CAL's and licensing

I've always been confused on the two of these and was hoping someone could help me out and give some examples.

This is my understanding...
When using per server licesning, each user connecting to each server requires a CAL. So if 20 users connect to 2 servers you need 40 CAL's.

When using per device or per user, in the scenario above, where 20 users are connecting to 2 servers, you only need 20 CAL's.

When would you ever use per server? Even if you only had 1 server, wouldn't you still need equal CAL's to using per device/user?

Also confused here, in the per device/user. Does this mean that 1 CAL is needed per user account, per computer account, or a mixture of the two? (or even none of the above??)

Nothing I have ever read has made this clear to me. If someone could explain it that would be great.

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tbgree00

As I understand it server CAL are concurrent. If you had 20 users using 2 servers but only 5 users ever used each at one time you would only need 10 licenses. Granted I think it's easier to license per user or per machine and be done with it there are maybe some cases that it could be useful.

For the device CAL and user CAL you essentially make a choice when you buy the licenses. If your company has 100 users that share 20 computers you would buy 20 device CAL. If you had 100 computers and 20 users you would buy 20 user CAL. You probably wouldn't need a mixture in your company if that is even allowed through Microsoft Licensing.

Devilsbane

So when you use per server is refers to only concurrent connections, but when using per device/user you need to have a CAL whether or not the user is accessing the server?

tbgree00

Devilsbane wrote: »

So when you use per server is refers to only concurrent connections, but when using per device/user you need to have a CAL whether or not the user is accessing the server?

Pretty much yes. One user CAL can access as many servers as you use. For us we have exchange, printers, and the domain controller on three seperate servers. To print an email one of my users would need 3 per-server CAL or one user CAL (also an exchange CAL but that's another topic).

Hopefully I'm telling you correctly or else I need to revisit my office's licensing!

Devilsbane

So lets say you have 5 per user/device CAL's.

If you have 2 users that each use 3 PC's each this only takes up 2 CAL's. (1 per user)
Then you also have 9 other employees that work in shifts accessing 3 computers, this only uses 3 CAL's (1 per computer).

From the definitions I have read, this seems legal to me. This is the quote from my book, "The total number of CALs equals the number of devices or users, or a mixture
thereof, that access servers."

In the scenario above, I used a mixture, which the definition says I can, so it must be right?

Obdurate

This helped me out some

Microsoft Volume Licensing - Client Access License (CAL) Guide

Sweet and simple

Obdurate~

tbgree00

Devilsbane wrote: »

So lets say you have 5 per user/device CAL's.

If you have 2 users that each use 3 PC's each this only takes up 2 CAL's. (1 per user)
Then you also have 9 other employees that work in shifts accessing 3 computers, this only uses 3 CAL's (1 per computer).

From the definitions I have read, this seems legal to me. This is the quote from my book, "The total number of CALs equals the number of devices or users, or a mixture
thereof, that access servers."

In the scenario above, I used a mixture, which the definition says I can, so it must be right?

That sounds right. I wasn't sure about the legality of the mixture but it makes sense to me.

Devilsbane

Obdurate wrote: »

This helped me out some

Microsoft Volume Licensing - Client Access License (CAL) Guide

Sweet and simple

Obdurate~

Clicked on your link and got an error.

Obdurate

Devilsbane wrote: »

Clicked on your link and got an error.

Hmmphf! -- try this:

microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/client-access-license.aspx

Just copy and paste into your browser

Regards,

Obdurate~

Devilsbane

Obdurate wrote: »

Hmmphf! -- try this:

microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/client-access-license.aspx

Just copy and paste into your browser

Regards,

Obdurate~

That works. I'll give it a read.

Thanks

Devilsbane

That actually just made me more confused. That introduces several types (although similar) or licensing that weren't covered in the book.