This article provides an end-to-end example for SAM managers and Snow administrators on managing applications installed on Terminal Services (TS). It highlights best practices for handling applications licensed per installation in a TS environment and guides on using and configuring Snow License Manager for accurate compliance.

The process below demonstrates how to manage Office Standard in Snow License Manager, ensuring correct visibility for compliance purposes. Office Standard is used as the example application because it’s commonly accessed by multiple users/devices across an organization.

1. Initial configuration for visibility and compliance Citrix, TS, and RDS applications are monitored by default from Snow Inventory Client 3.5 and higher (current version: 5.4). Usage from remote devices is managed and calculated separately by Snow License Manager, visible on applications with a TS- prefix, for example, TS-Microsoft Office 2013 Standard as shown below.

2. Change the license form for TS applications By default, the license form Based on installations is used for all applications in Snow License Manager. To observe the number of devices using a TS application, modify the license form on the TS application.

3. Configure application licensing settings In this example, the application was edited to change the License form from Installations to Total Devices, setting the metering period to Continuous for the last 90 days. This configuration calculates the license requirement based on how many devices accessed the application in the terminal server environment, which is in line with Office Standard licensing rules. You can also exclude servers running the TS application from the compliance calculation.

4. Understand license requirements post-configuration After changing the license form and recalculating compliance, the license requirement may change significantly. In this example, it increased from 21 to 1215, with 9 devices discounted as they fall outside the 90-day compliance metric. Monitoring these applications carefully is essential due to dynamic changes in the software estate.

5. Enable secondary use rights If permitted by the vendor software agreement, exclude devices with a local installation by enabling secondary use rights. Secondary use rights allow users to access an application using a second device, typically a laptop.

6. Exclude instances hosted on Terminal Server After enabling secondary use rights, Snow License Manager will identify and exclude devices with a local installation of Microsoft Office Standard, highlighting the number of devices suppressed for compliance calculations.

7. Add licenses for TS applications Add the Microsoft Office Standard licenses to cover all applications installed on the TS. Select the application TS-Microsoft Office 2013 Standard, with License Type shown as per Devices, and add the required number of licenses.

8. Recalculate compliance After changing the license form, adding licenses, and recalculating compliance, the license requirement reflects the correct number of devices (from 21 to 1206) and shows the application as fully compliant. Over time, more devices may fall outside the 90-day metering period, affecting compliance values. Continuous monitoring is crucial to maintain compliance.