What exactly does the CAL (client access) mean in w2k advanced server?

[blstriker]

1. Okay, so I have 10 CAL licences for w2k advanced server. I enter this number into the box when I install the OS. But it turns out that I can change the number i the licence mananger to any number I want, 10, 100, 1000, and there is no verification of how many licences I actually have? Does Microsoft actually know if I bought more or not or is it on the honor system?

2. So when I enter 10 CAL in the license manager, that means that I can have 10 people or connections from my LAN connect to the server right? Is there a 10 person limit to how many people can connect to the webserver? In the IIS control panel it says unlimited, but does the CAL affect this too?

Basically, does the CAL affect the LAN and WAN or just the LAN?

Thanks.

 

[Plantanthera]

Per CAL = you could have X amount of clients/license access your server at the same time. If you set it for 10 then you could only have 10 clients that could access that single Server at the same time.

Per Seat = you could have X amount of clients/license access to any Servers at the same time. If you set it at 10 then you could have 10 clients that could access any servers on in your domain.

You can change perCAL to perSeat client at any time your like but can't roll-back from perSeat to perCAL.

You can buy 10 perCal or perSeat licences, and could set the client access to 1-5 millions connections, but if MS find out then Bgates will take you to the cleaner.

With per CAL you will be only able to have exactly the number of clients that you set to access the server, but perSeat will let you have more clients than your licences setting (which you have to be carefull, because you could exceed the licences that you have).

 

[dongky]

Just to make it clear, here's how CAL works.
First, you have to choose which type of licensing want.

If you have 4 servers & 10 clients, no. of licenses would be:
Per Server --- 40 licences
Per Seat --- 10 licences
O/S lic. --- 14 licences

Total Per Server licences = 54
Total Per Seat licences = 24

You should now be able to figure out how to calculate it (and w/c one is cheaper).