Windows Remote Desktop Services – Device CAL & SA

Description

A minimum of 5 CALS must be purchased

Windows Remote Desktop Services
With Remote Desktop Services (RDS) one of the core virtualization technologies available in Windows Server 2008 R2 Microsoft is progressing in its vision to provide the best virtualization platform for accelerating and extending desktop and application deployments from the data center to any device. In addition to the traditional session virtualization scenario (formerly known as “Terminal Services”) Remote Desktop Services is expanding its role to provide an extensible platform for a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

Remote Desktop Services allows a user to access applications data and even an entire desktop running on a remote computer over a network. The client access device can either be a full rich Windows personal computer or a thin client (such as Windows CE device). Remote Desktop Services works by allowing individual applications or an entire desktop to run on a server rather than on the user’s workstation. Remote Desktop Services simply sends screen images to the users and the user’s machine in turn sends keystrokes and mouse movements back to the server. By doing this Remote Desktop Services allows clients to run applications or desktop environments that they might otherwise not have the hardware or bandwidth to support. On the server applications and desktop environments can either run as shared sessions or in the context of a virtual machine environment (aka virtual desktop infrastructure or VDI).

Device CAL
A Device CAL permits one device (used by any user) to access or use the server software. Device CALs are likely to be more cost-effective than User CALs if there are multiple users per device (for example a call center or an airport kiosk).

Maintenance
Software Assurance (SA) is Microsoft’s maintenance program that provides product support software upgrades and more.