License to connect a user or computer to any number of servers Windows Server 2012

What is Windows Server CAL

Per licensing policy, Windows Server Standard 2012 requires Windows Server CALs for every user or device accessing the server.

Situations where CALs are not required:

for access to the server from another licensed server, as well as for access for the purpose of administration from a maximum of 2 users or devices;

if the server is running a web workload or an HPC workload.

to access the physical environment that is used solely for the purpose of hosting and managing virtual environments;

if this peripheral device(for example, a printer) that is not accessing the server.

Some additional or advanced features also require the purchase of an additional CAL, such as the Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CAL.

To access the server Windows control Server 2012 R2 only requires a Windows Server 2012 CAL. Previous versions of CAL cannot be used.

Types of Windows Server CALs

Windows Server CAL licensed per device or user.

Windows Server CAL Device CAL

A Windows Server 2016 Device Client Access License (Device CAL) is a Device Client Access License that grants the right to connect to any number of servers from a single device. Device, or a device with this license, can be used by any of the users and connect to servers, including previous versions. To calculate the required number of such licenses, simply count the number of devices that will be used to connect to servers in the future.

Remote Desktop Services CAL

Windows Server 2016 client access license through Remote Desktop Service. Licensed by device or user. To access via Remote Desktop (Windows Remode Desktop Service) you need to have 2 licenses: Client Access License + Remote Desktop Services CAL.

Windows Server CAL Licensing Considerations

The Microsoft Open License Program (OLP) is a volume licensing program that allows you to purchase licenses for software products at a lower price relative to the retail prices of boxed products.

Windows Server CALs purchased through the OLP program are perpetual and allow connection to current and previous Windows versions server. The OLP license is not bound to the hardware, it is tied to the organization for which the Windows Server CAL will be issued.

After the acquisition of OLP- Windows licenses Server CAL on the Microsoft VLSC site, the buyer will be given access to personal account where information about the number of purchased licenses will be available. Client Access licenses do not have activation keys (access opens in approximately 1-2 business days).

Initial order for Windows Server CAL under the OLP program - 5 licenses. All the following orders can be for any number of licenses starting from 1 pc.

After that, a license agreement and closing documents will be sent to your address by Russian post. (Invoice, Act on the transfer of rights, notification of the simplified tax system)

CALs for Microsoft Windows Server (Server CAL)

Windows Server 2019 Client Access License (Server CAL) grants a user or device the right to access the server software.

A Windows Server 2019 CAL is required if a user or device accesses or uses Windows Server server software. However, if access is via the Internet and is anonymous (for example, when browsing a public Web site), this license is not required. In addition, to license external user access, an organization can purchase External Connector licenses. Additionally, Windows Server CALs are not required if Windows Server 2019 is used solely as a virtualization host, except for configurations using Windows Server VMs that require Windows Server CALs. For example, if virtual machines running Windows Server 2003 are deployed on a server running Windows Server 2008, users virtual machines do not require Windows Server 2008 CALs. However, they require CALs for editions of Windows Server deployed on virtual machines(in this case, Windows Server 2003).

Do I need a Server CAL if the user only occasionally uses certain server software protocols or services (such as Network Access Protection or DHCP)?

Yes. A Windows CAL is required to access and use the server software, regardless of frequency.

What is the difference between Windows Server CALs and Terminal Services CALs (Terminal Licenses)?

If a user or device accesses Windows Server directly or indirectly, they need a Windows Server CAL. Also, if a user or device accesses Windows Server Terminal Services or uses this service, you must purchase a Terminal Services CAL in addition to the CAL. However, up to two users or devices can access the server software for administrative purposes only, without using TS CALs or Windows Server CALs.

So how are server products licensed? The topic is very complex, so we will try to explain it with a specific example.

Let's say that there is a company with a small PC fleet of about 5 workstations on which a licensed Windows Vista, (it is necessary to take into account the fact that the license for operating system does not grant any rights to connect to the server). The company needed to purchase a server, they decided to install Windows Server Standard 2008 on this server, so the company will need to purchase a license for Windows Server Standard itself, and in order to access this server, client access licenses (CAL - Client Access License) are needed. Since the company has 5 PCs, 5 client licenses will be required.

Suppose that after some time the company needs to install another server, let's say Windows Server Enterprise 2008. In this case, the company will need to purchase a license only for Windows Server Enterprise 2008 itself, in this case it is not necessary to purchase additional client licenses, since all 5 workstations already have Windows Server CALs. Client licenses for Windows Server give the right to connect to any of the editions of both Standard and Enterprise, but one more important fact must be taken into account that the CAL version must be at least the version of the server to which you are connecting. Example: under client licenses for Windows Server CAL 2008, you can connect to Windows Server 2003, but not vice versa, an exception - using Windows Server CAL 2003, you can connect to Windows Server 2003 R2. Now suppose that one of the servers has installed Exchange Server 2007, respectively, you will have to purchase a license for the Exchange Server itself and the Exchange Server CAL for five PCs.

One more point: in the delivery of OEM and boxed versions, client licenses are included in the delivery set of 5 pieces for corporate licenses, OLPs are purchased separately.

There is another version of licenses - Terminal CAL - licenses are intended for terminal access. Let's try to figure it out with an example: let's say a company decided to expand its PC fleet and buy 5 more thin clients (terminals) to save money and space (more detailed information O thin clients can be found online). In this case, the company will have to purchase 5 more Windows Server CALs and 5 Terminal CALs. the latter, give the right only to connect terminals.

There are two types of client licenses: "per user" (user CAL) and "per device" (device CAL). The most common CAL is "per device", meaning the device itself is licensed to connect to the server, and multiple employees can connect from that device to the server. The second option, a “per user” license, is beneficial in cases where the number of employees who need access to the server is limited to, say, 20 PCs and only two employees need access. In this case, it will be more profitable to purchase 2 client licenses, and these two employees will be able to connect to the server from any PC, but only these two employees who are assigned a user license. It is fixed by order of the enterprise, in otherwise there is no way you can prove in verification that only two employees are connecting to the server.

Multiplexing.

The concept of multiplexing is extremely difficult to explain to a non-technical person, but we will try to explain it with a specific example. Imagine two servers connected to each other, let's call them C1 and C2. The company needs to install SQL Server and ensure the work of 10 employees with the database and, accordingly, the company wants to save on the purchase of client licenses. What they do: they install SQL Server on C2, and on C1 some free database that does not require any client licenses. As a result, it turns out that the main database lies on SQL Server, which is installed on C2, and employees actually access C1, which in turn receives a request, takes data from C2 and sends it to the client, i.e. works as an intermediary and thus 10 employees connect to SQL Server for free.

This C1, the intermediary switch, is the multiplexer, and this scheme is prohibited and, if verified, will entail criminal liability under Article 146 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The rules clearly state that multiplexing and intermediate equipment does not affect the licensing rules or the number of licenses.

To summarize: to provide 10 employees with work with SQL Server, you need 10 SQL Server CALs.

external connector.

Let's try to analyze what the External Connector is with a specific example.

In this case best example may be the need to create an online store. Imagine that a certain company decided to open an online store or a certain informational portal to provide goods or services to your company. In this case, you will have to provide external users with access to your resources, and this requires all the appropriate client licenses for each connection. It is basically impossible to calculate exactly how many client licenses will be needed in a given period of time, since we don’t know how many clients will simultaneously contact the online store, and purchasing many client licenses at once to guarantee enough is simply not profitable. This is where the External Connector is needed - this is a license for unlimited connection to the server, that is, instead of a huge number of client licenses, you can purchase one External Connector.

But there is one caveat: only external users who are not employees of the company can connect via the External Connector, in any form. Those. in our case, only customers of the online store can connect.

Processor Licensing.

Now let's deal with licensing per processor and consider the example of the most common server product that is licensed per processor - SQL Server.

What is the best way to license SQL Server? The standard option applies here: you can license the server itself and purchase the required number of client licenses for it, but you can also buy a license for the processor.

Again, imagine a physical server on which we are going to install SQL Server and connect five users to it, which we will need for this, in addition to a license for Windows Server and CALs for it. Since it is on Windows Server that we will install SQL, we will consider the option of licensing SQL Server itself. So, in a situation where we need to connect five users, we purchase a license for SQL Server itself and, accordingly, five SQL Server CALs for it. This scheme useful when you need to connect a large number of users. Now suppose that we need to connect 100 users to SQL Server, in this case it is not economically profitable to buy a license for the server itself and for 100 client connections, in this case it will be profitable to buy a license for the processor and then we will not need a license for SQL Server itself and no client licenses are required because the processor license includes a license for the server itself and for an unlimited number of client connections, both internal and external.

That is, the physical processor itself, the piece of hardware itself, is licensed, regardless of the number of processor cores. The following server products are licensed under this scheme:

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006

Microsoft Commerce Server 2007

Under this model, a network based on Microsoft server products needs at least one server license and usually more Client Access Licenses (CALs).

Server license is a document (not software) that:

• Required for every server running Microsoft server software.
• Gives the licensee the right to use (install and operate) Microsoft server software on a single server.

Client Access License- an official document (not software) that gives the user the right to access a server on the network.

Client license required:

• To access the server from a device on the network, or remotely, regardless of the OS used.
• To use the core server services (see individual product descriptions in the following sections for details).

External connector license- an official document (not software) that gives the right to external users (customers and business partners) of the company to access the services of the server software organizations.

Types of CALs

Distinguish between device and user CALs

Device CAL	User CAL
Allows anyone number of users to access server software with one device	Allows one user access server software from any number of devices.
This type is the most beneficial and convenient in administration for those organizations where several users, for example, work in shifts, work on the same device.	This type is the most beneficial and easy to administer for those organizations where there are many mobile workers who need access to corporate network from arbitrary devices, or employees using multiple devices to access the network.

Client Access Licensing Schemes

There are several ways to provide client access to the server software: per-device or per-user CALs, limiting the number of simultaneous connections to the server, as well as the use of an External Connector license for unlimited connection of external users.

Licensing per device or per user means that the license applies to a single device or user using server application located on any server on the network. This method is often used in a multi-server network and is offered for all of the above server products. Under this licensing scheme, the total number of client licenses must be equal to the total number of client PCs or users on the network.

Limiting the number of connections to the server(licensing mode "per server" or "per server") means that the required number of client licenses is equal to the maximum number of devices or users simultaneously accessing a single server at any given time. Upon reaching the maximum allowable number concurrent access sessions, other devices or users attempting to access the services of this server will not be able to do so. This licensing method is more suitable for the case of a network with one server, infrequent use basic functions server or in case remote access to the server, for CD-ROM servers, or other server solutions that take into account non-standard server use. (However, keep in mind that each computer can run multiple applications at the same time accessing different servers on the network.) Therefore, the number of CALs purchased per server should be equal to the maximum number of concurrent connections to the server. This client access licensing scheme applies only to Microsoft Windows Server.



Licensing using the External Connector eliminates the need to count and purchase individual client licenses for each business partner or end user of the organization and allows you to provide access to server software to an unlimited number of non-employees. An External Connector license may not be used by employees, external contractors, agents, service providers, or others who perform services on behalf of the organization (and affiliates, if any). An External Connector license must be purchased for each copy of the server software. Therefore, the number of External Connector licenses must be equal to the number of servers accessed by external users or devices.

When is the best time to purchase CALs?	When is it more profitable to purchase an External Connector
This type is most beneficial if the organization has a small number of customers and partners and it is not difficult to count them.	This type is most beneficial if an organization has a large number of customers and partners that have authenticated server access.
This scheme can also be beneficial if the organization has a large number of servers.	This model is also applied in cases where the number of external users or devices is difficult or impossible to count.

Version of the server license and client access license

The server program and client license are identified certain number versions. A client access license allows you to access a server program with the same (or lower) version number. For example, an Exchange 2007 CAL can be used to access Exchange Server 2003, but not vice versa.

The same CALs are used to access server services of any edition. For example, the Windows 2008 CAL or the Windows 2008 External Connector Pricing can be used both to access Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Server Standard Edition and to access Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition.

Using software or hardware multiplexers for client access

The use of software or hardware that reduces the number of devices directly accessing server services does not affect the need to purchase CALs. The required number of CALs is equal to the total number of devices at the input of such a device. In the example below, three CALs are required to be purchased, even though only one device is directly connected to the server:



On this page you will find examples of typical and simple scenarios for using Microsoft servers. For more complex cases, use combinations of these simple examples.

Briefly about the main:

Examples:

Three people using three devices use one instance of Windows Server on one server. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter.

Need for licenses:

1. Three Windows Server CALs for three devices that people use the server with.

Three people using five devices use one instance of Windows Server on one server. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter.



Need for licenses:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in the server. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three people using the server.

Three people using five devices use two instances of Windows Server on two different servers. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter.



Need for licenses:

Three people using three devices are running two instances of Windows Server on two different servers. At the same time, two people using two devices use GUI one of the servers. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter.



Need for licenses:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in two servers. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three devices people use the servers with.
3. Two Windows Server CALs for two devices that people use to use the server GUI.

Three people using five devices are using two instances of Windows Server on two different servers. At the same time, two people using three devices use the graphical interface of one of the servers. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter.



Need for licenses:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in two servers. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three people using the servers.
3. Two Windows Server CALs for two people using the server GUI.

Three people using three devices use an instance of Windows Server and an instance of SQL Server. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter. The number of connections to SQL Server is not important.



Need for licenses:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in the server. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three devices that people use Windows Server with.
3. Server license.
4. Three SQL Server CALs for three devices people use the server with.

Three people using three devices use the GUI of a Windows Server instance to run a business application (for example, 1C) that uses an instance of SQL Server on another server. At the same time or in turn - it does not matter. The number of connections to SQL Server is not important.