Activating Windows Server 2016 RDS 10 Device CAL

Activating Windows Server 2016 RDS 10 Device CAL involves adding the purchased remote desktop services access licenses to the license server in the Windows Server system. In this case, the RDS CAL abbreviation stands for Remote Desktop Services Client Access License, which is a license for accessing remote desktop services. The Device CAL variant assigns the license to a specific device, not to a user. This is a good solution when multiple people use one computer, but access to the remote desktop should be limited to a certain number of workstations.

Below, you will find a simple instruction on how to add a 10 Device CAL package in the RD Licensing Manager tool on Windows Server 2016 and how to check if the licenses have been properly registered.

Step by Step

Before you start, make sure that:

• the Remote Desktop Licensing role is already installed on the server,
• the license server has been activated,
• you have a license key or license details received with the purchase.

1. Log in to the Windows Server 2016 server with an administrative account.

2. Open the RD Licensing Manager tool. You can do this quickly from: Server Manager > Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager

3. In the left panel, select the name of your license server. If the server is active, it should not have any activation warnings. If the server has not been activated yet, first activate it, and then proceed to install the CAL package.

4. Right-click the server name and select the Install Licenses option.

5. The license installation wizard will start. In the first step, select the appropriate licensing program. This is an important stage, as the method of entering data depends on the type of purchased license. Most often, it will be one of the options corresponding to a commercial license, service provider, or sales channel from which the key comes.

6. In the next window, enter the required identification data, such as:

• agreement number,
• authorization number,
• license key,
• other data provided by the seller.

1. After confirming the data, the wizard will display the details of the license package. Make sure that the following match:

• system version or compatibility with Windows Server 2016,
• license type: RDS CAL,
• licensing mode: Device CAL,
• number of licenses: 10.

1. Finish the wizard with the Finish button. After successfully adding the license, the package should appear on the list in RD Licensing Manager.

2. If the RDS environment is already running on a separate session server, also check the licensing mode configuration. On the server with the remote desktop service, the Per Device mode should be set, and the correct license server should be specified.

In practice, this means that after adding the 10 Device CAL package, the server will be able to assign licenses to devices connecting to Remote Desktop services according to this limit.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please contact us at [email protected] or call 00 800 121 1654.

Verification

After completing the installation, it's worth immediately verifying that everything is working correctly.

1. Open RD Licensing Manager again and expand the license server name.

2. Check if the installed Windows Server 2016 RDS 10 Device CAL package or a package compatible with the purchased version and license type is visible on the list.

3. Pay attention to the number of available and issued licenses. At the beginning, the number of issued licenses may be 0, if no device has connected to the RDS server yet.

4. Open the remote desktop services diagnostics on the session server and check if there are no licensing-related errors. If the license server has been properly detected and the licensing mode is set to Per Device, the system should not report any problems.

5. It's a good idea to perform a test connection from a client computer. After the first connection, the device may be registered in the licensing system, and the license will be assigned according to the RDS rules.

Problems

The most common problems with activating and adding RDS CAL licenses result not from the key itself, but from the environment configuration.

The license server is not activated
If the installer reports an error during license installation, first check if the license server itself has been activated. Without this, adding the CAL package may not be successful.

The wrong licensing program was selected
This is one of the more common reasons for data rejection. Information must be entered exactly in the mode that corresponds to the license purchase channel. If the sales document indicates a different licensing model than the one selected in the wizard, the installation may end with an error.

Incorrect licensing mode on the RDS server
If the purchased license is Device CAL, and the session server operates in Per User mode, warnings or incorrect assignments may appear. In this case, you should unify the settings and select the mode compatible with the type of purchased licenses.

The session server does not see the license server
Even a properly added CAL package will not work if the session host does not have a specified license server or cannot communicate with it. It's then worth checking:

• local policy or GPO settings,
• DNS name resolution,
• network firewall,
• correctness of the Remote Desktop Licensing role configuration.

Licenses are added, but their usage is not visible
This does not always mean an error. Sometimes licenses start to be visible as issued only after performing test connections or after some time of service operation.

FAQ

Does 10 Device CAL mean 10 users?
No. 10 Device CAL means licenses for 10 devices. More than one person can use a single device, but the device itself consumes one license.

Is RDS CAL the same as a regular Windows Server CAL?
No. RDS CAL is a separate license required to use Remote Desktop services. Standard Windows Server CALs do not replace RDS licenses.

Can I add a license manually in RD Licensing Manager?
Yes, if the license server is activated and you have the correct licensing data. Just run the Install Licenses wizard and enter the data according to the purchase document.

If you have problems with activating Windows Server 2016 RDS 10 Device CAL, configuring the license server, or selecting the correct license type, please contact us: [email protected] or call 00 800 121 1654.