Server license confusion help please

[curlyroger]

Hello, I am a Linux and desktop guy with absolutely zero understanding of Windows Server licensing no matter what I am trying to read here.

A business I am helping has need for a server with seemingly simple requirements. There won't be any active directory or weird stuff -- just computers in a workgroup accessing a drive with some users remote desktoping in.

Site 1 will host the server. A software app and its data be on the server. There will be six computers at site 1, each with a drive mapped from the server. Each computer will have a local instance of the software that accesses the shared mapped drive data. None of these computers will need user access to the server. This all seems simple.

Site 2 will have 4 computers. Each computer will remote desktop to the site 1 server to run an instance of the software app.

What "flavor" of server software is needed? I'm guessing 5 CALs is what I need, but I still need remote desktop licenses too...?

Windows Remote Desktop Services(RDS) licensing — Windows Remote Desktop Services (formerly known as Windows Terminal Services) is built into Windows Server 2003 and 2008, but you will still need to get a separate Windows RDS User CAL for each client that will access Terminal Services in your organization. The RDS CAL replaces the older Terminal Services (TS) CAL.

I just don't know what to get. Two kinds of licenses? One kind that I install in terminal services? Which version of server? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Ijack]

You have 10 computers accessing resources on the server and 4 using Remote Desktop Services. So I believe that you need 10 ordinary CALs and 4 RDS CALs. Depending upon the version of server that you buy it may come with 5 ordinary CALs. Don't forget that, if the software app is commercial software, you will also need licences for that for each user.

But if you want a definitive answer, talk to an authorized Microsoft reseller.

 

[curlyroger]

You have 10 computers accessing resources on the server and 4 using Remote Desktop Services. So I believe that you need 10 ordinary CALs and 4 RDS CALs. Depending upon the version of server that you buy it may come with 5 ordinary CALs. Don't forget that, if the software app is commercial software, you will also need licences for that for each user.

But if you want a definitive answer, talk to an authorized Microsoft reseller.

Thanks for the input... this is what additional research confirmed as well. I'm glad that your thoughts matched other indicatos.