Installing Onto Headless Desktop PCs for Access by Remote Workers

[davidSRDV8]

The following relates to a UK office of 40 staff, each with their own Autodesk ID with access to Revit LT.

To facilitate occasional remote working, with central Revit models, we have added 4 headless PCs which staff can log into via a VPN and Microsoft Remote Desktop. The login to these computers is with the individual user's Microsoft 365 AzureAD credentials - this enables them to log into whichever remote PC is available and still access their individual files (via OneDrive) and their individual Autodesk account with their own Autodesk ID. There is no 'shared' login, each user uses their own login and Autodesk ID.

Reading the 'Single User' license conditions, (at https://www.autodesk.com/company/terms-of-use/en/offering-types-and-benefits#single-user ) it states that "Your Authorized User may install the Software on up to three (3) Electronic Devices". So I'm now thinking that I have to restrict each user to only one or two designated devices rather than allow them to access whichever is available. Can someone confirm that this is correct as it seems annoyingly restricting considering that each licensed user is only able to run one product subscription at a time and only one user is able to log into each remote desktop PC at a time.

Also, can someone point me to the definition of "install", as in "Your Authorized User may install the Software on up to three (3) Electronic Devices". Only one person (usually me) installs the software on a computer for the first user but the computer may contain two or three user accounts who then activate the software by logging into their Autodesk account. So the additional users don't actually 'install' the software so arguably it would not contribute to their "maximum 3" installations. I know that's just being argumentative but it just demonstrates that some clarification is needed.

Therefore any clarification welcome! Thank you in advance.

[DarrenP]

this thread may answer some of your questions: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/subscription-changes/working-on-multiple-projects/td-p/9340982

[davidSRDV8]

Thanks for reply but that thread does not clarify my primary question about being able to log into any one of multiple ‘pooled’ computers. 
My question is similar to that which might be posed for an office made up of a pool of available computers but none individually assigned to specific users. If a user has an Autodesk ID enabled license does it matter which computer they use considering they can only open one instance of their application at a time?

[DarrenP]

The license is based off your autodesk account not the computer

The computer shouldn’t matter you will limited on how many times you can log in using your Autodesk account at the same time

[davidSRDV8]

I appreciate your reply, Darren. That's the conclusion I came to but the office directors have already had to go through one audit where the Autodesk "representatives" appeared desperate to find a way to charge them extortionate "expenses" and they don't want to go through it again (the licensing was the same as just now where everyone had a separate Autodesk ID).

Can you point me to anything from Autodesk that confirms your opinion? Or something that clarifies the "only install on 3 devices" restriction which seems to be the stumbling point in an otherwise clear understanding of the terms-of-use.

It almost seems that the "3 devices" is just a hang-on from the days of individual license codes but its still a condition of use and therefore available for the audit reps to 'hang' the directors of the office with.

Link to terms-of-use, effective 7th Feb, 2024: 

https://www.autodesk.com/company/terms-of-use/en/offering-types-and-benefits#single-user

[pendean]

Subscription:

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Maximum-number-of-... 

Perpetual:

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Maximum-number-of-...

and buried in the FAQ

https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/autocad-subscription-faq#:~:text=With%20a%20subscription%20to%20A...  .

Working with a reseller to mitigate such audits and get "the true word" from Autodesk: priceless

https://www.autodesk.com/partners/locate-a-reseller 

[davidSRDV8]

Thank you, Pendean, for the links. The first one is particularly useful as it describes 'Best practices for managing multiple users of a device'. Regarding the link to Autodesk Authorised Partners, the office do currently purchase through a partner and I will indeed contact them, thanks.

The only question remaining to be clarified appears to be specifically around the installation, "by a named user" on "up to 3 computers". Taking the intended pool of 4 PCs as an example, I was going to use one person's Autodesk ID to download an installer and then copy this to the other 3 computers. However, this is plainly in breach as the one 'named user' has now made 4 installations in addition to any previous one to their own computer.

This would appear to suggest that I have to use separate Autodesk IDs to install onto each pool computer and ensure that those IDs have not previously been used to install on a maximum 3 devices. Indeed I'm now thinking that I'll have to get everyone to uninstall and re-install all Autodesk products just in case any ID has been used more than three times for an installation. This could easily be the case where someone moves onto a new computer, passing the old one to a new member of staff who subsequently uses the same installation but with their own Autodesk account.

This may all sound like technicalities to some but it is exactly the type of technicalities which were used in the previous audit to attempt to get thousands of pounds out of the directors (they refused and no further action was taken). They understandably do not want to repeat this with any other "technical" breaches.

[pendean]

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@davidSRDV8 wrote:

...I was going to use one person's Autodesk ID to download an installer and then copy this to the other 3 computers....

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Since anyone anywhere on the planet can grab the installer from Autodesk's public webpages to install on as many PCs as they want, I'm not sure the simple act of not wanting to engage in 4 or more Gigs-sized-downloads is going to trigger an Autodesk Audit for anyone as long as your intent is to only install the software.

At first run for each of your 4 installations however, you will need to log-in as a unique single user on that unique single-pc for each of your 4 licenses.

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@davidSRDV8 wrote:

....This may all sound like technicalities to some but it is exactly the type of technicalities which were used in the previous audit to attempt to get thousands of pounds out of the directors (they refused and no further action was taken). They understandably do not want to repeat this with any other "technical" breaches.

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And that is why you and your company need to work with a reseller in your region so they can answer these types of questions, maybe even pay them to do what you are trying to do, to stay out of an Autodesk Audit's gun-sights 🙂

Autodesk Audits happen for many reasons, most have to do with them observing through logins that 1-account is running multiple sessions of one software at the same exact time on several PCs and locations, or a former (or current) employee calling it in based on their understanding of what they see going on as suspicious.

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@davidSRDV8 wrote:

...I'm now thinking that I'll have to get everyone to uninstall and re-install all Autodesk products just in case any ID has been used more than three times for an installation. This could easily be the case where someone moves onto a new computer, passing the old one to a new member of staff who subsequently uses the same installation but with their own Autodesk account....

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I would consider a more dramatic but sure method instead: reimage or reformat all PCs for all users and start over fresh with only company-authorized/purchased/licensed software on everyone's computer with more stringent controls for the users when it comes to adding more software on their own.

And if your company allowed users to "take home software to install on home PCs" that you insist everyone uninstall them (and provide proof) ASAP too.

Best of Luck. 

[davidSRDV8 · Accepted solution]

The following is a summary of the clarification by Autodesk licensing support re the setting up of a 'pool' of PCs for access by Autodesk users...

Firstly, the clause in the terms-of-use referring to "Your Authorized User may install the Software on up to three (3) Electronic Devices" is a legacy from the earlier licensing system where the software was installed by an individual user with a designated license code. Basically, ignore the "up to three devices" clause if you have a subscription license (even though it doesn't say this in the terms-of-use).

Where a perpetual license subscription is in place...

1. If you are the one setting up the computers, you can download the software using one Autodesk ID and copy the installer to any number of other PCs.

2. An Autodesk ID associated with a license subscription user can be the first user to activate and use the software on any number of devices, as long as the software is not being used on more than one device at a time. (I.e., there is no requirement to use different IDs to do the initial activation on each pool computer.)

3. When accessing pooled computers, an Autodesk ID associated with a license subscription user can access any number of these in total as long as they are logged out of any other device.

[Simon_Weel]

"Your Authorized User may install the Software on up to three (3) Electronic Devices" is a legacy from the earlier licensing system where the software was installed by an individual user with a designated license code. Basically, ignore the "up to three devices" clause if you have a subscription license

Hah! Like - really?!?!?!? This is going to be fun in court! 'But your honour, the EULA may read you can install our software on up to 3 devices, but we don't really mean you can install our software on up to 3 devices'.