Windows Server Licenses - please explain

[farscapesg1]

OK, I'm so confused with this and no one that I talk to in our company seems to have the same answer.

I work in the IT department of a hospital owned by a larger corporation. Our company has a deal with Microsoft that we pay an annual fee for basically free upgrades to the OS on the systems. Personally I think it is silly since we purchase all our computers from Dell, which already come with the latest version of Windows installed with their own OEM windows keys.

Now the question comes when installing a new server. During the Windows 2003 installation it gives you a choice of licensing per server or per clients. Doesn't the CAL that comes with the desktops cover this? Should I be setting them up per server or per workstation? Our corporate offices give me different answers on this.

Can someone explain the "legal" way of making sure that the licensing is set up correctly in our facility? I think it would be stupid to have to purchase CALs for each machine per server (considering we have several servers in the facility).

 

[hulksterjoe]

Your correct that the license you order should be for what you need. But microsoft does allow you to do a 1 time change on the licensing.. so for the customer that ordered 50 users and needed 50 device cals they arent screwed..

you can check this out for clarification

 

[figgie]

the trick for CALS

If you have users that access server from more than one computer (say one user using three computers) and this is the norm. PerUser licensing is what you want. Engineers usually log into 4-8 different machines. Cheaper to license the one users than the 4-8 computers

If the computers have more than one user (say a call center that has shift). You would license Per device instead.

btw when you purchase a dell server. They don't INCLUDE the OS. Dell CHARGES you for it!! If you have a MS agreement you should be in an open volume license which WILL be cheaper than getting the OS installed by Dell when you buy the computer.

 

[hulksterjoe]

Open licensing for Os's is not cheaper then oem and infact costs more, for servers and such You cant get a desktop os thru open licensing you can see this if you have questions about that buying the os preinstalled or as a standard oem purchase from anyone else" newegg" etc....is the only way

What open licensing affords the corporation is a one stop place to store all the license codes rather then themselves having to maintain a record ( if the want to) you cannot accuire a NEW desktop os license thru standard open licensing. This is the same no matter what agreement you have..open value/select/enterprise/gov/ed..If you have access you can try and access this page from microsoft . its their license configurator and you'll notice that no where can you purchase a full os..open licensing only allows customer to purchase upgrades or it also allows for the purchase of software assurance which is what it sounds like the OP is refering to, but software assurance only allows a customer to upgrade the os to a current offering for free ( not really since SA has a cost but its still a discount) but dosent provide for suppling the initial os.