Datasheet

54 Chapter 1
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Planning for the Installation of Windows 7
Virtualization Licensing
If your company is considering a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution, you’ll need
to understand the licensing requirements. It’s important to realize that licenses are needed
for the virtual machines just as they are needed for a regular installation.
Virtual computers can be activated using MAK keys or KMS servers. In addition,
Microsoft recently announced the Virtual Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD), which
can be used specifically for VDI licensing. VECD allows an organization to license virtual
copies of Windows client operating systems at a lower cost than a full version of the oper-
ating system. VECD uses a device-based subscription license and is available with two
configurations:
VECD for Software Assurance (SA), currently priced at $23/year
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VECD, currently priced at $110/device/year
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Once VECD is purchased, you can deploy as many as four virtual desktops on any
single system. This doesn’t include the cost of the host operating system. The host operat-
ing system could be Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or other
operating systems.
VECD offers many benefits, including these:
Rights to move virtual machines between systems for increased reliability
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Unlimited backup of virtual machines
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Ability to access up to four running VM instances per device
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Rights to access corporate desktops from home for a user who has already been
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licensed at work
Licensing of Microsoft products can easily get complicated, and pricing often changes.
When you’re looking at purchasing licenses, you should locate a Microsoft Licensing
Specialist through a Microsoft partner.
Remember these two key points, however:
No additional licenses are needed to use Windows XP Mode with the built-in
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Windows XP client.
VECD includes licenses for up to four virtual machines.
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Summary
In this chapter, you learned about the different editions of Windows 7 that will be used in
an enterprise, including many of their different features and capabilities. Once Windows 7
is installed, you’ll often have to migrate users’ files and settings using an in-place, wipe-and-
load, or side-by-side migration. USMT can help with all types of migrations.
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