Windows Server for your home lab
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For those who run any Windows servers for your home lab, what licensing mechanism do you use? Volume licensing, MSDN platforms, OEM licensing, or the 180-day evaluation license (then blow the server away after 3 months of testing)?
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I use the evals, always have. Needing to blow away and build again over and over, even every six months (used to be every three) is good practice to make it not just something you do once, but on a regular basis. Plus no licenses to manage, just a timer
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The more often you are forced to rebuild, the more you will be encouraged to automate.
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@scottalanmiller said in Windows Server for your home lab:
I use the evals, always have. Needing to blow away and build again over and over, even every six months (used to be every three) is good practice to make it not just something you do once, but on a regular basis. Plus no licenses to manage, just a timer
Wow, my brain is tired. I promise I can do basic math (180 days != 3 months) :P. I didn't think about the encourage automation angle. Since a home lab (at least the way I'd use it) isn't production, I have no qualms about not using Volume licensing or OEM.
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I use evals and take advantage of using powershell to quickly deploy server roles.
You can keep the domain controllers active by adding a new domain controller before the expiration and then move over the fsmo.
You can do the same with file servers too. Keep the data on a separate virtual disk and take advantage of Dfs namespace.
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I use the EVal and rebuild as needed, plus there is always new versions after 180 days.
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@scottalanmiller said in Windows Server for your home lab:
The more often you are forced to rebuild, the more you will be encouraged to automate.
Can you sysprep before adding the trial license? That way you could just clone and add the license automatically.
