Help for Windows Server 2019 Client Access Licenses (CALs)

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Windows Server^® licensing is designed to be very flexible, so organizations only pay for what they need. Microsoft uses a two-component license model that provides a low entry price and a way to pay only for capacity used, offering license flexibility and affordability to organizations of all sizes.

The first component of the licensing equation includes Windows Server 2019 Base Licenses and Additional Licenses. These operating system (OS) licenses allow the purchaser to install the OS onto a server, under the terms of the license agreement. However, Windows Server OS licenses do not give legal permission for users or devices to connect to the server; those rights are granted by Windows Server Client Access Licenses (CALs), which are the second component of licensing.

Both components need to be properly in place for the organization to be in compliance with Microsoft licensing terms. For example, if a customer wants to run Windows Server 2019 on an HPE ProLiant Gen10 server, they will need to acquire a Windows Server 2019 base license and additional licenses to cover the server’s physical cores and virtual machines (VMs). They will also need to acquire CALs for the users or devices that will access the server.

User CALs vs. device CALs

HPE offers several different types of Windows Server CALs. A user CAL allows a single user access to Windows Server from an unlimited number of devices. A device CAL allows an unlimited number of users to access Windows Server from a single device.

If an organization has employees who access server resources from several devices, user CALs make the most economical and administrative sense. If the organization has multiple users sharing one device (such as shift workers using a kiosk-style workstation), device CALs make the most economical and administrative sense.

Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CALs

For organizations using RDS functionality on Windows Server, there is actually a third component to licensing: the RDS CAL. An RDS CAL enables an authorized user or device to access virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), session-based desktops, and applications so they can work from anywhere. That authorization is enabled via RDS CALs, which are also available as either user or device CALs.

Buying CALs from HPE

Windows Server CALs can be purchased from HPE or an authorized partner at any time, they don’t require a new HPE server purchase. HPE currently offers user and device CALs in packs of one, five, 10, and 50. RDS user CALs and RDS device CALs are available in packs of five.

It’s important to note that Windows Server CALs must be the same version as—or higher than—the server software they are accessing. In other words, users or devices accessing a server running Windows Server 2019 must have Windows Server 2019 CALs. Those Windows Server 2019 CALs may also be used to access Windows Server 2016.

Read more about CALs:

• FAQ: HPE FAQ for Microsoft OEM licensing—Windows Server
• Blog: Frequently asked questions about Windows Server 2019 client access licenses (CALs)
• Blog: Everything you need to know about Windows Server 2019 Client Access Licenses (CALs)
• Blog: The Ultimate Guide to Windows Server 2019 Licensing