CAL License

Question

Here I have a question regarding the CAL license. My organization has 100+ users and 60+ computers.

I have a licensed Windows server and I wanted to manage my organization's user accounts and computers using an active directory.

My question is do I really need a CAL license for each user?

if yes, please clarify the below questions:

1- What is the CAL license and why do we need to purchase the license since we already have a licensed window server?

2- What type of CAL license should I buy?

3- How many CAL licenses should I buy?

4- How to buy a CAL license?

5- How to install a CAL license?

Also please help me with How many users I can create on OEM-based/FPP/Volume windows license.

Thanks. Hope you will give good clarification

Answer 1

Hello,

At the basic a CAL allow you to consume network service provided by a Windows Server, what this mean is that even if you have a Windows Server license it does not mean you have CAL (Per user or device) to allow access to the network services provided by this server.
So to answer the first part of your question yes you will need CAL, however the number of CAL you will need depends on your usage because from what I see you have more users than computers so you will clarify some points like do I have shared computers ? Do I use Microsoft 365 (Because you can have some CAL depending on your subscription) ? Which products are deployed in my environment ?
Below you will find a starting point regarding CAL :
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/product-licensing/client-access-license
This tool will help you understand a bit the kind of license you have in your environment :
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions//bb977556(v=technet.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN

If you plan to migrate some workload into the cloud you should investigate this link also (You will see a section with On-premises server rights) :
https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/7/7/877B1713-671E-43AA-BB79-AF8478C64AFF/Licensing-Microsoft-365.pdf

Regards,

Answer 2

Hello @Deepak Pareek

First of all, I would recommend the next Article which covers in detail the topic, probably better explained than me: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/product-licensing/client-access-license

From my point of view:

1- What is the CAL license and why do we need to purchase the license since we already have a licensed window server?
CAL Licenses are to use remote services such as Remote Desktop Apps

2- What type of CAL license should I buy?
there are 2 typoes of CALs ,per User or Per Device. Meaning that the license will be assigned to 1 user and can use in different devices, or to 1 Device and many users can connect from that device. This is very important to define, depending on the way of work of your organization, Sometimes you would like to have both kind of licenses available, since your users may work in ways that some may require by Device or by User.

3- How many CAL licenses should I buy?
The purpose of the Per Device or Per User, is exactly to reduce the amount of licenses needed, but is something you need to evaluate depending on the way of work of users and computers. For exmaple: Do many users use same computers (like for example kiosks or similar)? Or do your users use different devices with same username (for example they have laptop, mobile and tablet)?

4- How to buy a CAL license?
You would need to contact a Microsoft Partner or commercial representative (for example, same entity that provides you Windows or Office licenses)

5- How to install a CAL license?
this is an more advanced topic, as you would need to install RDSH before. But all in all: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/rds-install-cals

Hope this helps with your query,

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