Windows Server 2012 Essentials - Do I need CALs?

Edit:

Hi All,
I'm about to buy Server 2012 Essentials, but I have a question about the CALs needed. I'm trying to buy CALs from Scan, Amazon and Ebuyer, but the pricing is really strange. Some list 5 Device CALs for 100 pounds. Others list ONE Cal for 100 pounds. I'm looking for device CALs for Remote desktop Services. Where can I buy these safely?
Thanks
Betty

 

as far as i'm aware you don't need cals for essentials, but this might help

 

Thats the confusing part. It says I don't need them, but then other places are saying you do need them for Remote desktop.

P.S. I hate these money making schemes. Just sell the server OS and let people use it without having to pay for other licenses.

 

a quick google just found this so you may not be able to do what you wanted with essentials anyway.

for those not wishing to read the link, basically you can have only 2 active sessions, which includes a local logon, so would allow 1 local and 1 remote or 2 remote, regardless of how many rdp cals you have

 

Well spotted Rich. If you decide to go down the Server 2008 R2 route you can setup RDS and not have to be connected to a domain controller. It is also very straight forward to setup and install the RDP cals.

Sorry but I havn't setup a RDS server with Server 2012 yet.

 

You're joking! So I'd need to have another server for RDS. No way. I'd rather go with Server 2008 R2. We're using 2008 standard at the moment, and our RDS (terminal services in this version) works just fine. We've added numerous CAL's.

Why do they have to make this so difficult and yet they're coining it left, right, and centre?

Thanks for that Rich. Well spotted and you probably saved us a bunch of money.

 

Essentials is a very basic all in one server package.

If you're running RDS then you need to have an RDS server just for RDS and keep your DC & file services etc elsewhere. You also need user/device CAL's & RDS CAL's to be licensed

 

Thanks Saspro. Now if I buy Server 2008 R2 from Scan, it says it comes with 5 CALs. Those aren't RDS/Terminal Services CALs are they? I'm guessing they are just user licences for the server OS, in which case I'll still need to buy 5 RDS cals for it?

 

The Cals included are not for RDS. You will need to get them separately.

 

Awesome. Thanks for your help guys! Rich i'll have to throw some rep around before I can rep you again. Same to you pookie!.

 

Glad to help but I'm not in the same leauge as Rich or Saspro

 

You'll do lol

 

Basically what Pookie said.

You need to decide if you're doing user or device CAL's.
The 5 CAL's that come with OEM 2008R2 can be used for either of the 2 types but you need 1 per user or device (depending on the option you choose)

RDS is separate licensing and you need 1 for every user that uses RDS (named users and not concurrent).

and I know I'm repeating myself but make sure the RDS server is only used for apps and not any other services

 

Thanks Nealieboyee, I am nowhere near in the same league as saspro though, lol

 

this has been the case for as long as I can remember - it's useful though, especially if you work like I do where quite a lot of my sites have onsite admins, and then me as their over arching admin - means we can both work on the same servers without kicking one another off.

good info here!

the last bit is real important.

 

But we'll be using one server for all our stuff, which is then accessed via remote desktop/remote app

 

What do you mean?

you can't have a server being a domain controller, file server, exchange, etc etc etc AND have it as a terminal server.

you can access a normal server, dc, exchange box, sql server, any of them you can access via rdp and have 2 consecutive sessions.

 

We need more than 2 sessions. Our current server in Zambia is a domain controller and has TS installed. I can hear you cringing lol. Dangerous, I know. The company just doesn't have the money to have a separate server for AD

 

bonkers.

it's outlined a little bit here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/cc742817.aspx (ignore this it's for 2008)

in fact - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2799605 it won't work. I thought that was the case - you can't install the roll on a server that has been promoted to domain controller.

EDIT: on reading that link, apparently it does work, you just need to get an update to allow the configuration to work. It's a real bad configuration though!

 

No we'll be using server 2008r2 as per post #6