Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition Administrator's Guide
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  • Introduction
  • Upgrading from Business Edition
    • How to Trial Enterprise Edition with Existing Business Edition Per-user License
    • What Happens after a Trial Ends
    • Migrating from Business Edition to Enterprise Edition
    • Migrating from per-device to per-user licensing
  • Getting Started
    • Creating a Business Account and Registering Your License
    • Dividing Users into Groups with Sublicenses
    • Configuring Golden Images and Policies in the Management Portal
    • Installing and Activating Parallels Desktop
  • Configuring the Single Sign-On (SSO) integration with Parallels My Account
    • Prerequisites
    • Starting the Integration Process in Parallels My Account
      • Configuring SSO Integration with Azure/Entra ID
      • Configuring SSO Integration with Okta
      • Configuring SSO Integration with Ping Identity
      • Configuring SSO Integration with JumpCloud
      • Configuring SSO Integration with Google Workspace
    • [OPTIONAL] How to Divide Users into Groups and Assign Them Sublicenses
    • Troubleshooting the SSO Activation
  • Creating and Uploading Virtual Machine Images
  • Mass Deployment of Parallels Desktop and Virtual Machines
    • Deploying via an Invitation Email
    • Mass Deployment Using Mac Management Tools
      • [RECOMMENDED] Deploying Parallels Desktop via MDM App Catalogs Using Configuration Profiles
        • Creating and Editing a Configuration Profile in iMazing
        • Deploying Parallels Desktop via MDM App Catalog (as seen in Jamf Pro)
      • [ALTERNATIVE] Mass Deployment via Deployment Package
        • Prerequisites
        • Supported Mac Management Tools
        • Preparing the Autodeploy Package
          • Downloading the Autodeploy Package
          • Specifying a License Key
          • [OPTIONAL] Adding the Parallels Desktop Installation Image
          • [OPTIONAL] Adding a Virtual Machine
            • Installing Parallels Tools
            • Preparing Windows for Mass Deployment
            • Common Configuration Options
          • Adding Windows Application Stubs
          • Configuring Deployment Options
          • Single Application Mode
          • [MANDATORY] Creating a Flat Package
          • Testing the Autodeploy Package
        • Deploying the Package to Macs
          • Example: Jamf Pro
            • Automating Parallels Desktop Initial Setup with a Configuration Profile
          • Using a Script to Change VM Options
    • Enrolling Virtual Machines in Azure Active Directory
  • Parallels Management Portal
    • Golden Images
    • Policies
    • User Groups
    • Virtual Machines
    • Providing Feedback
  • Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition Features
    • [DEPRECATED] Using Configuration Profiles
      • Creating a Configuration Profile
      • Applying a Configuration Profile to a License Key
      • Provisioning a Corporate VM Image
        • Creating a Configuration Profile
        • Installing a VM Image on a Mac
      • Enabling Major Version Upgrades
        • Creating a Configuration Profile
    • Participating in the Customer Experience Program
    • Locking a Virtual Machine on Suspend
    • Activating Using a Corporate Account
    • Restricting a Virtual Machine Configuration with a Custom Password
    • Restricting User Actions in Parallels Desktop
    • Setting an Asset Tag in the Virtual Machine BIOS
    • Using Custom Graphics and Links in the Control Center
    • Hiding Developer Tools in the Parallels Desktop GUI
    • Encrypting a Virtual Machine
    • Single Application Mode
    • Setting an Expiration Date on a Virtual Machine
    • Enforcing USB Device Policies
    • Resetting the Guest OS Password
    • Setting Up a Local Update Server
      • Setting Up a Local Web Server
      • Creating the Parallels Update XML File
      • Configuring Individual Macs
    • Configuring Parallels Desktop Update Branch
    • Customizing the Support Center Option
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On this page
  • Step 1: Setup
  • Step 2: Testing and Enabling for New Users
  • Step 3: Migration
  • Step 4: Monitoring Progress
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  1. Upgrading from Business Edition

Migrating from per-device to per-user licensing

PreviousMigrating from Business Edition to Enterprise EditionNextGetting Started

Last updated 3 months ago

For end-users, activating their copies of Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition is much easier by signing in with their usual set of corporate login credentials. If your organization already runs an identity provider service (e.g., Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, or Ping Identity), you can benefit from the Single Sign-On (SSO) activation method by setting up the integration. This method has the added benefit of automatically disabling the licenses of employees leaving your organization, freeing up their quota.

Note: For new customers or those who previously did not use SSO activation, only Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition supports this method. For the sake of flexibility, Enterprise Edition supports mixed licensing, with per-device (license key) and per-user (SSO) activations in the same setup.

This chapter represents a migration plan that will not affect your existing per-device (license key) activations while you continue to run them in parallel with the new per-user (SSO) test group.

If your current Parallels Desktop for Mac deployment uses the license key activation method but you would like to switch to SSO, follow these steps:

Step 1: Setup

At this stage, your goal is to set up the integration between Parallels and your identity provider (IdP) and validate that it works for your test group. Once this goal is achieved, you can make the SSO activation method default for all new users of Parallels Desktop for Mac in your organization.

Start the integration process on of Parallels My Account and follow the instructions from .

Warning: Once you have completed the integration process and activated the SSO functionality, only users from the Administrators group in your IdP signing in via SSO will retain access to managing the Parallels business account. All previous administrative privileges based on logins and passwords will become inactive.

Your designated backup login will continue to work.

Throughout this process, your new SSO setup will not affect your existing users of Parallels Desktop for Mac.

Step 2: Testing and Enabling for New Users

Download a copy of Parallels Desktop for Mac on a computer that doesn't have it and attempt to activate it using the SSO method. Make sure to allow Parallels Desktop access to the Downloads folder.

Alternatively, choose an existing non-critical Parallels Desktop seat, deactivate it using the following Terminal command:

prlsrvctl deactivate-license,

restart Parallels Desktop, and try to activate again using SSO. Expand the test to a small group of users.

Once everything is successfully tested, you can either:

  • Update your company's documentation to instruct all new users to activate via SSO only or

  • If you have a Mac management tool, deploy a configuration profile to all new Macs that forces the SSO login window to pop up at the app launch until it has been activated.

Step 3: Migration

Once you have successfully completed the previous steps, it's time to expand the SSO activation to your organization's wider Parallels Desktop user base. Start by proactively notifying them of the upcoming switch to per-user (SSO) activation. Your email may also suggest the following steps:

  1. Making sure their copies of Parallels Desktop have been updated to version 20.1.0 or newer;

  2. Opening the Parallels Desktop Control Center and using the Parallels Desktop drop-down menu in the macOS menu bar to open the Account & License... window;

  3. Using the Continue with SSO option in that window (bottom left corner).

However, there will always be users who routinely ignore such emails. If you have a Mac management tool at your disposal, you could force selected users to re-activate with SSO by following these steps:

  1. Update all Parallels Desktop for Mac seats to version 20.1.0 or newer;

  2. Execute the following commands:

prlsrvctl deactivate-license

sudo -u $(stat -f%Su /dev/console) defaults write "com.parallels.Parallels Desktop" ActivationExperience -string "sso"

sudo -u $(stat -f%Su /dev/console) defaults write "com.parallels.Parallels Desktop" "isSSOExperienceForced" -bool FALSE

Step 4: Monitoring Progress

You can monitor per-user (SSO) activations using the following path in Parallels My Account: click on the Business Profile link in the top-right corner. On that page, click on the Users (N) link, also in the top-right corner. From the first drop-down menu, select the Users: With product licenses option. The resulting list will contain all the Parallels Desktop users who have activated their copies using SSO.

Continue to monitor the user count on this page for the next few weeks to ensure progress.

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