Licensing issue with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essential

Question

Hi,
we purchased a server that came with Windows Server 2012 Essentials. and we found out some of the issue regarding the licensing. I would like to verify it with the experts here.
1. This Essential O.S. cannot be deployed as a member server in the domain, only Windows server 2012 r2 Standard and data center is capable as deploy as a member server? 
2. does it work with a single domain with multiple domain controllers and one primary domain controller? Example, 10 offices in different states, each location has a domain controller in their office, I'm installing to install this Essential server as another
domain controller in one of the offices for redundancy purpose. I promoted this server into domain controller with success, but it gives me an fsmo error everyday, and warning about shutting down if i don't transfer the fsmo role to this server.
3. which leads to this question, so this Essential OS can only be deploy as a single domain as the primary domain controller? Up to 25 user and 50 device license?
4. Is it possible to deploy it as a domain controller (that office has less than 25 users) in that office while syncing correctly with the other 10 domain controllers in other offices, they are all in the same single domain? I can't make this work, and I
think due to the Essential O.S.'s limitation.
5. we use a vpn connection to connect all the office together, and all the domain controller uses lan ip address to communicate with each other.
Thank you for the help in advance. I have been researching for the past couple days, but I still couldn't get a clear answer. Thank you again.

Answer 1

Hi Cliff,
Thank you for your reply.
1. We will get a new server 2012 r2 standard to deploy as member server.
2 and 3. Only ONE domain controller can hold all FSMO roles in a single domain, correct? Currently an windows 2003 enterprise, this is our first server in our domain, it holds all the FSMO roles currently. 
4. Yes, we realized essentials will not work for us, so we are switching to 2012 r2 standard to deploy for the new
    domain controller for our new office, still under the same domain. 
5. This wasn't a question, just wanted to give out the connection information.
The problem was that We didn't read the Essentials in detail when buying the new server, on dell website, it said it was perfect for small business, we didn't know it has to run as a primary DC. it was great in price, and it doesn't need CALs.
but we quickly realized after deploying it as a DC, it gives us error about Server Licensing compliance, and will shut down automatically. Then we were going to use it as a member server to run application, and realized we couldn't. So we are returning the
server, and getting a new one with standard r2 2012 and CALs license. 
It was a costly mistake.
Thank you again.