Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services - 5 User CALs.Great Customer Service Specialists Standing By Best Prices Available. Pricing and licensing overview. To give you a more consistent licensing experience across multi-cloud environments, we transitioned from processor-based licensing to core-based licensing for Windows Server 2019 Datacenter and Standard editions.
Applies to: Windows Server (Semi-Annual Channel), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016
Each user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host needs a client access licenses (CAL). You use RD Licensing to install, issue, and track RDS CALs.
![Microsoft windows server 2016 remote desktop services cal Microsoft windows server 2016 remote desktop services cal](https://www.digitalsoftwaremarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/fff1.png)
When a user or a device connects to an RD Session Host server, the RD Session Host server determines if an RDS CAL is needed. The RD Session Host server then requests an RDS CAL from the Remote Desktop license server. If an appropriate RDS CAL is available from a license server, the RDS CAL is issued to the client, and the client is able to connect to the RD Session Host server and from there to the desktop or apps they're trying to use.
Although there is a licensing grace period during which no license server is required, after the grace period ends, clients must have a valid RDS CAL issued by a license server before they can log on to an RD Session Host server.
Use the following information to learn about how client access licensing works in Remote Desktop Services and to deploy and manage your licenses:
- License your RDS deployment with client access licenses (CALs)
Understanding the CALs model
There are two types of CALs:
- RDS Per Device CALs
- RDS Per User CALs
The following table outlines the differences between the two types of CALs:
Per Device | Per User |
---|---|
CALs are physically assigned to each device. | CALs are assigned to a user in Active Directory. |
CALs are tracked by the license server. | CALs are tracked by the license server. |
CALs can be tracked regardless of Active Directory membership. | CALs cannot be tracked within a workgroup. |
You can revoke up to 20% of CALs. | You cannot revoke any CALs. |
Temporary CALs are valid for 52–89 days. | Temporary CALs are not available. |
CALs cannot be overallocated. | CALs can be overallocated (in breach of the Remote Desktop licensing agreement). |
When you use the Per Device model, a temporary license is issued the first time a device connects to the RD Session Host. The second time that device connects, as long as the license server is activated and there are available CALs, the license server issues a permanent RDS Per Device CAL.
When you use the Per User model, licensing is not enforced and each user is granted a license to connect to an RD Session Host from any number of devices. The license server issues licenses from the available CAL pool or the Over-Used CAL pool. It’s your responsibility to ensure that all of your users have a valid license and zero Over-Used CALs—otherwise, you're in violation of the Remote Desktop Services license terms.
To ensure you are in compliance with the Remote Destkop Services license terms, track the number of RDS Per User CALs used in your organization and be sure to have a enough Per User CALs installed on the license server for all of your users.
You can use the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager to track and generate reports on RDS Per User CALs.
Note about CAL versions
The CAL used by users or devices must correspond to the version of Windows Server that the user or device is connecting to. You can't use older CALs to access newer Windows Server versions, but you can use newer CALs to access earlier versions of Windows Server.
The following table shows the CALs that are compatible on RD Session Hosts and RD Virtualization Hosts.
2008 R2 and earlier CAL | 2012 CAL | 2016 CAL | 2019 CAL | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008, 2008 R2 license server | Yes | No | No | No |
2012 license server | Yes | Yes | No | No |
2012 R2 license server | Yes | Yes | No | No |
2016 license server | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
2019 license server | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Any RDS license server can host licenses from all previous versions of Remote Desktop Services and the current version of Remote Desktop Services. For example, a Windows Server 2016 RDS license server can host licenses from all previous versions of RDS, while a Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS license server can only host licenses up to Windows Server 2012 R2.
-->Applies to: Windows Server (Semi-Annual Channel), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016
Use the following information to install Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (CALs) on the license server. Once the CALs are installed, the license server will issue them to users as appropriate.
Note you need Internet connectivity on the computer running Remote Desktop Licensing Manager but not on the computer running the license server.
- On the license server (usually the first RD Connection Broker), open the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager.
- Right-click the license server, and then click Install licenses.
- Click Next on the welcome page.
- Select the program you purchased your RDS CALs from, and then click Next. If you are a service provider, select Service Provider License Agreement.
- Enter the information for your license program. In most cases, this will be the license code or an agreement number, but this varies depending on the license program you're using.
- Click Next.
- Select the product version, license type, and number of licenses for your environment, and then click Next. The license manager contacts the Microsoft Clearinghouse to validate and retrieve your licenses.
- Click Finish to complete the process.