[bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked servers?

[Rayne]

As this is a game hosting list I will relate this to games. The details of
the CAL licensing is for ANY "authenticated" access to the OS (FTP for
example). Hosting unrestricted game servers and/or websites do not fall into
that "authenticated" classification. SPLA would fall into effect in the case
of your selling VPS or things of that nature. Specifically, if a user is in
the OS's user list then you are required to have a CAL for them. Game
hosting and unrestricted web hosting do NOT fall into that area. 

Let's take a few examples to make sure it's perfectly clear:
You have 4 game serves on the box...each has FTP access to their
files...that requires 4 CAL licenses. In the way of webhosting, not a matter
for this list but included for clarity, if you use a control panel of some
kind and base the hosting on IIS then each FTP access would require a CAL
"IF" the ISS-FTP was used that they log into. If you were running another
program for FTP access, such as FTPro, etc then that is not a MS product and
no CALs are required. The exact requirement of CALs is that you are
responsible to have one CAL for every user that "log on" to the OS. If there
is a program that has it's own log on then that is not a MS product and does
not fall within that requirement. 

So, to summarize, game servers are programs run on the OS and not a MS
product. So hosting game servers on a MS OS is free for you to do. If you
provide FTP access to their files with IIS then you will need a CAL for
every user in the "User and Groups" area. If you provide any type of
application hosting you ONLY need a license/CAL for any user account located
in the OS's user list. If you use another program to provide that access
that is not a part of the MS OS then you are not liable for that access to
MS. 

If you have any questions beyond this feel free to contact me off-list and
I'll give you a more specific set of answers based on whatever you are
specifically doing and with what programs. 

Ray S.
RaynServ

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonty Bale [mailto:jbale at blue-sequoia.com] 
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 1:01 PM
To: bf1942 at icculus.org
Subject: RE: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked
servers?


Someone from Microsoft's ATG did tell me that.

As I understood it if you are providing ANY kind of internet hosting,
using a shared windows platform you require a SPLA - that includes web
etc.  They changed the licensing structure a few months back... SPLAs
are a lot easier to get now (e.g. only have to be a registered partner
not certified), but more people need to have them!

Ray, the CAL issue would apply if the users were within your own
organisation, if you are "selling" access to the users with CALs it's a
completely different ball game.  You are effectively "reselling" access
to the windows server and sub-licensing Microsoft's IP with the CALs - I
think :)  You would need a SPLA for that kind of business model, well
that's what Microsoft have been telling me?

Just interesting to see peoples opinions, you do seem to get different
answers every time you talk to someone at Microsoft about game server
licensing...

Jonty.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rayne [mailto:rayne at bf2-maps.com] 
Sent: 27 August 2005 15:04
To: bf1942 at icculus.org
Subject: RE: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked
servers?

We purchased the appropriate CALs for our machines and are in complete
compliance with Microsoft in providing game servers. The SPLA is for
businesses that conform to another form of licensing model that is not
inclusive of game servers. You are required to have a CAL license for
each
user listed as having login access to the OS (FTP for example) and we
conform completely to their requirements using Win2k3 x64 Ent. You are
not
required to license accesses that do not involve a login to the OS
itself or
any program running on said OS. Anyone that has told you different has
you
spending money that is not required by MS. I would suggest you call MS
and
speak to the licensing department if you're unsure of your liabilities.

Ray S.
RaynServ

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonty Bale [mailto:jbale at blue-sequoia.com] 
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 4:01 AM
To: bf1942 at icculus.org
Subject: RE: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked
servers?


Just a quick query here.

How many hosters using Windows have a SPLA licence - as that's the only
legal way to offer shared hosted services on a windows platform?

Also, is anyone using Windows XP Pro to host servers over a server
version (web or otherwise) of the OS?

Jonty. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Wolberg [mailto:jon at defenderhosting.com] 
Sent: 27 August 2005 03:12
To: bf1942 at icculus.org
Subject: Re: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked
servers?

Then they should re-think what OS they use.  If it was my call, and I
had to 
either choose to run Windows or lose customers to competition, i'd run 
Windows, and I do.

Jon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Cooper" <tim at myinternetservices.com>
To: <bf1942 at icculus.org>
Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 11:06 PM
Subject: RE: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked 
servers?


> Or their running linux and mono eats up 70% cpu :P
>
> "Don't dip in the mustard if you can't ketchup"
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jon Wolberg [mailto:jon at defenderhosting.com]
> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 8:52 PM
> To: bf1942 at icculus.org
> Subject: Re: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked
> servers?
>
> Yes they have.  We are using it on all of our customers' servers here.
>
> Most likely your provider does not want to spend the time to deploy
the
> daemon as it cuts into his profits ( work time ) to do so.
>
> Jon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "ScratchMonkey" <ScratchMonkey at MatureAsskickers.net>
> To: <bf1942 at icculus.org>
> Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 9:37 PM
> Subject: [bf1942] Has EA sanctioned use of BF2CC daemon on ranked
servers?
>
>
>> Subject says it all. My team's ranked server at Branzone is currently
>> supplying the rcon interface but it would be nice to have the daemon
for
>> the extra features, like independent admin logins for each team
member.
>> According to my teammate who pays for the server, Brandon at Branzone

>> says
>
>> EA told him the daemon isn't allowed on ranked servers, but this is
at
>> odds with what I'm hearing in the BF2CC forums. Can some insider pass

>> this
>
>> question on to the ranked list?
>>
>> The daemon is working fine on our unranked server, which so far we've

>> only
>
>> seen traffic on for matches.
>>
>
>
>
>