Google will enable you to bring your own licensing for Windows Desktop Operating System to GCP sole-tenant[1] and remain compliant for Microsoft licensing.
Assigning a License
Before you bring your own Windows Desktop OS license to GCP, you must first assign a Windows Desktop OS license to the end-user, referred to as a “licensed user”, or “licensed device”, typically a personal computer.
To ‘assign’ a license means simply to designate that license to a user or device that can access the Windows Desktop OS in a virtual machine.
Running Windows Remotely
You can bring your own Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 desktop and run iton GCP sole-tenant and remain license compliant. Under the assigned volume license, you may access Windows Desktop OS remotely in a virtual machine as a benefit of Software Assurance for Windows.
GCP will ensure isolation of the hardware and other resources to make sure it remains fully dedicated to your use.[2] GCP will not support two customers to share the same set of resources, such as hardware or storage for the term of your subscription.
License Model
User Subscription Licenses – Remote use of the Windows desktop OS deployed on a GCP sole-tenant is allowed for the licensed user, who is the primary user of at least one device, which is their primary work device. There must be a qualifying Windows desktop OS installed and licensed via an OEM license, on the accessing device.
Per Device Licenses – Remote use of the Windows desktop OS deployed on a GCP sole-tenant is allowed for the licensed ‘primary’ user, of the licensed device, or for any other user, from another separately licensed device. There must be a qualifying Windows desktop OS installed and licensed via an OEM license, on the accessing device.
Microsoft defines the ‘primary’ user an individual that would use the licensed device more than 50% of the time in any 90 day period, so a per-device licensing model may not be suitable for some shift workers or workers in shared workspaces.
VDA[3] User Subscription Licenses – Under this licensing model, remote use of the Windows desktop OS deployed on a GCP sole-tenant is allowed for any assigned licensed user or device. There is no minimum ‘primary’ user requirement for the end-user accessing device, or a requirement for a ‘qualifying’ Windows OS to be installed on the accessing device.
This licensing model is more suitable for businesses that plan to use Google Chrome books, or other client devices where there is no OEM licensed Windows desktop OS on the accessing device.