Which RDS CALs 2012 R2 licence is right for me?

Windows Server operating system licences only serve to run the operating system on the physical server of the licence holder. They do not grant legal rights for users or devices to connect to it.

For users or devices to access the server and use certain services, you need to acquire separate licences.

A User-CAL grants you a licence to access the server. You can access as many different endpoints as you want because the CAL is tied to you, not the device. A Device-CAL is for the device to have access to the server. People using this device do not need a User-CAL.

Which one suits my business?

It all depends on whether you have more employees or more devices. It also depends on the environment in which you work, whether employees need to connect from outside the company or from the same place.

For example:

• If you have fewer employees than devices, choose User-CAL, or if your workspace requires you to connect to the server from different devices, this would be your best option.
• If you have fewer devices than users, choose Device-CAL, or if your employees are in the same place but have different schedules and multiple people use the same device, this would be the best choice.

RDS CALs User Licence

RDS CALs User Licence

For most businesses, the RDS CALs per user licence option is the most cost-effective, as they generally have employees accessing servers through multiple devices. Think of an employee who accesses their email on their desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile during a typical week. A single RDS CALs per user licence would suffice to cover that employee, but if used per device, you would need to purchase 4 RDS CALs per device licences for all four devices to access the server.

RDS CALs Device Licence

When using the per-device model, a temporary licence is issued the first time a device connects to the Remote Desktop Session Host. The second time the device connects, as long as the licensing server is activated and RDS CALs are available, the licensing server issues a permanent RDS Device-CAL.

The RDS CALs per Device licence is suitable when you have a large number of employees using a limited number of computers. Some examples of this are: a kiosk in a shopping centre with part-time employees coming and going throughout the week, a maintenance team using a shared PC to clock in or out, or a 24/7 business with a day shift and a night team using the same PCs.