So, how are server products licensed? The topic is very complex, so we will try to explain it with a specific example.

Let's say that there is a company with a small PC fleet of about 5 workstations on which it is installed licensed Windows Vista, (one must take into account the fact that the license for operating system does not give any rights to connect to the server). The company needed to purchase a server, they decided to install the OS on this server Windows Server Standard 2008, respectively, the company will need to purchase a license for Windows Server Standard itself and in order to gain access to this server, client licenses (CAL - Client Access License) are needed. Since the company has 5 PCs, 5 client licenses will be needed.

Let's assume that after some time the company needs to install another server, say Windows Server Enterprise 2008. In this case, the company will only need to purchase a license for Windows Server Enterprise 2008 itself; in this case, there is no need to purchase additional client licenses, since all 5 workstations already have Windows licenses Server CAL. CALs for Windows Server give the right to connect to any of the Standard and Enterprise editions, but one more important fact must be taken into account that the CAL version must be no lower than the version of the server to which the connection is being made. Example: using client licenses for Windows Server CAL 2008, you can connect to Windows Server 2003, but not vice versa, with the exception of using Windows Server CAL 2003, you can connect to Windows Server 2003 R2. Now let's assume that Exchange Server 2007 is installed on one of the servers, so you will have to purchase a license for Exchange Server itself and Exchange Server CAL for five PCs.

One more point: in the delivery of OEM and boxed versions, client licenses are included in the delivery set of 5 pieces for corporate licenses, OLPs are purchased separately.

There is another license option - Terminal CAL - licenses are intended for terminal access. Let's try to figure it out using an example: let's say a company decided to expand its PC fleet and purchase 5 more thin clients (terminals) to save money and space (more detailed information information about thin clients can be found on the Internet). In this case, the company will have to purchase 5 more Windows Server CALs and 5 Terminal CALs, because the latter give the right only to connect terminals.

There are two types of client licenses: “per user” (user CAL) and “per device” (device CAL). The most common CAL is “per device”, that is, the device itself is licensed to connect to the server, and many employees can connect from this device to the server. The second option, a “per user” license, is beneficial in cases where the number of employees who need access to the server is limited, say, 20 PCs and only two employees need access. In this case, it will be more profitable to purchase 2 client licenses, and these two employees will be able to connect to the server from any PC, but only these two employees who are assigned a user license. It is fixed by an order for the enterprise, otherwise during verification you will not be able to prove that only two employees connect to the server.

Multiplexing.

The concept of multiplexing is extremely difficult to explain to a non-technical person, but let’s try to explain it with a specific example. Let's imagine two servers connected to each other, let's call them C1 and C2. The company needs to install SQL Server and ensure that 10 employees work with the database and, accordingly, the company wants to save on the purchase of client licenses. What they do: install SQL Server on C2, and some free database on C1 that does not require any client licenses. As a result, it turns out that the main database lies on SQL Server, which is installed on C2, and employees actually access C1, which in turn receives a request, takes data from C2 and sends it to the client, i.e. works as an intermediary and thus 10 employees connect to SQL Server for free.

This C1 - an intermediary switch - is a multiplexer, and this circuit is prohibited and, if verified, will entail criminal liability under Article 146 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The rules clearly state that multiplexing and intermediate equipment does not affect either the licensing rules or the number of licenses.

Let's summarize: to provide 10 employees with SQL Server, you will need 10 SQL Server CALs.

External Connector.

Let's try to understand what an External Connector is using a specific example.

In this case best example may be the need to create an online store. Let's imagine that a certain company decided to open an online store or some kind of information portal to provide goods or services to its company. In this case, you will have to provide access to external users to your resources and this requires all appropriate client licenses for each connection. It is necessary to calculate exactly how many client licenses will be needed in a given period of time, in principle, it is impossible, since we do not know how many clients will simultaneously access the online store, and purchasing many client licenses at once to ensure that there are enough is simply not profitable. This is where you will need an External Connector - this is a license for an unlimited connection to the server, that is, instead of a huge number of client licenses, you can purchase one External Connector.

But there is one nuance here: only external users who are not employees of the company can connect via the External Connector in any form. Those. in our case, only clients of the online store can connect.

Processor licensing.

Now let's look at licensing per processor and look at the example of the most common server product that is licensed per processor - SQL Server.

What is the best way to license SQL Server? The standard option applies here: you can license the server itself and purchase the required number of client licenses for it, but you can also buy a processor license.

Again, imagine a physical server on which we are going to install SQL Server and connect five users to it, which we will need for this, in addition to a license for Windows Server and client licenses for it. Since we will be installing SQL on Windows Server, we will consider the option of licensing SQL Server itself. So, in a situation where we need to connect five users, we purchase a license for SQL Server itself and, accordingly, five client licenses for it SQL Server CAL. This scheme is beneficial when you need to connect a small number of users. Now suppose that we need to connect 100 users to SQL Server, in this case it is not economically profitable to buy a license for the server itself and for 100 client connections, in this case it will be profitable to buy a license for the processor and then we will not need a license for SQL Server itself and no client licenses are required, since the processor license includes a license for the server itself and for an unlimited number of client connections, both internal and external.

That is, the physical processor itself, the hardware itself, is licensed, regardless of the number of processor cores. The following server products are licensed under this scheme:

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006

Microsoft Commerce Server 2007

On this page you will find examples of typical and simplest scenarios for using Microsoft servers. For more complex cases, use combinations of these simple examples.

Briefly about the main thing:

Examples:

Three people using three devices use one instance of Windows Server on one server. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter.

License requirements:

1. Three Windows Server CALs for the three devices people use to use the server.

Three people using five devices use one instance of Windows Server on one server. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter.



License requirements:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in the server. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three people using the server.

Three people using five devices use two instances of Windows Server on two different servers. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter.



License requirements:

Three people using three devices use two instances of Windows Server on two different servers. In this case, two people using two devices use GUI one of the servers. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter.



License requirements:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in two servers. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three devices that people use to use the servers.
3. Two Windows Server CALs for two devices that people use to use the server GUI.

Three people using five devices use two instances of Windows Server on two different servers. In this case, two people using three devices use the graphical interface of one of the servers. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter.



License requirements:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in two servers. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three people using the servers.
3. Two Windows Server CALs for two people using the server GUI.

Three people using three devices use an instance of Windows Server and an instance of SQL Server. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter. The number of connections to SQL Server is not important.



License requirements:

1. Licenses for all physical cores in the server. But at least 16 licenses per server.
2. Three Windows Server CALs for three devices that people use to use Windows Server.
3. Server license.
4. Three SQL Server CALs for the three devices people use the server on.

Three people using three devices use the graphical interface of an instance of Windows Server to launch a business application (for example, 1C) that uses an instance of SQL Server on another server. Simultaneously or in turn - it doesn’t matter. The number of connections to SQL Server is not important.

License to connect a user or computer to any number of Windows Server 2012 servers

What is Windows Server CAL

Per licensing policy, Windows Server Standard 2012 requires Windows Server CALs for each user or device accessing the server.

Situations when client access licenses are not required:

for access to the server from another licensed server, as well as for access for administration purposes from a maximum of 2 users or devices;

if the server is running a web workload or an HPC workload.

to access a physical environment that is used solely for the purpose of hosting and managing virtual environments;

if this peripheral device(for example, a printer) that does not access the server.

Some additional or advanced features also require the purchase of an additional CAL, such as Remote Desktop Services (RDS CAL).

To access the server under Windows control Server 2012 R2 only requires a Windows Server 2012 CAL. Previous versions of the CAL cannot be used.

Types of Windows Server CALs

Windows Server CAL licensed per device or per user.

Windows Server CAL Device CAL

A Windows Server 2016 Device Client Access License (Device CAL) is a device CAL that provides the right to connect to any number of servers from a single device. Device, or a device with this license, can be used by any user and connect to servers, including previous versions. To calculate the required number of such licenses, it is enough to simply count the number of devices that will subsequently be used to connect to the servers.

Remote Desktop Services CAL

Client Access License for Windows Server 2016 via Remote Desktop Service. Licensed per device or per user. To access via Remote Desktop (Windows Remode Desktop Service), you must have 2 licenses: Client Access License + Remote Desktop Services CAL.

Features of Windows Server CAL licensing

Microsoft Open License Program (OLP) is a volume licensing program that allows you to purchase licenses for software products at a lower price relative to retail prices of boxed products.

Windows Server CALs purchased through the OLP program are perpetual and allow connection to current and previous versions Windows Server. The OLP license is not tied to the hardware; it is tied to the organization for which the Windows Server CAL license will be issued.

After purchasing a Windows Server CAL OLP from the Microsoft VLSC website, the buyer will be given access to personal account in which information about the number of purchased licenses will be available. Client access licenses do not have activation keys (access is available in approximately 1-2 business days).

The initial order for Windows Server CAL under the OLP program is 5 licenses. All following orders can be for any number of licenses starting from 1 piece.

After that, it will be sent to your address by Russian Post. license agreement and closing documents. (Invoice, Transfer of Rights Act, notification of simplified tax system)

Product Description

Software Microsoft Windows Server CAL is an official document (not software) authorizing the user to access Windows server online. A client license is needed: to access the server from a device on the network or remotely, regardless of the OS used; to use basic server services. With this licensing scheme, the total number of CALs must be equal to the total number of client PCs or users on the network.

A Microsoft Windows Server CAL is required for the Microsoft Windows Server Standard and Datacenter editions. Additionally, add-on CALs are purchased in addition to the Microsoft Windows Server CAL for access to Remote Desktop Services (RDS CAL) and Rights Management Services Active Directory(AD RMS CAL).





Microsoft Windows Server CALs can be per device or per user. Device license allows any number of users to access server software from one device. This type CAL is convenient for those organizations where several users work on the same device.

User license allows one user to access server software from any number of devices. This type of CAL is convenient for those organizations with many mobile employees who need access to corporate network from arbitrary devices, or employees using multiple devices to access the network.

New in Windows versions Server 2016

Windows Containers: Container support in Windows Server 2016 provides improved performance, simplified network management, and the use of Windows Containers in Windows 10.

Nano Server

Nano Server has updated the module for creating Nano Server images. This update includes additional functionality separation between the physical host and virtual machine guest, as well as support for different editions of Windows Server. In addition, the recovery agent has been improved: the firewall rules for incoming and outgoing traffic, and also added the ability to restore WinRM service settings.

Remote Desktop Services

Deploying a highly available Remote Desktop Services environment allows you to leverage the SQL data Azure for Remote Desktop Connection Brokers in high availability.

Identity and access

The new identity components improve the security of Active Directory environments for organizations and help them move toward cloud-only deployments and hybrid deployments, where some applications and services are hosted in the cloud and others are hosted on-premises.

Active Directory Certificate Services

New features in Active Directory Certificate Services. Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) in Windows Server 2016 has increased support for TPM key attestation. Now you can use KSP smart cards for key attestation. For non-domain-joined devices, you can now use NDES enrollment to obtain a certificate that can be attested to keys in the TPM.

Active Directory Domain Services

Active Directory Domain Services includes enhancements to help organizations secure Active Directory environments and improve the efficiency of identity management tasks for corporate and personal devices.

Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)

Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) in Windows Server 2016 includes new capabilities that let you configure AD FS to authenticate users stored in LDAP directories.

Web Application Proxy

The latest version of Web Application Proxy provides new capabilities for publishing and pre-authentication additional applications, as well as user experience.

Control and automation

Windows PowerShell 5.0 introduces important new features, including support for class-based development and new security features, that enhance usability, improve usability, and make it easier to manage end-to-end environments for Windows.

Software defined network

Mirroring and traffic routing are now available for new or existing virtual appliances. Along with the distribution of firewall and network security groups, the user has the ability to dynamically segment and protect workloads just like in Azure. Additionally, you can deploy and manage an entire Software Defined Networking (SDN) stack using System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

Improved TCP performance

The default initial congestion period (ICW) has been increased from 4 to 10, and TCP Fast Open (TFO) has been implemented. TFO reduces the time required to establish a TCP connection, and the extended ICW period allows larger objects to be transmitted as part of the initial send. This combination can significantly reduce the time required to transfer an Internet object between the client and the cloud.

Just Enough Administration

Just Enough Administration in Windows Server 2016 is a security technology that allows you to delegate administration of all components that can be managed through Windows PowerShell. Features include support for running with a network identity, connecting via PowerShell Direct, securely copying files to and from JEA endpoints, and configuring the PowerShell console to run in the default JEA context.

Credential Guard

To protect secrets, Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to ensure that only privileged system software can access this data.

Remote Credential Guard

Credential Guard supports RDP sessions so that user credentials remain on the client side and are not exposed on the server side. It also provides single sign-on for remote desktop.

Device Guard (code integrity)

Device Guard ensures kernel mode code integrity (KMCI) and code integrity user mode(UMCI) by creating policies that specify what code can run on the server.

Shielded virtual machines

Windows Server 2016 provides new Hyper-V-based shielded virtual machines to protect any generation 2 virtual machine from a compromised fabric.

Windows Defender

Windows Server Antimalware will update antimalware definitions and protect your computer without a user interface.

Control flow protection

Control Flow Guard (CFG) is a platform security component designed to combat memory corruption vulnerabilities.

Direct Attached Storage Spaces

Storage Spaces Direct allows you to create scalable storage with high level availability using servers with local storage. They simplify the deployment and management of software-defined storage systems and open up the possibility of using new classes of disk devices, such as SATA SSD and NVMe.

Within

promotion, all Softline clients who have purchased Microsoft licenses will be able to receive standard and extended support for free, including on-site support!

Licensing schemes

Product Licensing

Windows Server 2016 licensing models

Windows Server 2016 has two licensing models: core based and client access license (CAL). For Windows Server Standard, Datacenter, or Multipoint editions, you must purchase a Windows Server CAL or a Windows Server and Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CAL for each user and/or device. A Windows Server CAL gives a user or device the right to access any edition of Windows Server that is the same or earlier version. The Window Server CAL provides access to multiple Windows Server licenses.

Windows Server 2016 licenses for Standard and Datacenter editions are based on the number of cores, not the number of processors. This model is better suited for multi-cloud environments, makes it easier to migrate Windows Server workloads with the Azure Hybrid Benefit, and reduces discrepancies between different licensing methods.

To use Remote Desktop Services, Active Directory Rights Management Services, and other additional and enhanced features, you must purchase special CALs.

Windows Server 2016 Standard and Datacenter Editions: Per-Core Licensing

• All physical server cores are subject to licensing. The license cost of each physical server is determined based on the number of processor cores installed in it.
• Each server must be licensed for a minimum of 16 cores.
• Each physical processor must be licensed for a minimum of 8 cores.
• Licenses will be sold in sets of two cores.
• For each physical server, you must purchase at least eight sets of dual core licenses. The cost of a dual-core license is one-eighth the cost of a dual-processor license for the corresponding edition of Windows Server 2012 R2.
• The Standard edition provides rights to two OSEs or two Hyper-V containers if all physical server cores are licensed. For every two additional virtual machines Re-licensing of all server cores is required.
• The cost of a 16-core license for Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Standard editions is the same as the cost of a two-processor license for the corresponding editions of Windows Server 2012 R2.

Up to 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server: Customers will receive licenses for a minimum of 8 cores per processor or 16 cores per server.

More than 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server: Customers will receive licenses for servers with more than 8 cores per processor or 16 cores per server.

Under this model, a network based on Microsoft server products requires at least one server license and usually more Client Access Licenses (CALs).

Server license is a document (not software) that:

• Required for every server running Microsoft server software.
• Gives the licensee the right to use (install and operate) Microsoft server software on one server.

Client Access License- an official document (not software) giving the user the right to access a server on the network.

Client license required:

• To access the server from a device on the network or remotely, regardless of the OS used.
• To use basic server services (for more information, see the individual product descriptions in the following sections).

External connector license- an official document (not software) that gives the right to external users (customers and business partners) of the company to access server services software organizations.

CAL types

There are “per device” and “per user” CALs.

Device CAL	User CAL
Allows anyone number of users to access server software with one device	Allows one user access server software from any number of devices.
This type is most profitable and convenient to administer for those organizations where several users, for example in shifts, work on one device.	This type is most beneficial and easy to administer for those organizations with many mobile employees who need access to the corporate network from arbitrary devices, or employees who use multiple devices to access the network.

Client Access Licensing Schemes

There are several ways to provide client access to server software: per-device or per-user CALs, limiting the number of simultaneous connections to the server, and using an External Connector license for unlimited connections external users.

Per device or per user licensing means that the license is specific to the individual device or user using server application located on any server on the network. This method is often used in a network with multiple servers and is offered for all of the above server products. With this licensing scheme, the total number of CALs must be equal to the total number of client PCs or users on the network.

Limiting the number of connections to the server(per server or per server licensing mode) means that the required number of client licenses is maximum number devices or users simultaneously accessing a single server at any given time. Upon reaching the maximum valid number concurrent access sessions, other devices or users attempting to access the services of this server will not be able to do so. This licensing method is more suitable for a network with a single server, infrequent use of basic server functions, or in the case of remote access to the server, for CD-ROM servers, or other server solutions that take into account non-standard use of the server. (Keep in mind, however, that each computer may be running multiple applications at the same time, accessing different servers on the network.) Therefore, the number of CALs purchased for each server must be equal to the maximum possible number of simultaneous connections to the server. This client access licensing scheme applies only to Microsoft Windows Server.



Licensing using External Connector eliminates the need to count and purchase individual client licenses for each business partner or end user of the organization and allows you to provide access to server software to an unlimited number of non-employees. The External Connector license is not available to employees, external contractors, agents, service providers, or others performing services on behalf of the organization (or affiliates, if any). An External Connector license must be purchased for each copy of the server software. Therefore, the number of External Connector licenses must equal the number of servers accessed by external users or devices.

When is it more profitable to purchase client licenses?	When is it more profitable to purchase External Connector?
This type is most beneficial if the organization has a small number of customers and partners and it is not difficult to count them.	This type is most beneficial if the organization has a large number of customers and partners with authenticated access to the server.
This scheme can also be more profitable if the organization has a large number of servers.	This model is also used in cases where the number of external users or devices is difficult or impossible to count.

Server license and client access license version

The server software and client license are identified by a specific version number. A client access license allows you to access a server program with the same (or lower) version number. For example, an Exchange 2007 CAL can be used to access Exchange Server 2003, but not vice versa.

The same client access licenses are used to access server services of any edition. For example, a Windows 2008 CAL or a Windows 2008 External Connector price license can be used to both access Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Server Standard Edition and access Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition.

Using software or hardware multiplexers for client access

The use of software or hardware that reduces the number of devices directly accessing server services does not affect the need to purchase client access licenses (CALs). The required number of CALs is equal to the total number of devices at the input of such a device. In the example below, three CALs are required to be purchased, even though only one device is directly connected to the server: