The Device CAL for the Remote Desktop Services of Windows Server 2016 is an access right attached to a device, and not a program to install. The workstation thus licensed can open Remote Desktop sessions on your server, regardless of the number of people who use it. It is the economical option for environments where hardware is shared: workshops, tills, laboratories, production workstations run in successive shifts.
Understanding clearly what you are buying
- No client software. The key is registered in the server's Remote Desktop licensing manager; nothing is deployed on the users' machines.
- An additional legal obligation. The Windows Server 2016 licence covers the operating system. The CAL covers the right to access it; it never replaces the server licence.
- RDS CALs come in addition to Windows Server CALs. To open a Remote Desktop session, you need both — this is the leading source of dispute during an audit, so it is worth knowing beforehand.
- Version compatibility. A 2016 CAL works with a 2016 or earlier server. A 2019 or newer server requires CALs of its own generation.
Device or User: the right calculation
Count your devices on one side, your users on the other, and license the smaller of the two numbers. Ten people taking turns on four fixed workstations: four Device CALs are enough. Four people each connecting from an office PC, a laptop and a smartphone: four User CALs are enough. Both types can coexist on the same server, provided the accounting is kept properly.
Activation
You receive the key by email within 24 hours at most. On the server, launch the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, activate the licence server, install the licence pack with the key provided, then set the licensing mode to "Per device" in the Remote Desktop service configuration.
Worth knowing about Windows Server 2016
Extended support for this version ends in January 2027. It remains perfectly usable today, but plan a migration if the server must live beyond that deadline.
Buy an RDS CAL for Windows Server 2016
Odin Key is operated by CHKEY OÜ, an Estonian company. Official invoice included; support in English by e-mail and live chat. The key is dispatched by email within 24h at most after validation of payment.
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