(For help deciding which licensing mode to choose, see Glenn Grant, Scott Weppler, and Microsoft's Enterprise Systems Support Domain Specialty Team, 'Domain Troubleshooting and Planning,' August 1996.) When you install NT or Microsoft Exchange Server, you must specify per-server or per-seat licensing for each product. When you install license-aware software, you must select one of two client-licensing modes: per-server or per-seat. Within each License Manager tab, double-click or right-click an entry to see detailed licensing information. Screen 1 shows License Manager's server view. You can view license information four ways: by purchase history, by product, by client, or by server. To start License Manager, select Programs, Administrative Tools, License Manager from the Start menu.

License Manager is a native Windows NT Server tool that helps you monitor server and client licenses for NT, Microsoft BackOffice products, and other license-aware applications. In addition to educating employees, you must track and monitor software access across your enterprise.

The Software Publishers Association provides a sample software usage policy template on its Anti-Piracy Web site at. You need to create and distribute a corporate software policy that contains employee guidelines for using software inhouse and on the Internet. The best way to protect your organization is to keep employees informed of the liabilities associated with illegal or unlicensed copies of software. A user's cavalier attitude toward sharing software can result in serious legal consequences for your enterprise. Any user who makes, acquires, or uses unauthorized copies of software can incur these penalties. DO YOU KNOW how many servers and applications your IS organization supports? Do you have accurate records of paid client licenses, and do you monitor client access to your software? You need to be aware that software copyright violations carry a maximum civil penalty of $100,000 and a maximum criminal penalty of $250,000.

License manager