Verify that the license server has a sufficient number of CALs

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

In Windows Server 2003, two types of client access licenses (CALs) are available: Per User and Per Device. A Per Device CAL gives each client computer or device the right to access a terminal server that is running Windows Server 2003. A Per User CAL gives one user the right to access a terminal server from an unlimited number of devices. In this case, only one CAL is needed instead of a CAL for each device. Per User CALs, however are not enforced by Terminal Server. As a result, client connections can occur regardless of the number of licenses installed. This does not remove administrators from End User License Agreement (EULA) requirements to have a valid terminal server CAL for each user, however. Failure to have a Per User CAL for each user, if Per Device CALs are not being used, is a violation of the EULA. To ensure that you are in compliance with the EULA, make sure that you track the number of Per User licenses being used in your organization and that you have a sufficient number of licenses to provide a Per User CAL for each user.

The following text is from the EULA for Windows Server 2003:

"Two different TS CALs are available to you: 'Device' and 'User.' Each TS Device CAL permits one Device (used by any User) to conduct Windows Sessions on any of your Servers. Each TS User CAL permits one User (using any Device) to conduct Windows Sessions on any of your Servers. You may use a mix of TS Device CALs and TS User CALs simultaneously with the Server Software in your environment. You can have a Terminal Server request Per User licenses or Per Device (default) but not both simultaneously."

To verify that the license server has a sufficient number of CALs for clients

  1. Open Terminal Server Licensing. To open Terminal Server Licensing, click Start, point to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, and then click Terminal Server Licensing. When Terminal Server Licensing opens, it locates all license servers in your workgroup or domain.

  2. In the console tree, click the license server for which you want to verify the number of installed CALs.

  3. In the details pane, verify that the number of available CALs is sufficient to support the number of clients requiring remote connections.

  4. Note

    • To connect to a license server, a terminal server must have the Access this computer from the network logon right for the target license server. Additionally, if the License Server Security Group setting in Group Policy is enabled, the terminal server computer account must be a member of this group. Enabling this Group Policy setting and applying it to your license server creates a local group called Terminal Server Computers. The license server issues licenses only to the terminal servers in this group. You must add both the terminal servers for which you need to provide licenses and any license servers that might need to acquire licenses to this group for each license server.