Windows Server Cal User Vs Device

Device cals are less common that user cals but they do make sense when multiple employees use the same computer.

Windows server cal user vs device.

User cals are the more common licensing option. 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. A client access license cal suite is a single license that provides use rights that are equivalent to multiple licenses. Even though user cals are more expensive buying one cal will be much cheaper than buying four.

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. However every user or device that access windows server needs a cal to be compliant. 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. Cal suites simplify licensing and tracking by reducing the number of licenses that are necessary to access microsoft servers.

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. The only time the device cal model makes sense is when you have a large number of employees using a limited number of computers. 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. A cal gives users or devices the right to access and use services provided by a windows server.

When you use the per device model a temporary license is issued the first time a device connects to the rd session host. 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.