Chapter 21

Taking Advantage of BackOffice Server Integration

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This chapter covers the following topics:

Microsoft has acquired about 90 percent of the market for Windows productivity application suites with Microsoft Office. The success of the bundled Office applications led the firm to take a similar approach to market its server-based products. Microsoft announced the BackOffice "Integrated Information System" on September 21, 1994, with the release of Windows NT 3.5. Press reports credit Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's executive vice president, as the originator of the BackOffice name. An ebullient Ballmer decreed 1995 to be the "Year of BackOffice." In retrospect, Ballmer missed the mark by about a year; BackOffice didn't gain real marketing momentum until 1996.

Robert McDowell, Microsoft's vice president for enterprise systems, said in the spring of 1996 that the BackOffice suite of products was selling at a rate of $1 billion per year, more than tripling sales in the preceding six months. Annualizing Microsoft's $2.2 billion in sales achieved during the first calendar quarter of 1996 (Microsoft's third fiscal quarter), sales of the BackOffice suite are running at about 11.5 percent of Microsoft's gross income. The growth rate of BackOffice sales, however, exceeds that of Microsoft's overall sales, which grow roughly 40 percent per year. Thus, Ballmer's 1994 goal of a 25 percent contribution by BackOffice components to Microsoft's 1999 total income appears realistic.

Microsoft offers BackOffice as a "full package product," also called an SKU (stock-keeping unit), but BackOffice is better categorized as a concept. The BackOffice bundle, version 2.0 when this book was written, has limited utility in production environments due to its single-server licensing restriction. The BackOffice concept uses Windows NT Server's built-in domain architecture, security system, and application server capabilities to support various integrated back-end services. Full integration of each component with Windows NT Server, including providing a single user logon for all services, is what has made the BackOffice concept a commercial success.

Aiming at a Moving BackOffice Target

The current version of Microsoft BackOffice is a suite consisting of the following bundled components:

The preceding list demonstrates that BackOffice, as a retail product, is in a constant state of flux. Synchronizing the release of updated BackOffice components for a specific product version number appears to be a difficult, if not impossible, task. Component synchronization problems plagued users of early versions of Microsoft Office; release problems finally appear to be overcome in Office 97. Most users don't want to wait for simultaneous upgrades to every BackOffice component before being able to take advantage of the features offered by a new release of System Management Server or SNA Server. Complex business issues, such as incremental upgrade pricing for server and client licenses, impede administration of sites using the BackOffice bundle.

Internet Information Server 2.0 is the subject of Chapter 19, "Setting Up the Internet Information Server," and Chapter 20, "Administering Intranet and World Wide Web Sites." SQL Server 6.5 is covered in Chapter 22, "Running Microsoft SQL Server 6.5." Chapter 23, "Messaging with Microsoft Exchange Server," introduces you to Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0, and Chapter 24, "Administering Clients with System Management Server," describes how to use SMS 1.1 and 1.2.

SNA Server is a specialized server application and is beyond the scope of this book, which is limited to conventional PCs. A brief discussion of SNA Server 2.11 appears in Chapter 17, "Integrating Windows NT with Heterogeneous Networks."

See "Integrating Windows NT in IBM SNA Environments," (Ch 17)

The frequent changes to BackOffice components and Microsoft's Byzantine upgrade licensing policies make buying a Microsoft "software insurance policy" (described later in "The Annuity Model for BackOffice Upgrades" section) a wise investment for most BackOffice users.

In addition to the standard BackOffice components of the preceding list, the following Internet-related Windows NT Server applications were in various stages of development and testing when this book was written:

Several of the components in the preceding list are likely to gain official status as full-fledged members of the BackOffice suite. Although Catapult was in beta test in the fall of 1996, Microsoft's BackOffice Web page (http://www.microsoft.com/backoffice/) already sported a Proxy Server tab. Index Server, like Internet Information Server, is likely to be included as a component of a future version of Windows NT. Media Server, Merchant Services, and Normandy, which have a much narrower market than Proxy Server and Index Server, probably will remain outside the mainstream BackOffice server suite.

Licensing BackOffice Components

Microsoft sells Windows NT Server 4.0 and other BackOffice components through authorized Microsoft resellers, which include virtually all major software distributors. Large firms qualify to buy directly from Microsoft. Microsoft and its resellers offer quantity discounts, as well as discounted competitive upgrades for current users of NetWare and Banyan VINES. Academic licenses are available at about 60 percent of the commercial price. Microsoft commercial pricing examples shown in the following sections were effective for U.S. purchasers in mid-1996, and may vary depending on the reseller you choose and your negotiation skills.

For a referral to an authorized Microsoft reseller, call Microsoft at (800) 426-9400.

Per-Seat vs. Per-Server Licensing

Before the introduction of BackOffice, Microsoft priced Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 and Microsoft SQL Server 4.21 by the number of client connections. Both server products offered "Enterprise" versions that allowed connection of an unlimited number of clients, without the requirement to buy individual client licenses. With the introduction of BackOffice 1.0, however, Microsoft adopted a per-seat licensing system with a per-server option available for some components. The difference between per-seat and per-server licensing is as follows:

Per-seat licensing is the most common choice for larger organizations running multiple Windows NT servers. Per-seat licensing also is the easiest to administer; you count the number of client PCs and buy that many Client Access Licenses for Windows NT Server and each BackOffice server application you run.

Per-server licensing is advantageous under the following circumstances:

You don't need a Client Access License to remotely administer another computer with Performance Monitor, Server Manager, or User Manager for Domains. Local logon to the server through the built-in Workstation service doesn't require a Client Access License.

The preceding scenarios assume that you use NetWare or another network operating system for file and printer sharing. If you use Windows NT Server only for hosting SQL Server, Exchange Server, and/or SNA Server, and use another network operating system for communication with the service, the Windows NT server is called an application server and doesn't require Windows NT Client Access Licenses. You must have a Client Access License, either per-seat or per-server, for each service you run.

A Client Access License isn't software; it's a document. Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, and Windows NT Workstation each include the required client software to connect to Windows NT Server. The distribution CD-ROMs for BackOffice components include the required client software for the service.

BackOffice Server and Client Access Licenses

BackOffice server and BackOffice Client Access Licenses are sold as separate full-package products (SKUs) at a substantial discount (in the range of 30 percent to 40 percent) from the combined prices of the individual components. The full value of the discount, however, is attained only if each of your clients uses every component of BackOffice. For most users, the BackOffice bundle discount is illusory.

Like Microsoft Office, all the BackOffice server components are licensed to run only on a single machine and are restricted to per-seat licensing. Similarly, the BackOffice Client software is licensed for installation on one PC. You aren't permitted to pool BackOffice client licenses among client PCs on your network. Detailed information on licensing terms and conditions, as well as prices, for BackOffice server and Client Access Licenses is available at http://www.microsoft.com/backoffice/howtobuy.htm.

Microsoft recommends BackOffice for the following types of customers:

The WAN-connected branch office scenario is the most likely to show a potential saving by implementing BackOffice. Small businesses seldom have need for SNA Server and aren't likely to devote the administrative resources necessary to implement System Management Server. For client/server development, the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) offers a yearly Enterprise Subscription (formerly Level 2) that includes quarterly releases of BackOffice (the BackOffice Test Platform) with licenses for five simultaneous connections. The subscription includes special Premium Shipments for BackOffice upgrades between the quarterly releases. The $1,499 for the Enterprise Subscription represents a substantial discount from the ERP (estimated retail price) for BackOffice with five Client Access Licenses. More information on MSDN subscriptions is available from http://www.microsoft.com/msdn/msdnprog.htm.

Buying BackOffice to achieve savings resulting from the use of only two BackOffice services on a single server is a marginal proposition, at best. The value of your time spent analyzing such potential savings is unlikely to be recovered by the actual reduction in licensing cost.

Windows NT 4.0 License Packages and Cost

Windows NT Server 4.0 is available in five-user and 10-user versions. Table 21.1 lists the theoretical licensing costs for typical numbers of clients connected to a single Windows NT Server 4.0 installation. Volume discounts available through Microsoft Open Licensing Pack (MOLP) purchases aren't applied to the amounts shown in table 21.1. Total and per-client costs for 50 or more clients are approximate. Further licensing details are available at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/howbuy.htm.

Table 21.1 Approximate Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for Typical Windows NT Server Installations

Number of Clients
License 5 10 25 50 100 250
Server $809 $1,129 $809 $1,129 $809 $1,129
Clients N/A N/A 659 1,318 3,130 7,198
Total 809 1,129 1,468 2,447 3,939 9,037
Per Client 162 113 59 49 39 36

There's no explanation for the $320 cost difference between the five-client and 10-client versions of Windows NT Server 4.0. This difference represents a cost of $64 each for the additional five clients. Single-quantity client licenses are priced at $39.95, about $120 less than the incremental licensing of five clients. There's also no obvious explanation for Microsoft's fascination with the number nine as the terminal digit for pricing its BackOffice components. The $39.95 price for a single Client Access License suggests that consumer product price-pointing may have crept into the process.

SQL Server 6.5 Licensing

Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 is available in five-user, 10-user, and 25-user versions. Table 21.2 lists Microsoft's published costs (May 1996) for typical numbers of clients connected to a single SQL Server. Microsoft Open Licensing Pack (MOLP) purchases and volume discounts are applicable for 50 clients or more. For the latest information on SQL Server 6.5 licensing, check http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howbuy.htm. Microsoft also offers SQL Workstation that runs on Windows NT Workstation and provides only a single connection.

Table 21.2 Approximate Total Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for SQL Server 6.5*

Number of Clients
License 5 10 25 50 100 250
Server $1,399 $1,999 $3,999 $1,399 $1,399 $1,399
Clients N/A N/A N/A 6,200 11,780 30,380
Total 1,399 1,999 3,999 7,599 13,179 31,779
Per Client 280 200 160 152 132 127

*Amounts shown were published by Microsoft in May 1996.

The $2,999 Internet Connector License Pack for SQL Server is required if a Web server (Microsoft Internet Information Server or any other Web server) is populated from SQL Server data. Population includes the use of the Internet Database Connector, dbWeb, or the SQL Server Web Assistant with SQL Server.

Exchange Server 4.0 Licensing

Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0, like SQL Server 6.5, comes in five-user, 10-user, and 25-user versions. Table 21.3 lists Microsoft's published costs (May 1996) for typical numbers of clients connected to a single Exchange server. Microsoft Open Licensing Pack (MOLP) purchases and volume discounts are applicable for 50 clients or more. For pricing details on all versions of Exchange server, check http://www.microsoft.com/Exchange/howbuy/pricing1.htm.

Table 21.3 Approximate Total Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0*

Number of Clients
License 5 10 25 50 100 250
Server $999 $1,369 $2,139 $999 $999 $999
Clients N/A N/A N/A 2,700 5,130 13,230
Total 999 1,369 2,139 3,699 6,129 14,229
Per Client 200 137 85 74 61 57

*Amounts shown for 10 through 250 units were published by Microsoft in mid-1996.

Microsoft offers the Internet Mail Connector for $377 per server and the X.400 Connector for $757 per server. You must license the Connector for each Exchange server in your system. An alternative to individual Connector licenses is the Enterprise Edition of Exchange Server ($1,970 without Client Access Licenses, $4,039 with 25 Client Access Licenses), which includes both the Internet and X.400 Connectors.

System Management Server 1.2 Licensing

System Management Server isn't priced with bundled client licenses. Table 21.4 lists Microsoft's published costs (May 1996) for typical numbers of clients connected to a single SMS 1.1 installation. (Pricing for version 1.2 is expected to be similar or identical.) SMS is the only BackOffice component that requires per-seat licensing. Microsoft Open Licensing Pack (MOLP) purchases and volume discounts are applicable for 50 clients or more. System Management Server price details are at http://www.microsoft.com/BackOffice/det5.htm.

Table 21.4 Approximate Total Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for System Management Server 1.1*

Number of Clients
License 5 10 25 50 100 250
Server $649 $649 $649 $649 $649 $649
Clients 275 550 1,074 1,850 3,700 9,250
Total 924 1,199 1,723 2,499 4,349 9,899
Per Client 185 120 69 50 43 40

*Amounts shown were published by Microsoft in June 1996.

At least one SQL Server 6.5 license is required for use of System Management Server. Client Access licenses for the SQL Server installation used with SMS aren't required unless SQL Server is accessed by clients for other purposes. Access to SQL Server for administration of SMS doesn't require a SQL Server Client Access License.

SNA Server 2.11 Licensing

SNA Server, like System Management Server, isn't priced with bundled client licenses. Table 21.5 lists Microsoft's published costs (May 1996) for typical numbers of clients connected to a single SNA Server 2.11 installation through an application that accesses SNA services, such as Attachmate Extra or WallData Rumba. Microsoft Open Licensing Pack (MOLP) purchases and volume discounts are applicable for 50 clients or more. An SNA Workstation version, similar in concept to SQL Workstation, also is available. Get SNA Server pricing details from http://www.microsoft.com/sna/howbuy.htm. SNA Server requires a mainframe or IBM AS/400 System Network Architecture connection; installing and using SNA Server is beyond the scope of this book.

Table 21.5 Approximate Total Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for SNA Server 2.11*

Number of Clients
License 5 10 25 50 100 250
Server $409 $409 $409 $409 $409 $409
Clients 325 650 1,294 2,250 4,500 11,250
Total 734 1,059 1,703 2,659 4,909 11,659
Per Client 147 106 68 53 49 47

*Amounts shown are based on published Microsoft pricing as of June 1996.

Licensing Costs for All BackOffice Components

Table 21.6 summarizes and averages the data of tables 21.1 through 21.5 to provide an example of the total cost for all BackOffice components installed on a single Windows NT server for various numbers of client licenses. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, running all BackOffice services on a single Windows NT server for more than about 10 or 20 clients is likely to be impractical. As an example, a single-server configuration doesn't provide for a Backup Domain Controller, which is necessary for installations with more than 10 or 20 users. Adding Windows NT Server 4.0 licenses at the 25, 50, 100, and 250 client level, however, adds less than 10 percent to total cost per client.

Table 21.6 Approximate Total Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for All BackOffice Components

Number of Clients
Component 5 10 25 50 100 250
Windows NT Server $809 $1,129 $1,468 $2,447 $3,939 $9,037
SQL Server 1,399 1,999 3,999 7,599 13,179 31,779
Exchange Server 999 1,369 2,139 3,699 6,129 14,229
SMS 924 1,199 1,723 2,499 4,349 9,899
SNA Server 734 1,059 1,703 2,659 4,909 11,659
Total 4,865 6,755 11,032 18,903 32,505 76,603
Per Client 973 676 441 378 325 306

When this book was written, Microsoft hadn't published official pricing for BackOffice Server and Clients using Windows NT Server 4.0. Table 21.7 shows Microsoft's prices for "Common Customer Usage Requirements" for BackOffice 2.0 with Windows NT Server 3.51. Although Microsoft may increase the price of BackOffice Server and Client licenses to reflect the approximate $130 increase in the price of the 10-client version of Windows NT Server 4.0, such a surcharge isn't a major factor in comparing the savings between single-server versions of individual and bundled BackOffice purchases.

Table 21.7 Approximate Total Licensing Cost and Cost per Client for BackOffice 2.0 with Windows NT 3.51

Number of Clients
License 5 10 25 50 100 250
Server $2,199 $2,199 $2,199 $2,199 $2,199 $2,199
Clients 1,345 2,690 5,524 9,800 19,600 49,000
Total 3,544 4,889 7,723 11,999 21,799 51,199
Per Client 709 489 309 240 218 205

Microsoft also offers pricing models for 500 and 1,000 clients, which are wholly unrealistic for single-server BackOffice installations.

The Annuity Model for BackOffice Upgrades

Press reports from the July 31, 1996, Microsoft briefing for security analysts quote Bill Gates as saying that the BackOffice software market is "an annuity business." Much of Microsoft's income derives from license fees for the more-or-less yearly updates of the Microsoft Office and BackOffice full-package product. Updates to BackOffice occur at a more frequent rate because of the lack of synchronization among component upgrades, as discussed earlier in the "Aiming at a Moving BackOffice Target" section. The costs of updating servers and clients can be considerable. For example, updating from Windows NT Server 3.51 to 4.0 costs $539 for a 10-user license, and updating 20 clients carries a price tag of $339, both about 50 percent of the original license fees.

Microsoft defines the following types of server-side product upgrades:

Service packs, which ordinarily correct bugs or provide minor changes to client or server software, are free when downloaded from Microsoft's FTP site or Web server.

One of the problems facing network and system administrators at large firms is the ability to forecast the cost of upgrading clients and servers accurately. Not only is it difficult to predict when Microsoft will release a new upgrade or step-up, but pricing is likely to be unpredictable, too. Thus, Microsoft has gone into the "software insurance" business with a fixed-price annuity, called maintenance, for server-side upgrades.

Microsoft offers maintenance for its BackOffice family of server products under the Microsoft Select or Microsoft Open License programs. Maintenance is a fixed-fee, two-year agreement, which automatically updates all your BackOffice component and Client Access Licenses when Microsoft updates or steps up a product. According to Microsoft, the cost of the program is about 15 percent per year of the total ERPs for your existing license count. One of the more interesting features of the annuity is that you don't have to "be current" to enroll. In Microsoft's terms, you can "get current" and "remain current" for two years for an amount that might be less than the cost of a single major upgrade, depending on how many BackOffice components you license.

If you have a large Windows NT Server 3.51 installation that you plan to upgrade to version 4.0, make sure that you investigate a maintenance agreement before placing an order for the upgrade. A maintenance agreement that includes the current upgrade can reduce two-year upgrade costs substantially. If you're running System Management Server, you'll want to make the minor upgrade to version 1.2, and SNA Server had a major upgrade to version 3.0 in the works when this book was written.

Using Windows NT Server 4.0's License Manager

Most System Management Server users were disappointed to learn that version 1.2 still doesn't include a license metering feature. Microsoft includes a relatively simple License Manager application in Windows NT Server 4.0, which performs rudimentary license metering for applications that operate in per-server licensing mode. Control Panel's License tool also is involved in license management.

Control Panel's License Tool

Windows NT Server 4.0's License Management service introduces a new term, enterprise server, to define a master Primary Domain Controller (PDC) to which other PDCs in the domain and trusting domains replicate license information. An enterprise server can be a PDC or a plain server. In a single-domain environment, the PDC is the master server for license management purposes. You define the enterprise server or master server with Control Panel's License tool. The License tool also lets you specify the license mode for each service on the computer, the number of per-server licenses, and replication frequency and time. Only the License Manager can administer per-seat licenses.

To use Control Panel's License tool, follow these steps:

  1. From Control Panel, double-click the License tool to open the Choose Licensing Mode dialog. Select the server component you want to manage from the Product list. Figure 21.1 shows Windows NT Server selected for the per-server licensing mode.


    21.1

    Control Panel's Choose Licensing Mode dialog.

  2. Click the Add Licenses button to add per-server licenses for the selected component in the New Client Access License dialog. Use the spin buttons or type a new number in the Quantity box (see fig. 21.2). The For License Mode option buttons and the Comment text box are disabled. Click OK to close the dialog.


    21.2

    Adding per-server licenses for Windows NT Server 4.0.

  3. You can use the Remove Licenses button of the Choose Licensing Mode dialog to reduce the number of per-server licenses for a component, if necessary, to reflect actual license purchases.
  4. If you add licenses, the Per Server Licensing dialog appears (see fig. 21.3). Mark the check box to indicate that you agree with the terms of the licensing agreement, and then click OK.


    21.3

    Confirming agreement with the licensing terms for per-server mode.

  5. Click Replication in the Choose Licensing Mode dialog to open the Replication Configuration dialog to specify an enterprise server, if necessary, and to set the replication frequency or time for the local server. If you don't specify an enterprise server, the PDC for the server's domain is the master server for licensing purposes (see fig. 21.4). Click OK to close the dialog.
  6. Click OK to close the Choose Licensing Mode dialog.


    21.4

Establishing the master server and a replication frequency in the Replication Configuration dialog.

With the exception of specifying the replication options, you can use License Manager to perform all the functions of the License tool. Also, the License tool lets you set the number of per-seat licenses.

License Manager

License Manager is Microsoft's aid to keeping you honest in the licensing department. Unlike some other network operating system and server application suppliers, Microsoft trusts its customers to purchase the required number of server Client Access Licenses for their organizations. License Manager lets you set the number of Client Access Licenses for BackOffice components operating in per-seat, not per-server, mode. Also, you can monitor and administer per-seat and per-server licenses for any server in the domain or in a trusting domain.

To use License Manager, follow these steps:

  1. From the Start menu choose Programs, Administrative Tools, and License Manager to open License Manager's window. If you haven't entered per-seat license information, the Purchase History page is empty.
  2. Click the Products View tab to display a summary of product licensing. In figure 21.5, the Windows NT Server item displays the total number of per-server licenses for two servers (OAKLEAF0 and OAKLEAF3). The entry for System Management Server displays a warning that three client seats have been allocated, but no per-client licenses have been purchased. The three allocated seats are the server on which SMS is installed (OAKLEAF0), a Windows 95 client (OAKLEAF1), and a Windows NT 4.0 BDC (OAKLEAF3).


    21.5

    The Products View page of License Manager for a system installed from the BackOffice Test Platform distribution CD-ROM but installed with per-server licensing.

  3. To monitor clients with unlicensed usage of per-seat server applications, click the Clients (Per Seat) tab. Figure 21.6 displays the three PCs (two of which are servers) that show unlicensed usage of SMS.


    21.6

    The Clients (Per Seat) page, displaying unlicensed usage of SMS by two servers (OAK00001 and OAK00003) and a client (OAK00002).

  4. To monitor or administer the number of per-seat licenses, or to change from per-server to per-seat licensing, click the Server Browser tab and expand the list to display each server and its services (see fig. 21.7).


    21.7

    Displaying BackOffice components in License Manager's Server Browser page.

  5. To change a component from per-server to per-seat licensing, double-click the component to display the Choose Licensing Mode dialog (see fig. 21.8).


    21.8

    The Choose Licensing Mode dialog.

  6. Select Per Seat and click OK. A License Violation message box appears, offering you the opportunity to cancel your choice (see fig. 21.9, top). Click No to receive another confirmation message (see fig. 21.9, bottom); click Yes to change the licensing mode.


    21.9

    Doubly confirming that you want to change licensing mode from per-server to per-seat.

    The License Violation message that appears after selecting per-seat licensing doesn't conform to Microsoft's stated policy that you can change from per-server to per-seat licensing without violating your license.

  7. Click OK in the Choose Licensing Mode dialog to continue with the mode change. Mark the I Agree That check box of the Per Seat Licensing dialog (see fig. 21.10), and then click OK to effect the mode change. All per-server license entries for the product are deleted.


    21.10

    The final dialog in the licensing mode change process.

  8. From the License menu choose New License to display the New Client Access License dialog. Unlike the dialog displayed by Control Panel's License tool, the Per Seat option is set (but disabled), and the Comment text box is enabled.
  9. Select the component to which to add Client Access Licenses in the Product drop-down list box, set the number of licenses in the Quantity box, and then type a description of the transaction in the Comment text box (see fig. 21.11). Click OK to add the new licenses, mark the I Agree That check box of the Per Seat Licensing dialog, and click OK to add the per-seat licenses.


    21.11

    Adding new per-seat licenses for a BackOffice component.

  10. Repeat steps 5 through 9 for each component except SMS. For SMS, you need to add Client Access Licenses with only steps 8 and 9.

    You don't necessarily need to change the mode of all your BackOffice servers to per-seat mode unless you've purchased the BackOffice server bundle or are using the BackOffice Test Platform from MSDN. An alternative in these two cases is to specify the number of client licenses for the BackOffice product.

  11. Click the Purchase History tab to verify your transactions (see fig. 21.12).


    21.12

    The Purchase History page, displaying changes to per-seat licensing mode.

  12. Click the Products View tab to verify that per-server licenses no longer appear (see fig. 21.13). Close License Manager.


    21.13

    The Products View, confirming that prior per-server licenses have been eliminated.

License violations appear as Stop events in Event Viewer's Application Log window (see fig. 21.14). Double-clicking the event item displays an Event Detail dialog (see fig. 21.15).


21.14

Out-of-license events generated by License Manager.


21.15

The Event Detail dialog, displaying an out-of-license event for System Management Server.

From Here...

This chapter provided an introduction to the BackOffice product, and the licensing requirements and costs of the individual components that make up Microsoft's BackOffice family. Using Control Panel's License tool and License Manager to assure compliance with Microsoft's licensing terms for server licenses and Client Access Licenses also was covered.

For additional information on the three most commonly used services of BackOffice, see the following chapters:


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