CAL licencing

  • Hi Guys,

    This may be very basic but I've researched this to death and still don't understand the CAL model of SQL Server Licences. For a small system I thought the scenario would be:

    1) Purchase standard edition SQL Server 2000.

    2) Purchase 10 CALs.

    3) The CALs are insatlled on the PC running the SQL Server 2000.

    This provides a system that supports any user accessing the database up to a maximum of 10 concurrent connections from individual PCs. Each PC may be running more than one program that is accessing the database but, because the CAL licence is for a "device", it is still counted as one connection.

    Is this correct?

    The reason I question it is a Microsoft explanitory diagram that shows 2 SQL Serves being access by 3 PC's - each PC is shown as having a direct connection to each SQL Server. The licencing requirement for this scenarion is 2 SQL Server licences and 3 CALs in total. I would have expected 3 CALs in each server (6 in all).

    Is this a mistake in the information or am I misunderstanding where CALs are installed and how they get used?

    Cheers, Peter

  • Remember the CALs are per seat not per server. You have to buy a server license (not processor) for each SQL install, but each computer (or seat) is a CAL, not the number of connections.

  • Hi,

    Yes - that was my general understanding maybe the point I'm missing is where the CALs are installed. I presume the physical install is on the Server if so, does the Server then "install" a CAL on each device as it connects? If this is the case does the Server then reclaim a CAL when all database connections are closed? Taking this line a bit further - when a device connects to a Server it is is issued a CAL then, if the same device wants to connect to another Server, it can't because it may only have one SQL 'active' at any one time.

    Cheers, Peter

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