Which windows server license do I need?

The first rule of Windows Server core-based licensing is that every server requires a minimum of a single Windows Server 2019 base license. Both Windows Server 2019 Standard and Windows Server 2019 Datacenter base licenses cover up to 16 processor cores.

In addition to the base Windows Server CAL or External Connector license, some functionalities require the purchase of an Additive Access License. Examples of additional or advanced functionalities include Remote Desktop Services or Active Directory Rights Management Services. Can you tell me more about the Azure Hybrid Benefit?

In order to provide customers with a variety of options to license Windows Server, Microsoft makes licenses for Windows Server available to Service Providers for sale to customers as part of Service Provider solutions. This is done through agreement between Microsoft and Service Providers.

You see, in some cases, only physical processors or cores need to be licensed, while virtual processors or cores must be licensed for certain products. For more information about server licensing, read Tech. Soup’s Guide to Microsoft Server Licensing, which contains links to guides on licensing specific Microsoft server products.

How many server licenses do I Need?

With “per processor” or “per core” or licensing, the amount of server licenses needed depends on the number of processors or processor cores on which the server software runs. In some cases, only physical processors or cores need to be licensed, while virtual processors or cores must be licensed for certain products.

A common inquiry we ran across in our research was “What licenses do I need for server/CAL licensing?”.

Server software licensed via the Server / CAL licensing model always requires some sort of server license (which may be per instance or per processor depending on the Product) as well Client Access Licenses (CALs) for users and/or devices to access the server software.

How many core licenses do I need for Windows Server 2016?

Each physical server, including single-processor servers, will need to be licensed with a minimum of 16 Core Licenses (eight 2-packs or one 16-pack). One core license must be assigned for each physical core on the server. Additional cores can then be licensed in increments of two packs or 16 packs. Are CALs still required for Windows Server.

How many cores does a Windows Server 2019 license cover?

First, you need to know how many cores the DL360 has (up to 28). To license 28 cores, they would need a Windows Server 2019 Standard Base License (which covers 16 cores) as well as Windows Server 2019 Standard Additional licensing to cover an additional 12 cores. In addition, they would need 30 Windows Server User CALs and 30 RDS User CALs.

Does Windows Server 2019 require licensing for RDS?

Let’s take a closer look at the Windows Server licensing required for utilizing RDS, to help businesses make smart licensing decisions. It is important to understand the licensing models for each edition of Windows Server 2019 and how they work.