sent home and design stopped)
Well, from a business standpoint, I would definetely go Windows Server OS for anything acting as a server. There could be other functionality you may need that Windows 11 doesn’t cover.
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