Is an RDS CAL required for access to a VDI on an AWS BYOL environment?

Question

Is an RDS CAL required for access to a VDI on an AWS BYOL environment?

Simon Will 1

Hi,
We have VDIs on an AWS BYOL environment and have installed Windows.
Do we require RDS CALs to access these virtual machines?

1 answer

Your answer

Answer 1

Philippe Levesque 5,836

Hi

Short answer;

The licensing for VDI is complex. I would suggest to call the licensing, or contact a reseller.

Longer answer;

If the user are connecting to desktop OS like Windows 10, you need VDA license or enterprise license which include that right (E3/E5) for each VM created in your infrastructure. In such scenario the terminal, or where the user make the connection to the VDI infrastructure need to be licensed too. So if only VDI, you don't need the RDS CAL as you can see, but you have recurring license fee to pay for the VDI right. (VDI is recurring, like E3/E5)

Thanks

Simon Will 1 Reputation point

2022-04-07T14:22:20.873+00:00

But the VDA/E3/E5 documentation says the following:

"A Windows Server operating system (such
as Windows Server 2019) is shared across
multiple users via Remote Desktop Session
Host running applications like Microsoft
Office Professional Plus 2019. Either PCs,
thin clients, or other devices access these
sessions.
Because the devices access a Windows
Server operating system only, they do not
need any additional licensing for the
Windows desktop operating system.
However, the devices/users need to be
licensed for the session technology (such as
Windows Server CALs and Remote Desktop
Services [RDS] CALs). The devices accessing
the sessions also need licenses for Office
Professional Plus.

Ref: Licensing Windows desktop operating system
for use with virtual machines
Philippe Levesque 5,836 Reputation points

2022-04-07T14:58:20.727+00:00

@Simon Will I assumed your user connect to a Desktop OS (per VDI term), if you mean they connect to a RDS structure, my answer is not valid, and yes you just need RDS CAL if your user access a Terminal Server.
Simon Will 1 Reputation point

2022-04-07T15:03:30.16+00:00

But doesnt AWS use PCOIP protocol? I thought that didnt need RDS, whether Windows Server is installed or not...
Philippe Levesque 5,836 Reputation points

2022-04-07T15:16:30.523+00:00

PCOIP is the protocol the client use, you connect to what ressource ? As stated if a complex scenario, you better call the licensing.
Simon Will 1 Reputation point

2022-04-07T15:20:08.3+00:00

OK. Thanks for your time Yagmoth555!

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Is an RDS CAL required for access to a VDI on an AWS BYOL environment?

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