Which RDS CALs 2019 licence is right for me?

Windows Server operating system licences only allow the operating system to run on the physical server of the licence purchaser. It does not grant legal rights for users or devices to connect to it.

For users or devices to access the server and use certain services, they 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 wish because the CAL is linked to you, not the device. A Device-CAL is for the endpoint device to access 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 working environment, whether employees need to connect from outside the company or from one location.

For example:

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

RDS CALs User Licence

When using the RDS CALs user licence, licensing is not enforced and a licence is granted to each user to connect to a Remote Desktop Session Host from any number of devices. The licensing server issues licences from the available RDS CAL pool or the overused RDS CAL pool. It is your responsibility to ensure that all users have a valid licence and no overused CALs. Otherwise, you will be violating the licensing terms of Remote Desktop Services.

For most businesses, the RDS CALs user licence option is the most cost-effective, as they generally have employees accessing servers through different devices. Think of an employee who accesses their email on their desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile during a typical week. A single RDS CALs user licence would be enough to cover that employee, but if used per device, you would need to acquire 4 RDS CALs device licences for the 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 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 night team using the same PCs.