Licensing brief

October 2020

Microsoft server Base and Additive Client Access Licenses

(CALs) overview

This brief applies to all Microsoft Licensing programs.

Contents
Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Details ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Software dependency license requirements ............................................................................................................................................. 1
Base CAL .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Additive CAL .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
External user access ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Frequently asked questions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Summary
This licensing brief explains Client Access License (CAL) requirements for accessing Microsoft server software when
licensed under the Server/CAL or Per Core/CAL licensing models.

Details
Software dependency license requirements
There are two practical components when licensing access to Microsoft server products: access to the Windows
Server operating system itself, and access to the Microsoft application that works within the Windows Server
environment. Customers must license access to each layer of the stack. Common examples of this include use of
Exchange Server and Skype for Business Server. Customers must acquire CALs for Windows Server, which is required
for use with these products, as well as the appropriate CALs for Exchange and/or Skype for Business Server.

Base CAL
Server software generally includes base functionality and advanced functionality. Base server functionality can be
accessed with a base CAL and additive CALs license access to advanced server functionality and must be acquired in

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Base and Additive Client Access Licenses (CALs): An explanation

addition to the corresponding base CAL. Both types of CALs are generally available on a per-user and per-device
basis.

Under the Server/CAL and Per Core/CAL licensing models, access to base functionality of a server product requires a
Base CAL for each accessing user or device..

Figure 1: License structure for base and Additive Server/CAL and Per Core/CAL products

Additive CAL
Some Microsoft server software products, such as the Windows Server operating system, license additional
functionality with licenses known as “Additive CALs.” Additive CALs license advanced functionality in the server
software and must be acquired in addition to the base CAL. Additive CALs are sometimes referred to as “premium”
or “premium services” CALs.

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Base and Additive Client Access Licenses (CALs): An explanation

Examples of Additive CALs include the Windows Server Remote Desktop Services CAL and the Windows Server
Active Directory Rights Management Services (RMS) CAL. Both of these Additive CALs license advanced
functionalities included in Windows Server that each device or user must be licensed for in order to access the
advanced functionality.

The following figure describes the four licensing options with Windows Server CALs.

Figure 2: Windows Server CAL license structure options

Microsoft Exchange Server offers an Additive CAL called the Exchange Server Enterprise CAL, which is licensed in
addition to the Exchange Server Standard CAL. Each user or device requiring advanced functionality from the
Exchange Server Enterprise CAL also needs to purchase a matching Exchange Server base Standard CAL as a
prerequisite.

The following figure describes the two licensing options with Exchange Server CALs.

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Base and Additive Client Access Licenses (CALs): An explanation

Figure 3: Exchange Server CAL license structure options

In a similar fashion to these examples, Microsoft SharePoint Server offers the SharePoint Standard CAL and the
SharePoint Enterprise CAL. Skype for Business Server offers the Skype for Business Server Standard CAL, the Skype
for Business Server Enterprise CAL, and the Skype for Business Server Plus CAL.

External user access

Microsoft server software requires access licensing for external users. Some server software licenses external user
access with the server license itself and no other access licensing is required. For server software that requires Base
and Additive CAL access licensing, an External Connector license may be used to license all external users. An
External Connector license is assigned to the server and licenses all external users instead of requiring a CAL for
each external user. Server software that includes base and advanced functionality will still require the base External
Connector license and any additive External Connector licenses for any advanced functionality enabled.

Frequently asked questions

Q1: Are premium services CALs the same as Additive CALs?

A: Yes. Additive CALs are sometimes referred to as “premium” or “premium services” CALs. The terminology
was updated to be more descriptive and reduce confusion with online services.
Q2: Do I need more than one Additive CAL per user or device to access the same functionality running on more than
one server?

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Base and Additive Client Access Licenses (CALs): An explanation

A: No. Only one user or device Additive CAL is needed to use the services on any number of your licensed
servers. For example, a Remote Desktop Services User CAL permits one user to access Remote Desktop
Services functionality on any of your servers licensed for Windows Server.
Q3: Do Additive CALs work with only specific editions of server software, such as Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition,
or do they work with any edition?

A: Generally, Additive CALs can access any edition of the server software. For example, Exchange Server is
available in both a Standard Edition server and Enterprise Edition server. The Exchange Standard CAL and
Exchange Enterprise CAL may be used with either edition of the server software.
Q4: Are all CALs licensed in the same way?

A: CALs are generally licensed under the same terms as described in this brief. However, some server products
have product specific terms for external user access licensing. Please see the Microsoft Product Terms site to
review the License Model for each Microsoft server software product that requires CALs to access the server
software.
Q5: Can a single-server product have multiple Additive CALs?

A: Yes. A single-server product can have multiple Additive CALs. An example of this is Windows Server, which
has Windows Active Directory Rights Management Services as well as Remote Desktop Services, each of which
requires separate device and/or user CALs if used by a customer.
Q6: Do Additive CALs come with the Core CAL Suite? For example, do Core CAL Suite customers receive rights to
Remote Desktop Services and Active Directory Rights Management Services?

A: No. Additive CALs aren’t included in the Core CAL Suite. Additive CALs are only required when their
corresponding functionality is used and they need to be licensed separately. However, they can be used in
conjunction with the Core CAL Suite if the corresponding base CAL is included in the Core CAL Suite.
Q7: What Additive CALs come with the Enterprise CAL Suite and the Core CAL Suite?

A: Please see the Microsoft Product Term site CAL and ML Equivalency licenses section for a current list of
base and additive CALs included in the Core CAL Suite and Enterprise CAL Suite.
Q8: Is the Enterprise CAL Suite an Additive CAL to the Core CAL Suite?

A: No. CAL Suites aren’t Additive. The Enterprise CAL Suite includes the components of the Core CAL suite, so
customers may buy it without also buying the Core CAL Suite. Core CAL Suite licensees may buy a separate
“step-up” license that converts their Core CAL Suite license into an Enterprise CAL Suite license.

© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN
THIS DOCUMENT. This information is provided to help guide your authorized use of products you license; it is not your agreement. Your use of products licensed
under your volume license agreement is governed by the terms and conditions of that agreement. In the case of any conflict between this information and your
agreement, the terms and conditions of your agreement control. Prices for licenses acquired through Microsoft resellers are determined by the reseller.

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