How does 1Server+5 client licensing work?

[rudeboymcc]

Hi. I'm interested in buying SQL Server 2008 Standard which is 1 license + 5 CAL licenses.

How does this work? Do I need to install a product key on every client that uses the system, or is it 5 simultaneous users?

And if I want say 10 clients, where do I buy JUST the CAL licenses from?

 

[mdlueck]

I believe there is nothing to "install" on client machines. Rather the number of clients allowed syncs with how many connections the server may be allowed to legally accept.

CAL licenses come from your MS reseller / distributor. We happen to use CDW, and I have seen CAL licenses in their product list.

 

[rudeboymcc]

This sounds like CAL is just a legal agreement then? So there's nothing actually stopping more clients joining, just it breaches the agreement?

I find this odd as I'm used to Microsoft product keys which are activated online and you need to de-activate one to add a different client.

 

[mdlueck]

There is no key mechanism within the ODBC specification. SQL Server supports ODBC connections. Thus the difference between SQL Server and other products I guess.

 

[Galaxiom]

Yes that is correct. There is nothing to install. It is all based on honesty (or the lack of an inspection).

However, do you actually need the full SQL Server?

The free version, MS SQL Server 2008R2 Express will support databases up to 10GB though operating memory is limited to 1 GB.

If you do need the full version you should consider the ultimate number of users. A Per Processor licence becomes a better choice with about 40 users but the the exact breakover depends on the pricing structure.