DevOps Server Activation

Question

We are running a trial version of the DevOps server on-premise. I'm trying to activate it so we aren't on the trial version any more.

Our company developers each have a VisualStudio Enterprise subscription, my understanding of this page:

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/devops/server/

is that if we have the Enterprise subscriptions (which we get via partner status) then we get one server license as well as a user license.

"Visual Studio subscriptions include one server license plus a user CAL for the subscriber."

If this is not the case, can someone explain? If this is the case, how do I go about activating DevOps server to not be in free-trial status?

Answer 1

I'm still searching for an answer as to how I actually make use of our licenses to remove the 'trial' status or 'activate' DevOps server if you will.

You can check this blog. Apart from earlier versions of tfs, it also applies to Azure Devops Server 2018 and 2019.

Open Team Foundation Server Administration Console and double-click the server name, you would see a window like this:

Click Complete Trial and you can remove the trial status in TFS Web UI. I think that's what you want.

And about license:

Starting with Update 2, you will not need to enter a product key into any version of TFS. If you download TFS from www.visualstudio.com, however, there will continue to be a trial experience. This experience is only there to help you comply with our server and user licensing requirements. You can opt out of it up front, at any point during the trial, or even after it expires. Critically, your server will continue working even if you let your trial expire. When you complete the trial, or when it expires, you need to ensure that you have a valid license in order to remain compliant.

So you can continue to use that in normal work since as you mentioned above the developers in your team each have one VS Enterprise subscription. (More details about licensing see licensing whitepaper)