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RDS Licensing Calculation and Installation.

Anonymous
2024-07-11T11:40:52+00:00

I have server with Windows Server 2019 Datacenter on it. It hosts 4 Hyper-V VMs with the same Server OS on it.

Neither the Host, nor the Guest VMs are a part of any Active Directory / Domain.

All the VMs have 4 local User IDs (similar usernames) that are assigned to 4 people.

These people are out of our office network and they should be able to RDP to all of the 4 VMs simultaneously.

How many RDS CALs should I purchase and where should the RDS licensing role be?

Windows for business | Windows Server | User experience | Licensing for Azure Virtual Desktop

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-07-11T16:16:38+00:00

    Hello,

    Depending on your device, neither the primary server nor the four VM servers involve an Active Directory/ domain environment, so I recommend purchasing four device Cals for easy management.

    To install the RDS license role, you can configure the license Server on Windows Server 2019 Datacenter and the remote Desktop session host on the VM. For more details, see: Activate the Remote Desktop Services license server | Microsoft Learn

    References: License your RDS deployment with client access licenses (CALs) | Microsoft Learn

    I hope this helps. Please let me know if you require further assistance or have any questions.

    Best regards

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-07-17T11:43:07+00:00

    Thanks a lot Jacen for the information.

    I need some more details on what our shared.

    Please correct me if I am wrong.

    The 4 Device CALs will be assigned to the 4 VMs (that will be Remote Desktop Session Hosts) and the 4 people can remotely access all the 4 VMs simultaneously with their respective local User IDs.

    Best Regards.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-07-22T19:59:19+00:00

    Yes, your understanding is correct. A Device CAL is a license that authorizes a device to access a server, meaning that every device that has a device CAL can connect to the server, regardless of which user is using the device.

    In a workgroup environment, if you have four device Cals, you can assign them to four different VMs. This way, when they are used as RDSH, anyone can remotely access these VMs simultaneously at any time using their local user ID.

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