Hi Eddie, Thanks for this explanation of Microsoft CALs. It sort of makes sense, but this is my understanding of it. ▪︎ You buy a Windows server license for the server itself, and then ▪︎you have to buy a user CAL for each user that would access that server from within a LAN. ▪︎ then each device that accesses that server, such as a user PC or a tablet, laptop, etc, would need a device CAL. ▪︎ if a Remote Desktop user accesses that server, he needs an RDS CAL + a device CAL that he uses for his session. ...am I correct in my understanding? It seems the licensing purchase requirements of Microsoft seem wholly unfair. It's like you buying a car, and then you have to buy a user license for each user who would ride in that car. So why did I pay to purchase that car in the first place if I have to pay more just drive that car myself and for each person I would carry in that car?
I'm fairly detached from Microsoft licensing since I mainly work in the Linux world now, but I don't think the CAL stuff has changed much. That being said your understanding is close. - You buy a Windows server license, whose licensing model is Server + CAL. - You need a CAL (client access license) to cover anything accessing / using that Windows server (not just things accessing the server from a LAN). There are generally two ways of handling this. You can use User CALs (most common, I think), which for you user grants them rights to access any of your Windows Servers of the appropriate version, regardless of the number of devices they use. You can use Device CALs, which for you device that accessing your Windows servers, grants unlimited users of that device rights to access your Windows servers of the appropriate version. Unless you're managing an environment with something like kiosks which have many users using a single device (think day shift, then night shift), it's usually easier to use User Cals. Since you have the less administrative overhead or just knowing you need one CAL per user, and that covers the users to access all of your Windows servers from all of their devices. - Extension: Let's say you buy licenses to cover two Windows Servers. You do not have to buy two CALs for everyone. The one user CAL grants that user rights to access all of your Windows servers. - RDS is a different beast. You can have make up to two (I think) RDP connections to a Windows server for administration tasks and such. That doesn't require CALs beyond Windows Server CALs. But if you actually deploy the RDS feature and with it setup all of the pieces (connection broker, etc.), then any users using that RDS service will need the appropriate RDS CAL, in addition to the Server CAL they have granting rights to just Windows server. Perhaps someone more familiar with current licensing can chime in and correct any mistakes I made above. If I were having to deal with Microsoft licensing more often, I'd be talking to my reseller + reading Microsoft's own documentation about it to figure out what the actual deal is. "So why did I pay to purchase that car in the first place if I have to pay more just drive that car myself and for each person I would carry in that car?" If it makes you feel any better, once each person has their car CAL, they can ride in as many cars as you buy without having to purhcase additional car CALs. :)
The most confusing thing is Windows Server CAL and RD CAL, you made it very easy. Thanks.
Hi Eddie, Thanks for this explanation of Microsoft CALs. It sort of makes sense, but this is my understanding of it.
▪︎ You buy a Windows server license for the server itself, and then
▪︎you have to buy a user CAL for each user that would access that server from within a LAN.
▪︎ then each device that accesses that server, such as a user PC or a tablet, laptop, etc, would need a device CAL.
▪︎ if a Remote Desktop user accesses that server, he needs an RDS CAL + a device CAL that he uses for his session.
...am I correct in my understanding?
It seems the licensing purchase requirements of Microsoft seem wholly unfair.
It's like you buying a car, and then you have to buy a user license for each user who would ride in that car.
So why did I pay to purchase that car in the first place if I have to pay more just drive that car myself and for each person I would carry in that car?
I'm fairly detached from Microsoft licensing since I mainly work in the Linux world now, but I don't think the CAL stuff has changed much. That being said your understanding is close.
- You buy a Windows server license, whose licensing model is Server + CAL.
- You need a CAL (client access license) to cover anything accessing / using that Windows server (not just things accessing the server from a LAN). There are generally two ways of handling this. You can use User CALs (most common, I think), which for you user grants them rights to access any of your Windows Servers of the appropriate version, regardless of the number of devices they use. You can use Device CALs, which for you device that accessing your Windows servers, grants unlimited users of that device rights to access your Windows servers of the appropriate version. Unless you're managing an environment with something like kiosks which have many users using a single device (think day shift, then night shift), it's usually easier to use User Cals. Since you have the less administrative overhead or just knowing you need one CAL per user, and that covers the users to access all of your Windows servers from all of their devices.
- Extension: Let's say you buy licenses to cover two Windows Servers. You do not have to buy two CALs for everyone. The one user CAL grants that user rights to access all of your Windows servers.
- RDS is a different beast. You can have make up to two (I think) RDP connections to a Windows server for administration tasks and such. That doesn't require CALs beyond Windows Server CALs. But if you actually deploy the RDS feature and with it setup all of the pieces (connection broker, etc.), then any users using that RDS service will need the appropriate RDS CAL, in addition to the Server CAL they have granting rights to just Windows server.
Perhaps someone more familiar with current licensing can chime in and correct any mistakes I made above. If I were having to deal with Microsoft licensing more often, I'd be talking to my reseller + reading Microsoft's own documentation about it to figure out what the actual deal is.
"So why did I pay to purchase that car in the first place if I have to pay more just drive that car myself and for each person I would carry in that car?"
If it makes you feel any better, once each person has their car CAL, they can ride in as many cars as you buy without having to purhcase additional car CALs. :)