Dell ThinOS 10.x Migration Guide
Understand ThinOS 10.x licensing rules and scenarios
Licensing behavior for ThinOS 10.x devices depends on the method that is used for upgrade or conversion. Administrators must understand how licenses are applied, retained, or required based on the origin of the device and deployment path. Devices upgraded from ThinOS 9.x, converted from Dell Hybrid Client, or reimaged using ISO or USB tools each follow distinct licensing rules. The following overview provides clarity on license retention, expiration, and fallback mechanisms to ensure uninterrupted device functionality and compliance with Dell Technologies licensing policies.
Key licensing scenarios
- Upgraded ThinOS 9.x Devices (Factory Image or BIOS Key)—Devices that are upgraded using a factory image or BIOS-injected key do not require a new ThinOS 10.x Activation License. They continue to function using the existing ThinOS 9.x license.
- Converted Dell Hybrid Client (DHC) Devices—Devices converted from DHC to ThinOS 10.x retain their DHC license. Upon license expiry, a Dell ThinOS 10.x subscription license for Dell Clients is required for continued functionality.
- Converted Devices using ISO or USB Imaging—Convert the devices
using USB Imaging method with ThinOS 10.x ISO image:
- Use the DHC license if available in WMS.
- Fall back to a ThinOS 10 Subscription - Dell Client if no DHC license is present.
- Enter a locked state after 30 days if neither license is available, preventing configuration updates from WMS.
License behavior summary
You can view the License type on a ThinOS device by navigating to , where the device displays its active subscription status and related license details.
For a quick reference to how different licensing scenarios behave, see the table.
| License Type | Scenario | On Device Unregister | Post Conversion Behavior | License Expiry | On Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS License | Factory-installed ThinOS 9.x to ThinOS 10.x | N/A | No additional License required | Never | N/A |
| ThinOS 9 Activation | ThinOS 9.x to ThinOS 10.x upgrade | N/A | The License is cached from WMS | Never | N/A |
| Dell Hybrid Client | DHC to ThinOS 10.x | If unregistered, the subscription is added back to the WMS subscription pool. | The License is cached from WMS | Yes (subscription-based) | Device requests renewal from WMS |
| ThinOS 10 Subscription - Dell Client |
|
If unregistered, the subscription is added back to the WMS subscription pool. | The License is cached from WMS | Yes (subscription-based) | Device requests renewal from WMS |
| ThinOS 10 Subscription - Third Party Client for non-Dell Hardware | Ubuntu or other OS to ThinOS 10.x for third-party devices | If unregistered, the subscription is added back to the WMS subscription pool. | The License is cached from WMS | Yes (subscription-based) | Device requests renewal from WMS |
NOTE:When the ThinOS 10 subscription expires, the system enters a
30-day trial period during which subscription-based features remain available. During this
time, a watermark appears on all VDI session windows, and a warning is displayed on the
login screen until the subscription is renewed.
NOTE:Devices unregistered before moving to WMS 5.4 cannot have their
ThinOS 10.x subscriptions revoked. To return the subscription to the pool, re-register the
device and then unregister it again.
For more information about allocating ThinOS 10.x subscriptions to WMS, see ThinOS 10.x subscription allocation.
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