Windows Server Licensing – Need to Know
Windows Server is primarily licensed using a Server + CAL (Client Access License) model or a Processor + CAL model
- Windows Server Standard and Enterprise editions are licensed using the Server + CAL model
- Windows Server Datacenter and Windows Server for Itanium-Based Systems editions are licensed using the Processor + CAL model.
Under both models, the CAL that accesses the instance of Windows Server must be quivalent or higher in version than the server being accessed
- If you deploy Windows Server 2003 virtual machines onto Windows Server 2008 R2, you do not require Windows Server 2008 CALs for your virtual machine users. (you will still require CALs for you appropriate Windows Server Edition, in this case, for Windows Server 2003) This is only true if the Windows Server 2008 R2 in the physical operating system enviroment is running the Hyper-V server role.
A Windows Server 2008 CAL must be purchased for every user or device that accesses or uses the Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 server software
- There are no new CALs for Windows Server R2. You can use your Windows Server 2008 CAL for either Windows Server 2008 or Windows server 2008 R2.
A Windows Server DEVICE CAL permits one device (used by any user) to access or use the server software. A Windows Server USER CAL permits one user (using any device) to access or use the server software; the same holds true for RDS Device CALs and RDS User CALs
Windows Server 2008 R2 is 64 BIT only
The latest version of Terminal Services (TS) CAL is being renamed to Remote Desktop Services CAL.
Windows External Connector (EC) Licences
An EC license is not mandatory. It is a licensing option available to address a specific scenario. When you need to allow your business partners or customers to access your network, you have two choices:
- You can acquire Windows Server 2008 CALs for each of your external users
- You can aquire External Connector licenses for each windows Server that those external users will access.
EC licenses should be aquired for each Windows server that the external user is accessing (not just for the server to which they are authenticating).
An external user is a person who is not an employee, or similar personnel of the company or its affiliates, and is not someone to whom you provide hoste services using the server software.
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