License your RDS deployment with client access licenses (CALs).Use the following information to learn about how client access licensing works in Remote Desktop Services and to deploy and manage your licenses: Once the grace period ends, clients must have a valid RDS CAL issued by a license server before they can log on to an RD Session Host server. There is a licensing grace period of 120 Days during which no license server is required. If an appropriate RDS CAL is available from a license server, the RDS CAL is issued to the client, and the client is able to connect to the RD Session Host server and from there to the desktop or apps they're trying to use. The RD Session Host server then requests an RDS CAL from the Remote Desktop license server. When a user or a device connects to an RD Session Host server, the RD Session Host server determines if an RDS CAL is needed. You use RD Licensing to install, issue, and track RDS CALs.

Applies to: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016Įach user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host needs a client access license (CAL).

Windows terminal services licenses