Hi all, I have been reading licensing of windows 2008 but I'm totally confused about what should my company buy. I have developed a nice application for a school project now I may commercialize it. With school's volume license I had no problems and I never thought of this issue. We have an .Net based client/server application. We want to run the server on windows 2008. This is not a web application so web server edition is out of the question. The .Net based server program simply listens to a port. According to messages it connects to the sql server and displays information to the clients. The server opens a connection to the sql server also running on the same machine with a windows users account (this account is added from administrative tools). However, the server has a table of username password pairs hence the connecting clients are kind of authenticated with this table (these users has no connection with the users added from administrative tools). I'm puzzeled with CALS, do I have to purchase a CAL for each user connecting to my server application. I'm expecting 100s of people using the application. Wouldn't a single CAL be enough? The server will not serve anyone from the company. It will only server internet users through my application (no file server, no active directory). I really appriciate your help. The MS docs on licenses are cryptic. They say I need cals for each user I authenticate. However, they do not distinguish between system users (users added with administrative tools) or just users added to a sql database. THANKS ALOT!

Hi, For licensing questions, I suggest contacting your local Microsoft Customer Service for detailed information. http://www.microsoft.com/worldwide/ Tim Quan

Hi, Microsoft makes no distinction between system users or "just" users becaus a user is a person. What you are talking about are accounts. Se the difference? User = actual living and breating person. Account = Identidy and login credentials assigned to user, computer or application. Client Access License are for named users only (or employees, agent and on-site contractors). For external users, you could license them with CALs, if they are known (which they are if you create accounts for them) but you could also license your server with an external connector license. Dont forget to license your SQL server with CPU license(s). Another option for you could be the Service Provider License Agreement. Since you own the IP of your application and you offer it to external users you could license your Windows Server with a non-outsourcing CPU licnese and your SQL with a regular CPU license on SPLA. SPLA = monthly rental agreement for service providers. Really attractive in some scenarios. google it.. EDIT: Oh, and dont bother contacting customer services with anything related to licensing, they have no clue. I asked about CALs and mobile devices a while back and the person at the other end told me "if the device supports it, it will work".. Go to www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com all you need is there.