When Are Windows Server CALs Needed?

[Frederick]

If I have a Windows Server Standard Edition installed in a server in a local area network and running a VCL application and 50 users want to access it, I need 50 CALs.

If I use a UniGUI app from a VPS with Windows Server Datacenter, I don't seem to need to purchase 50 CALS if I have 50 users connected to the app.

If I use a UniGUI app from a computer running Windows Server Standard Edition in a local area network, do I need to purchase 50 CALS if 50 users need to use it?

--
Frederick
(UniGUI Complete - Professional Edition 1.90.0.1560)
 

[mierlp]

 

Hi

Microsoft license policies are the trickiest to understand and often there is no clear yes or no answer. But in general you can keep this in mind.
This is only about the CALs, which is different from server, core or CPU licenses.

Microsoft uses multple forms of CAL's:
- user cal's
- device cals'
- rds cal's / external connectors

USER CAL's
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. Purchasing a User CAL might make more sense if your company's employees need to have roaming access to the corporate network by using multiple devices, or from unknown devices, or if you simply have more devices than users in your organization.

DEVICE CAL's
With a Device CAL, you purchase a CAL for every device that accesses your server, regardless of the number of users who use that device to access the server. Device CALs may make more economic and administrative sense if your company has workers who share devices, for example, on different work shifts.

EXTERNAL CONNECTORS
If you want external users—such as business partners, external contractors, or customers—to be able to access your network, you have two licensing options:
- Acquire CALs for each of your external users.
- Acquire External Connector (EC) licenses for each server that will be accessed by your external users.

When do I need to acquire a CAL?

A CAL is required when a user or device accesses or uses the server software.
If access is through the Internet and is unauthenticated (as at a public website), a CAL is not required.
 

YOUR QUESTION:

A. Yes you need 50 cal's for every user which connects and uses the services

B. Correct but only when the users have NOT authenticated to a active directory/azure-ad

C. CALs are required by Microsoft licensing for all users or devices that access Windows Server Standard or Windows Server Datacenter.

 

Regards Peter

[Frederick]

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

It would appear that the only way I can avoid purchasing multiple CALs in an office network is to host the UniGUI application in a public VPS.

Would setting up a computer in the office as a cloud server and having users in the office and outside access it via a public IP address avoid the need to purchase multiple CALs as well?

[mierlp]

 

Hi

Just to add. If you don't have enough Windows cal's nothing will physically happen. Users can just keep/use access.
You are then only in violation when you get an audit. This only applies to Windows Server and not to RDS and SQL.

Then your question:
Your server in this case should not be connected to your internal network. By a cloud server is meant in 99% in VPS/VDS server in an external data center/hosting provider.
It may therefore not be an application that is accessed via Remote Desktop/Terminal server but must run on e.g. IIS. because a RDS/TS also requires licenses.

 

[Frederick]

Thanks for the detailed explanations. I am clear now.