Hey @dude,
I flagged this with our resident licensing expert @Stephen Gracon - hoping they will pick this up soon!
Hi @dude,
Laptop & Desktop is a legacy licensing construct prior to our adoption of metering Endpoints based on configured Owner (user) as opposed to per client. To be properly licensed under the current Commvault Complete and/or Workload license models, an Endpoint client requires one or more Owners to be configured in the Client Properties, or (CPR 2023+) if the Laptop flag is set (the checkbox referenced above) and the CommCell contains Endpoint licensing (i.e. CV-BR/BKRC-EP) a pseudo-Owner will be automatically created and assigned to the client. An endpoint client may consume an Operating Instance license if the prior mentioned options are not configured (i.e. Owner in the Security tab or Laptop checkbox and Endpoint licenses and CPR 2023+).
To your original question, the ability to protect System State and provide bare metal recovery for a Laptop/Desktop client is dependent on the software installed, not whether the client is consuming an Endpoint or Operating Instance license. The default “Laptop” software package only installs the lightweight File System Core software package. In order to create a System State backup you would also need to install the full File System software package as well. Likewise, at present the Endpoint Plan is user data focused and does not provide the ability to configure a System State backup. You would need to assign the Endpoint client to a Server Plan (which will not impact license consumption).
@Stephen Gracon thank you for taking the time to respond.
Few follow up questions;
1- If I understand it correctly the “Laptop and Desktop” used to be per client (individual physical windows clients) and now it is based on laptop owners regardless of the usage? Meaning, even if I have no interest in backing up user data on a Windows 10, and my goal is simple to backup the system state, my ideal license here still is “end point users” because of the platform its been backed up (Win10/Win7)?
“Likewise, at present the Endpoint Plan is user data focused and does not provide the ability to configure a System State backup. You would need to assign the Endpoint client to a Server Plan (which will not impact license consumption).” I believe you meant Laptop Plan is end user data focused correct?
2- “An endpoint client may consume an Operating Instance license if the prior mentioned options are not configured (i.e. Owner in the Security tab or Laptop checkbox and Endpoint licenses and CPR 2023+).” Do you mind explaining a little more as to why? As in one of the posts I linked earlier, it was state that “Usually laptop license consumption is governed by the client OS” considering that OI licenses almost seems to be designed to virtual clients for the most part and are a lot more expensive than endpoint user licenses, could we just flag any client OS as a Desktop/Laptop instead of having to check a box? or run a qoperation to convert to a laptop when the box isnt checked.
3- Can you point me to the documentation link that explains these details?
From a command center standpoint I can see you have the ability to create a laptop plan and activate laptops to use that plan. Not my case, I`m using the java console which seems to be a lot less complicated and allows me to change a laptop subclient between different storage policies (not possible in command center - I can not just move a laptop plan to a server plan or vice versa).
“Endpoint user licensing is measured against each unique user who is configured as an owner of an endpoint client as defined within the administrative console” SOurce
4- Is the statement above from the docs saying that if somehow ex: I have 1 end point user license and my goal is to backup the system and NOT the user config, but I somehow end up with 4 users in the owners tab, it will consume 4 licenses? How do I get around making sure that my license is a 1:1 ratio to the device and not the user?
Thank you again
1- If I understand it correctly the “Laptop and Desktop” used to be per client (individual physical windows clients) and now it is based on laptop owners regardless of the usage? Meaning, even if I have no interest in backing up user data on a Windows 10, and my goal is simple to backup the system state, my ideal license here still is “end point users” because of the platform its been backed up (Win10/Win7)?
“Likewise, at present the Endpoint Plan is user data focused and does not provide the ability to configure a System State backup. You would need to assign the Endpoint client to a Server Plan (which will not impact license consumption).” I believe you meant Laptop Plan is end user data focused correct?
A: Correct, your ideal license is Endpoint Users as the end customer of the device is a human. If this was a headless Windows 11 client that acts as your office building’s badge system, it would not qualify for an Endpoint User license. Correct also that I was referring to the user-focused Laptop Plan.
2- “An endpoint client may consume an Operating Instance license if the prior mentioned options are not configured (i.e. Owner in the Security tab or Laptop checkbox and Endpoint licenses and CPR 2023+).” Do you mind explaining a little more as to why? As in one of the posts I linked earlier, it was state that “Usually laptop license consumption is governed by the client OS” considering that OI licenses almost seems to be designed to virtual clients for the most part and are a lot more expensive than endpoint user licenses, could we just flag any client OS as a Desktop/Laptop instead of having to check a box? or run a qoperation to convert to a laptop when the box isnt checked.
A: OS auto-detection is limited as it is easy to differentiate between Windows Desktop and Server but much more difficult to automatically determine whether a Linux or Mac client are user-based or server-based. Due to this we ask that the customer be honest and identify the client as an Endpoint (thus consuming a less expensive license) by either toggling the Laptop flag or defining one/more client Owners.
3- Can you point me to the documentation link that explains these details?
Usage Calculation for the Endpoint Users License (commvault.com)
Setting the Laptop Status on Clients (commvault.com)
Commvault Licensing Program Guide
Endpoint User auto-detection (using Laptop flag) is novel to CPR 2023 and we are working on clarity improvements to be added to the Licensing Program Guide.
From a command center standpoint I can see you have the ability to create a laptop plan and activate laptops to use that plan. Not my case, I`m using the java console which seems to be a lot less complicated and allows me to change a laptop subclient between different storage policies (not possible in command center - I cannot just move a laptop plan to a server plan or vice versa).
A: The CommCell Console actually makes it easier to enable System State data protection of an Endpoint device. Instead of configuring the Subclient Policy to filter only on the pre-defined Content Library dataset, you would instead configure it as a server and select System State along with leaving the default “/” for the default subClient.
“Endpoint user licensing is measured against each unique user who is configured as an owner of an endpoint client as defined within the administrative console” SOurce
4- Is the statement above from the docs saying that if somehow ex: I have 1 end point user license and my goal is to backup the system and NOT the user config, but I somehow end up with 4 users in the owners tab, it will consume 4 licenses? How do I get around making sure that my license is a 1:1 ratio to the device and not the user?
A: As Endpoint licenses are user-based, if you have four users as Owners of a single laptop, that will consume four licenses. Each user is granted entitlements to protect up to five devices. This means that if you configure those four users across five different laptops, it would still only consume four licenses. Likewise if you configured the remaining four client entitlements for each user across separate devices, you could protect up to 20 ((4 * 1) + (4 * 4) = 20) devices and still only consume four licenses.
Thank you @Stephen Gracon for the detailed answer. That will defintely help us better use hour licenses.
