[dba-SQLServer] CAL aware software

http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/licensing-faq.aspx

-Francisco
http://bit.ly/sqlthis   | Tsql and More...


On Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 7:07 AM, jwcolby <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com>wrote:

> I am trying to understand the CAL requirements of Microsoft's Windows 2008
> Server and SQL Server
> 2008.  The way I understand it, you buy CALs for each simultaneous
> connection. Server software gets
> rather expensive once you buy the software itself and then 30 or more CALs
> for the OS as well as for
> SQL Server.
>
 From the FAQ:

A device CAL allows a device and all the users on that device to gain access
to licensed server software. A user CAL enables a specific user to gain
access to licensed server software from any number of devices. In other
words, a user CAL covers a particular user's access to the server software
from work computers and laptops, as well as from home computers, handheld
computers, Internet kiosks, and other devices. A device CAL covers access by
multiple users to server software from a single, shared device.

Do any of you spend time worrying about how to minimize the effect of the
> database on CAL
> utilization?  For example do linked tables count differently than ado
> disconnected recordsets?
>

No,  we use per processor licenses because the servers are often accessed by
iis servers.


> Linked tables are connected from the time the person opens access to the
> time they close it as
> opposed to disconnected recordsets where a connection is made just long
> enough to get the data.
> Would the user be legally "connected" even though the application used
> disconnected recordsets?
>
> Any thoughts on how all this applies to CAL requirements.
>

A connection CAL is licensed by Device or User, (there are also workgroup
CALs, but that info is in the link I posted above.

by Device, any number of users can access the server through that device.
by User, the user can access the server in any number of devices.