Microsoft Server Licensing Examples. Where to Buy Windows Server Client Access Licenses (Server CALs) What is Windows Server CAL

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 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 software licenses at a lower price than boxed retail prices.

Windows Server CALs purchased through the OLP program are perpetual and allow connection to current and previous versions of Windows 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)

Standard edition. Designed to support mailboxes small and medium organizations. Suitable for other Exchange roles - other than the Mailbox server - in larger organizations. This release supports 1 to 5 mailbox databases.
Enterprise edition. Designed for larger organizations that may need more mailbox databases. This release supports 1 to 100 mailbox databases.

Client Access Licenses (CALs)

Standard edition. Created for productive work using almost any platform, browser or mobile device. New tools in Exchange Server 2019 help users be more productive, wherever they are, while protecting corporate data. To use the features in this release, you must obtain a Standard CAL.

Enterprise edition. Helps organizations achieve compliance at a lower cost with new built-in archiving and information protection capabilities. Thus, in order to access the features of the Enterprise CAL, the user will need to purchase CALs of both editions: Standard and Enterprise.

Microsoft offers its to corporative clients a convenient option for managing client access licenses to basic server products that make up the enterprise infrastructure - Core CAL Suite (Client Access License). Microsoft Core CAL is a set of CALs for products such as:

Microsoft Exchange Server CAL.
Microsoft SharePoint Server.
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.
Microsoft Lync Server.
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2.
Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection.

Number of purchased kits Microsoft Core CAL should be equal to the number of PCs on which it is planned to use the software from this list. There is no similar set of server licenses. The Core CAL Suite is only available under Volume Licensing programs only in line items that include Software Assurance. The cost of Core CAL Suite is 15% less than the sum of the costs of its components, and with standardization, savings can be up to 35%.

Delivery options

Boxed version- delivery in the form of a box includes a software distribution kit on a DVD in English or Russian, a certificate of authenticity and license agreement. The purchase of Microsoft software in a boxed version is in a simple way purchase of a product for private clients and small organizations (up to 5 users).

Microsoft Open License Program (OLP)- OLP Volume Licensing program provides perpetual rights to use current and previous versions of products. Along with licenses, you can purchase a subscription to Microsoft Software Assurance (SA), which provides the right to update the software to new versions and some additional benefits (packages of free services and tools) for a period of 24 months.

At the end of the 24 months, separate SA renewal licenses can be purchased. The product use rights provided by the OLP licenses are set out in the Microsoft Product Use Rights (PUR) white paper. The minimum initial order is 5 OLP licenses for any product. Subsequent orders within two years may be for any number of licenses.

After purchasing an OLP license for Microsoft Office Word on the Microsoft VLSC site, the buyer is given access to the keys and installation file current and previous versions of the product (available in approximately 2 business days).

Comparison table of OLP licenses and boxed versions

User rights	Volume Licensing Programs	Box (FPP)
Right of use previous version(downgrade)	+
Ability to install and use multiple copies of the software on one PC	Any number of copies	One copy
Ability to install an additional copy of the Software on a portable device for use by the single primary user of the licensed device	+	+
Ability to install an additional copy of the software on a network device	+
Transfer to another PC	Allowed no more than once every 90 days
Transfer to a third party	Permitted subject to terms of agreement	One-time transfer permitted, provided that the software is uninstalled and all components are transferred

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

Server license is a document (not software), which the:

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- a public document (not software) that gives the right to external users (customers and business partners) of the company to access the organization's server software services.

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 concurrent connections to the server, and using an External Connector license for unlimited external user connections.

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. Once the maximum allowed number of simultaneous access sessions is reached, 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 organization and allows you to provide access to the server software to an unlimited number of persons who are not employees of the company. 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, a Windows 2008 CAL or a Windows 2008 CAL Windows price The 2008 External Connector 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:

Product description

Software Microsoft Windows Server CAL is an official document (not software) that gives the user the right to access Windows server online. A client license is needed: to access the server from a device on the network, or remotely, regardless of the OS used; to use the underlying server services. 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.

A Microsoft Windows Server CAL is required for Microsoft Windows Server Standard and Datacenter editions. In addition, incremental CALs are purchased in addition to the Microsoft Windows Server CAL for access to Remote Desktop Services (RDS CAL) and Rights Management Services. Active Directory(AD RMS CAL).

Microsoft Windows Server CALs can be per device and per user. Device license allows any number of users to access the server software from a single device. This type CAL is useful for those organizations where several users work on the same device.

User license allows a single user to access the server software from any number of devices. This type of CAL is useful for organizations with many mobile workers who need access to the corporate network from arbitrary devices, or employees who use multiple devices to access the network.

New in Windows versions Server 2016

Windows Containers: Support for containers in Windows Server 2016 brings performance improvements, simplified network management, and the use of Windows Containers in Windows 10.

Nano Server

The module for creating Nano Server images has been updated in Nano Server. This update includes additional feature separation between the physical host and guest virtual machine, as well as support for different editions of Windows Server. In addition, the Recovery Agent has been improved to distinguish between firewall rules for inbound and outbound traffic, and the ability to restore WinRM service settings has been added.

Remote Desktop Services

Deploying a highly available Remote Desktop Services environment allows you to use Azure SQL Database for RD Connection Brokers in high availability mode.

Identity and access

The new identity components increase the security level of Active Directory environments for organizations and also help move towards cloud-only and hybrid deployments where some applications and services are hosted in the cloud and others are hosted on-premises.

Active Directory Certificate Services

What's new in Active Directory Certificate Services. For Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), Windows Server 2016 has increased support for TPM key attestation. You can now use KSP smart cards for key attestation. For non-domain-joined devices, you can now use NDES enrollment to obtain a certificate that can be attested for keys in the TPM.

Active Directory Domain Services

Active Directory Domain Services includes enhancements to help organizations secure Active Directory environments and improve the efficiency of identity management tasks for corporate and personal devices.

Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) in Windows Server 2016 includes new features that allow you to configure AD FS to authenticate users stored in LDAP directories.

Web Application Proxy

Latest version of Web Application Proxy provides new features for publishing and pre-authentication additional applications and user experience.

Control and automation

Windows PowerShell 5.0 contains important new features, including support for class-driven development and new security features that enhance usability, improve usability, and make it easier to manage Windows environments comprehensively.

Software Defined Networking

Mirroring and traffic routing for new or existing virtual appliances is now available. Together with the distribution of the firewall and network security groups, the user gets the ability to dynamically segment and secure workloads in the same way as in Azure. In addition, you can deploy and manage an entire stack of software-defined networking (SDN) using System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

Improved TCP performance

The default initial congestion period (ICW) has been increased from 4 to 10, and the TCP Fast Open (TFO) feature has also been implemented. TFO reduces the time it takes to establish a TCP connection, and a longer ICW period allows larger objects to be transferred as part of the initial send. This combination can significantly reduce the time it takes to transfer an Internet object between a client and the cloud.

Just Enough Administration

Just Enough Administration in Windows Server 2016 is a security technology that allows you to delegate administration of all components that can be managed through Windows PowerShell. Features include support for executing with a network identity, connecting via PowerShell Direct, securely copying files to and from JEA endpoints, and configuring the PowerShell console to run in the default JEA context.

Credential Guard

To protect secrets, Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to ensure that only privileged system software can access these data.

Remote Credential Guard

Credential Guard supports RDP sessions so that user credentials remain on the client side and are not exposed on the server side. It also provides single sign-on for remote desktop.

Device Guard (code integrity)

Device Guard enforces Kernel Mode Code Integrity (KMCI) and User Mode Code Integrity (UMCI) by creating policies that specify what code can run on a server.

Shielded VMs

Windows Server 2016 provides new Hyper-V-based shielded VMs to protect any Generation 2 VM from a compromised fabric.

Windows Defender

Windows Server Antimalware will update antimalware definitions and protect a computer without a user interface.

Control flow protection

Control Flow Guard (CFG) is a platform security component designed to address memory corruption vulnerabilities.

Direct Mount Storage Spaces

Storage Spaces Direct allows you to create scalable storage with high level accessibility using servers with local storage. They simplify the deployment and administration of software-defined storage systems and open up the possibility of using new classes of disk devices, such as SATA SSD and NVMe.

As part of

all Softline customers who have purchased Microsoft licenses will be able to receive standard and extended support free of charge, including on-site support!

Licensing schemes

Product Licensing

Windows Server 2016 licensing models

Windows Server 2016 has two licensing models: core-based and Client Access Licenses (CALs). For Windows Server Standard, Datacenter, or Multipoint editions, each user and/or device must purchase a Windows Server CAL or a Windows Server and Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CAL. The Windows Server CAL entitles a user or device to access any edition of Windows Server that is equal to or greater than early version. The Window Server CAL provides access to multiple Windows Server licenses.

Windows Server 2016 licenses for Standard and Datacenter editions are based on cores, not processors. This model is better suited for multi-cloud environments, simplifies the migration of Windows Server workloads with the Azure Hybrid Benefit, and reduces variance between various methods licensing.

To use Remote Desktop Services, Active Directory Rights Management Services, and other additional and enhanced features, you must purchase special CALs.

Windows Server 2016 Standard and Datacenter Editions: Licensing by Core

All physical server cores are subject to licensing. The cost of each license physical server determined based on the number of processor cores installed in it.
Each server must be licensed for at least 16 cores.
Each physical processor must be licensed for a minimum of 8 cores.
Licenses will be sold in sets of two cores.
You must purchase at least eight sets of two-core licenses for each physical server. The cost of a license for two cores is one eighth of the cost of a license for two processors of the corresponding edition of Windows Server 2012 R2.
The Standard Edition entitles you to two OSEs or two Hyper-V containers if all of the server's physical cores are licensed. For every two additional virtual machines relicensing of all server cores is required.
The 16-core license for Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Standard editions is the same as the two-processor license for the corresponding editions of Windows Server 2012 R2.

Up to 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server: Customers will be licensed for a minimum of 8 cores per processor or 16 cores per server.

More than 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server: Customers will receive licenses for servers with more than 8 cores per processor or 16 cores per server.