July 26, 2011
by Robert Pearman
You Don’t!
Since SBS 2008 CALS are now based on Microsoft’s honour system, and they are no longer ‘installed’ and ‘activated’ when you buy them.
You just purchase the number of CALS you need, and keep them safe.
Small Business Server 2011 Standard, still ships with 5 CALs.
Even better, with SBS 2011 Essentials, there are no CALS to purchase. SBS Essentials, is a one off purchase. If you buy it today and have 4 users, you pay the same price as someone who has 10 users, or someone who has 25 users.
So, for Essentials think ‘all 25 CALS included’
(although on a technical licensing point of law, political correctness’ and outright Microsoft craziness – there is no such thing as a SBS Essentials CAL)
The Essentials OS is licensed for up to 25 users, but those ‘licenses’ are included in the fee you pay to purchase the software.
I know, i can see some of you at the back sneaking up your hands to ask..
“…i only have X amount of users, can i get a discount…”
No. Don’t be so cheap 
Because of the unique way Essentials is ‘licensed’ those invisible CALs only allow you to access the Essentials box itself, so unlike it’s big brother, SBS Standard, if you purchase a standalone member server (not a PAO Server) you must also buy full Windows Server CALs. SBS Standard has a more traditional CAL model, so SBS Standard CALs grant access to ANY member server, regardless of whether it is a PAO or not.
An SBS 2011 CAL
SBS 2011 Premium Add-on (PAO)
With the Premium Add-on (PAO, or Kung PAO as Susan Bradley calls it) Licensing is the same, whether you are adding the PAO to Essentials or Standard (The PAO is available to both SBS Standard & Essentials)
When you purchase the PAO, it includes 5 PAO CALS which allows those 5 Clients to access the SQL Services of the PAO Server. (The SQL services are sometimes called the Premium Services)
If you don’t install the SQL component, then you don’t need to purchase any additional PAO CALS.
The CALS for SBS 2011 Standard or Essentials, allow you to access the Windows Server technologies of the PAO server, as long as you are not accessing the ‘Premium’ services, so you could install it as File and Print, Domain Controller, RDS Server etc., and you would not need any additional PAO CALS, or Standard CALS."
Just to add another level of complexity, if you did install the PAO server as an RDS Server, you would need to purchase RDS CALS.
Clear?
Well i hope you were taking notes because we now have a short test!
Licensing Examples
Scenario 1.
I have Windows SBS 2011 Essentials, 10 Users all requiring access to SQL Services.
What components/licensing do i need?
Scenario 2.
I have Windows SBS 2011 Essentials, 10 Users, 1 NON PAO Member Server.
What components/licensing do i need?
Scenario 3.
Windows SBS 2011 Standard, 10 Users (Total), 5 Users Require access to SQL
What components/licensing do i need?
Scenario 4.
I have Windows SBS 2011 Standard, 10 Users, 1 NON PAO Member Server,
What components/licensing do i need?
Answers
Scenario 1.
In this scenario you would have 1x Windows SBS 2011 Essentials Server, 1x PAO Server, and need to purchase 5 PAO CALs.
Scenario 2.
In this scenario you would have 1x Windows SBS 2011 Essentials Server, 1 Windows Server OS License (required for member server) and 10 Windows Server CALs
Scenario 3.
In this scenario you would have 1x Windows SBS 2011 Standard, 1x PAO Server and you would not need any additional PAO CALs
Scenario 4.
In this scenario you would have 1x Windows SBS 2011 Standard, 1x Windows Server OS License (required for member server) You would need to purchase an additional 5 SBS CALs
Thanks to Michael Leworthy of Microsoft for clarification on licensing points.
In my other post on this subject, i mused over the pro’s and con’s of Installing the SBS Essentials Connector on the PAO Server in an effort to get it to appear in the RWA, to allow remote users to connect to it.
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