Tally on Cloud VPS Setup: Windows Server, Multi-User RDP and Sizing by Session

Hosting TallyPrime on a Windows Server VPS lets the head office, branches and your chartered accountant work on one live set of books over Remote Desktop, instead of emailing backups around. Size the server by concurrent Remote Desktop sessions, budget Windows Server and Remote Desktop licences on top of the VPS price, restrict Remote Desktop to known addresses, and back the data up off the server.

What you need

• Your own TallyPrime licence. Shared access needs the multi-user edition. Hosting does not include or replace it.
• Windows Server. TallyPrime is a Windows application. Windows Server licensing is quoted separately from the VPS.
• Remote Desktop Services licences. More than two simultaneous sessions need RDS Client Access Licences.
• A KVM VPS. Every VPSWala plan is KVM and can run Windows Server.

Sizing by concurrent user

VPSWala's own Tally on VPS page sizes by session: roughly 1.5 to 2 GB of memory per active Remote Desktop session with TallyPrime open. Tally sessions are memory-led, so add memory before cores.

Monthly INR, excluding GST and licences. Watch real usage for a week before adding users.

Setup steps

1. Install Windows Server, apply all updates and reboot before opening Remote Desktop.
2. Enable Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication.
3. Restrict the Remote Desktop firewall rule to office, branch and CA addresses, or put access behind a VPN.
4. Create a named Windows account for each user. Never share one login.
5. Install the Remote Desktop Session Host and licensing roles, and add your CALs.
6. Install TallyPrime and move the company data to a dedicated data folder.
7. Set folder permissions so only Tally users can reach the data.

Backups

Tally data is the business. Schedule a daily copy of the data folder to storage outside the VPS, keep several days of history, and test a restore into a separate folder every month. Off-server backup is not included in VPSWala's published plan prices, so agree it in writing or arrange it yourself before you migrate.

Security checklist

• No Remote Desktop open to any address.
• Account lockout after repeated failed logins.
• Windows updates applied monthly at a fixed time.
• Separate administrator accounts for IT, not for daily Tally use.

VPSWala plans are unmanaged unless you agree otherwise in writing: the host platform, network and provisioning are VPSWala's job, and everything inside the VM is yours. Per the terms of service, off-server backups, control-panel licences, Windows licensing, managed administration and extra IPv4 addresses are quoted separately, and any availability commitment applies only where it is written into your quotation or agreement.

Migrating from a local PC

1. Take a Tally backup on the existing computer and note the TallyPrime release in use.
2. Install the same release on the VPS and restore the data into the data folder.
3. Open each company, check the latest vouchers and run a trial balance to confirm nothing is missing.
4. Agree a cut-over time with the accounts team so nobody posts entries on the old computer afterwards.
5. Keep the old copy read-only for a month before retiring it.

For more on plan choice, see the VPSWala cloud VPS plans page.

Day-to-day operations

Pick one person to own the server. Their monthly routine is short: apply Windows updates at a fixed time outside business hours, confirm last night's backup exists off the server, check that only current staff have accounts, and review failed logons in the Security event log. Before the year-end close and GST filing dates, take an extra backup and confirm it restores. Most Tally-on-VPS problems come from skipped routine rather than from the server itself.

Frequently asked questions

Can TallyPrime run on a Linux VPS?

TallyPrime is a Windows application. Use Windows Server for production multi-user accounting.

How many users fit on VPS 8?

Typically two to four concurrent users with TallyPrime open. The limit is memory per session.

Can my CA access it?

Yes. Give the CA a named account and add their address to the Remote Desktop allow-list, or give them VPN access.

Is the data safe on a shared platform?

The VPS is isolated at the hypervisor level. What protects the data day to day is restricted access, current patches and tested backups, which are your responsibility with root access.

Sources

• Microsoft Learn: License Remote Desktop Services with Client Access Licenses
• Microsoft Learn: Enable Remote Desktop
• Microsoft Learn: Windows Firewall overview