Last Update: Sep 04, 2024 | Published: Feb 14, 2022
In many ways, the licensing for Windows Server is just as complex as some of the actual technologies it brings to your organization. In this article, we’ll dive into the details of licensing Windows Server 2022.
In case you’re new to IT and you’re not sure what Windows Server is, it is an operating system that Microsoft specifically created for use on a server. It is designed to run continually in the background and provide resources to other networked computers. Windows Server is only designed to be used in business settings.
Since Windows Server 2016, Windows Server has had the option of being installed with or without the desktop GUI. The installation without the GUI is called Server Core, and it is primarily managed using the command line. However, the desktop installation option for Windows Server is far more popular. The desktop looks much like Windows 10 and it has a taskbar, desktop icons, and a Start button.
Windows Server is designed to run enterprise-level workloads. Below are a few roles that a Windows Server system can perform:
There are three basic editions of Windows Server 2022:
All editions of Windows Server 2022 can be managed using Server Manager or Windows Admin Center (WAC). You can also take advantage of the hybrid capabilities for management by using Azure Arc to manage your local premises Windows Server 2022 systems along with your Azure-based Virtual Machines (VMs). Installation of the new version of Windows Server 2022 can be performed as an in-place upgrade for Windows Server 2016 and higher or you can perform a new standalone installation.
If you need installation instructions, please check our detailed guide on how to install Windows Server 2022.
Being an enterprise-level software platform, Windows Server 2022 can be expensive. Understanding the licensing requirements for Windows Server 2022 will enable you to optimize your investment in the platform. This enables you to ensure that you only purchase the services that you need and that you don’t make unnecessary investments in Windows Server editions, features, and services that you don’t need. Understanding the licensing also helps to ensure that you stay in compliance with the licensing rules and restrictions.
Back with Windows Server 2008 and prior, Windows Server was primarily licensed using a Server + Client Access License (CAL) model, or a Processor + CAL model. Windows Server Standard and Enterprise editions were licensed using the Server + CAL model, and Windows Server Datacenter and Windows Server for Itanium-based systems editions were only licensed using the processor + CAL model.
However, since the release of Windows Server 2016, Microsoft has switched to licensing Windows Server according to the number of processor cores. Not surprisingly, the new licensing model is a bit more complex than the older licensing scheme. With Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2022 Standard and Windows Server 2022 Datacenter follow a core-based licensing model while Windows Server 2022 Essentials uses a server-based licensing model.
There are a few core-based licensing rules that you should know:
It’s important to understand that a Client Access License isn’t a software product. A CAL is a license that gives a user or device the right to access Windows Server system services like file shares or printing.
With a device CAL, you purchase a CAL for a given device that accesses your server independent of the number of users who use that device. This is intended for scenarios where multiple users might use a single licensed device. Some common examples might be a public terminal in a store that’s accessed by different customers, or a device in a manufacturing facility where multiple employees need to use the same system.
Exactly as their names imply, a User CAL applies to an end user while a Device CAL applies to a specific device. User licenses are applicable if the user needs to access the server and could potentially use multiple devices like a desktop or a laptop. Device licenses are more applicable for public use or shared device usage as you only need to license the device no matter who is using it. User licensing is the most common option.
Windows Server licenses can be purchased from a variety of different sources. Most businesses have volume purchase agreements that they had made with Microsoft. These agreements are typically tailored for the business’s specific requirements, and they usually offer a discount for the purchase of licenses for Windows Server or other Microsoft products.
In addition to channel partners, you can also buy Windows Server 2022 directly from the Microsoft store. The server OS can also be obtained from server hardware OEM partners like HP, DELL, Lenovo, and others.
The Microsoft list prices for Windows Server 2022 are as follows:
Table 1 – Windows Server licensing and list prices
Windows Server 2022 SKU | Licensing model | List price |
Windows Server 2022 Datacenter | The Datacenter edition uses core-based licensing and requires CALs. | $6155 |
Windows Server 2022 Standard | The Standard edition uses core-based licensing and requires CAL. | $1069 |
Windows Server 2022 Essentials | The Essentials edition uses a per-server license and no CALs are required. | $501 |
Windows Server 2022 includes the Hyper-V feature, which is Microsoft’s virtualization platform. Hyper-V provides hardware virtualization that enables you to install various operating systems on that virtual hardware.
Hyper-V supports running all sorts of different types of Virtual Machines including Windows Server, Windows 10 or 11, Linux, and macOS. However, the virtualization licensing rights for the three Windows Server editions are very different.
The Windows Server 2022 Datacenter and Standard editions also provide support for running containers, and you can run an unlimited number of containers on these two editions.
No. In the past, Microsoft released a special limited version of Windows Server that was explicitly designed for virtualization support called Hyper-V Server. Microsoft released Hyper-V Server 2016 and Hyper-V Server 2019. Hyper-V Server was essentially a free product, but you were still required to license any VMs that ran on it. Hyper-V Server was not widely adopted and Microsoft discontinued it with Windows Server 2022.
Volume licenses are typically purchased from Microsoft or from a Microsoft partner. To find a Microsoft Partner in the United States, you can call (800) 426-9400. You can also find out more about purchasing Volume licenses from the Microsoft Volume licensing website for your country/region.
Software Assurance (SA) is a feature that you can add to your Windows Server licenses that provides additional benefits beyond the basic licensing. SA can also be purchased for OEM licensed software within 90 days after purchase. The most important benefit of SA is new product version rights, which entitles you to a new version of the software when it becomes available at no additional cost. SA has other benefits as well including extended hotfix support and enhanced OSE mobility where you can freely move Windows VMs between different hosts. You can find out more about SA on Microsoft’s Benefits of Software Assurance webpage.
We hope that this article helped you to better understand the different editions of Windows Server 2022, as well as your different options for purchasing licenses for Microsoft’s Server OS. Having a good