Windows Server Cal User Vs Device

The only time the device cal model makes sense is when you have a large number of employees using a limited number of computers.

Windows server cal user vs device.

A cal gives users or devices the right to access and use services provided by a windows server. The second time that device connects as long as the license server is activated and there are available rds cals the license server issues a permanent rds per device cal. Device cals allow access to all instances of a particular server product from a single device a laptop or a desktop computer for example regardless of how many people use that device. Like other cals cal suites can be licensed on either a per user or per device basis.

Each user or device accessing a licensed windows server requires a windows server cal or a windows server and a remote desktop services rds cal. Cal suites simplify licensing and tracking by reducing the number of licenses that are necessary to access microsoft servers. A client access license cal suite is a single license that provides use rights that are equivalent to multiple licenses. A client access license cal is not a type of software but rather a license that grants users or devices access to sql server software.

Even though user cals are more expensive buying one cal will be much cheaper than buying four. User cals are the more common licensing option. When you use the per device model a temporary license is issued the first time a device connects to the rd session host. Windows server cals do not come with a product key as windows server operating system licenses do and do not need to be registered anywhere in the os.

With the user cal you purchase a cal for every user who accesses the server to use services such as file storage or printing regardless of the number of devices they use for that access. You either need to buy four device cals to cover those four devices or you need to buy a single user cal to cover that user.