- Spring sale — extra 15% off with code MMK15
- Instant email delivery, 24/7
Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CAL is a genuine Microsoft license that allows one physical device to securely access Remote Desktop Services on Windows Server 2016 for unlimited users. Ideal for shared workstations, classrooms, healthcare terminals, retail systems, kiosks, and call centers, this license provides cost-effective remote access for environments where multiple users share the same device. Compatible with Windows Server 2016 RDS deployments, it ensures full Microsoft licensing compliance and reliable remote connectivity for business applications and hosted desktops. Your genuine RDS Device CAL license key is delivered by email within minutes and backed by a lifetime warranty and money-back guarantee.
You'll receive your license key, an official Microsoft download link, and a 1-page activation guide.
Direct Microsoft activation
Email in under 5 minutes
Real humans, any time zone
Full money-back guarantee
A Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services Device CAL (Client Access License) is the Microsoft-required license that legally entitles a specific physical device to connect to Remote Desktop Services on a Windows Server 2016 host — for any number of users who share that device, as many times as needed.
If your organization uses Remote Desktop Services to deliver hosted desktops, published applications, or centralized remote access on Windows Server 2016, every device used to make those connections requires both a base Windows Server 2016 User or Device CAL and a Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CAL. The RDS Device CAL is the additional license that specifically covers the Remote Desktop Services session initiated from that device it is a legal requirement enforced during Microsoft licensing audits and cannot be substituted with any other license type.
The license key delivered by MMKeys is a genuine Microsoft RDS Device CAL for Windows Server 2016, delivered to your email inbox within minutes of purchase, backed by our lifetime warranty and money-back guarantee.
Remote Desktop Services is the Windows Server role that enables multiple users to connect simultaneously to a Windows Server 2016 host and run applications or full desktop sessions in a centralized, server-hosted environment. It is the platform behind virtual desktop infrastructure, remote application delivery, thin-client computing, shared workstation environments, kiosk terminals, and branch office connectivity to centralized server resources across organizations of all sizes and industries.
Microsoft licenses access to Remote Desktop Services through Client Access Licenses. Without valid RDS CALs installed and issued through an RDS License Server, Windows Server 2016 operates in a grace period of 120 days before Remote Desktop Services begins refusing connections from devices beyond the two built-in administrative sessions that are always available for server management purposes.
A Device CAL licenses a specific physical endpoint not a person. One Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CAL covers a single device from which any number of users may connect to Remote Desktop Services throughout the day, across shift changes, and across any number of different users who sit at that device. There is no limit on how many people use that licensed device, and no limit on how many sessions originate from it across different users over any time period. The license is permanently associated with the physical device, not with the individuals who use it.
This makes the Device CAL the correct and most cost-effective choice for shared workstations, kiosk terminals, call center stations, manufacturing floor endpoints, classroom computers, clinical workstations, retail terminals, and any environment where multiple users take turns accessing Remote Desktop Services from the same physical machine — and where the total number of devices is meaningfully smaller than the total number of users who need RDS access.
Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2016 is built around several integrated role services that together deliver a complete remote access and application delivery infrastructure. Understanding how these components work together explains both the value of RDS as an application delivery platform and why Microsoft requires CALs to license access to it.
The Remote Desktop Session Host is the core role service that hosts user desktop sessions and published RemoteApp application sessions. Session Host servers are the shared compute resources where multiple users simultaneously run applications in isolated sessions a fundamentally different model from each user running applications on their own dedicated device. Each device connection to a Session Host initiates a session that consumes server resources, and each such connection must be covered by either a valid Device CAL for the connecting device or a valid User CAL for the connecting user.
The Remote Desktop Connection Broker manages connections across multiple Session Host servers in a Session Host farm directing new device connections to the least-loaded available Session Host, reconnecting devices to their existing sessions after disconnection, and managing the session-to-device mapping that enables a user to disconnect from one terminal and reconnect to the same session from another device. In Device CAL environments where shared terminals at different physical locations may be used by the same user throughout the day, the Connection Broker’s session reconnection capability is particularly valuable.
The Remote Desktop Gateway provides secure external access to internal RDS resources over HTTPS enabling devices at remote locations, branch offices, or home environments to connect to internal Session Hosts and published applications without VPN client software on the connecting device. For Device CAL deployments where licensed terminals at remote or branch locations need to connect to a central Session Host infrastructure, RD Gateway provides the secure connectivity infrastructure that makes centralized Session Host deployments practical across geographically distributed device locations.
The Remote Desktop Licensing role manages and issues Device CAL tokens to connecting client devices. In Per Device licensing mode, the License Server issues a temporary CAL to each newly connecting device and upgrades that temporary CAL to a permanent assigned Device CAL on the device’s subsequent connection.
The License Server tracks which physical devices have been issued permanent Device CALs and how many Device CALs remain available in the installed inventory. Deploying an RDS License Server configured for Per Device licensing and pointing Session Hosts to it is a required step in any compliant Device CAL RDS deployment.
Microsoft requires RDS CALs because Remote Desktop Services enables shared server-based computing where many users simultaneously run applications on a single server a model that without per-access licensing would allow a single server license to provide unlimited computing access. The Device CAL represents the per-device access right that Microsoft requires for shared computing environments where the device is the most practical unit of license management.
Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services can be licensed either per device or per user. The two CAL types cannot be mixed on the same RDS License Server an organization must select one licensing model for a given RDS deployment and apply it consistently across all Session Hosts and all connecting clients in that deployment.
RDS Device CAL licenses a specific physical device. Any number of users may connect to Remote Desktop Services from that licensed device. One CAL per endpoint, regardless of how many individuals use it across any time period.
This is the right choice for shared workstations in call centers, kiosk terminals at service desks, manufacturing floor terminals, classroom computers, clinical workstations shared by multiple healthcare staff, retail terminals, reception desk computers, hotel front desk workstations, and any environment where multiple users share physical devices and the device count across the organization is meaningfully lower than the user count needing RDS access.
RDS User CAL licenses a named individual. That person may connect from any number of devices. One CAL per person, regardless of how many endpoints they use.
This is the right choice for remote workers who connect from home and office devices, professionals who carry laptops and also use office workstations, mobile workers who access RDS from multiple locations and devices, and environments where the total user count needing RDS access is smaller than the total device count from which connections originate.
The economic decision rule is direct: count the total number of devices that will initiate RDS connections and count the total number of users who need RDS access. License whichever count is smaller to minimize total CAL expenditure.
For shared terminal environments, kiosk deployments, call center floors, manufacturing environments, and healthcare clinical settings where many users share fewer devices, Device CALs are almost invariably the correct and more cost-effective model. For knowledge worker and professional environments where individual users connect from multiple personal devices, User CALs are typically more economical.
Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services delivers improvements across security, graphics performance, personal desktop delivery, and management that benefit shared-device and thin-client RDS deployments where Device CALs are the appropriate licensing model.
Personal Session Desktops for Dedicated Shared Devices
Windows Server 2016 RDS introduces Personal Session Desktops a new session type that assigns individual users a persistent, dedicated session desktop that retains customizations and user-specific configurations between sessions.
In Device CAL environments where a shared terminal is used by different users across shifts, Personal Session Desktops enable each user to have a personalized desktop experience that persists when they return to the same or any other licensed terminal the session is assigned to the user account, and the Connection Broker reconnects them to their personal session desktop regardless of which licensed terminal they connect from.
This makes Personal Session Desktops in Windows Server 2016 an important capability for Device CAL deployments where shift workers, healthcare staff rotating across clinical workstations, and call center agents moving between terminals need a consistent personal desktop environment rather than a generic pooled session that resets after each session.
Device CALs on the shared terminals cover the connections, while Personal Session Desktops ensure each user’s environment persists between their sessions.
OpenGL and OpenCL Support for Specialized Shared Workstations
Windows Server 2016 RDS adds support for OpenGL and OpenCL applications in Remote Desktop Services sessions enabling GPU-accelerated graphics and computation applications to run in RDS sessions on Session Host servers equipped with compatible GPUs.
For Device CAL deployments where shared workstations are used to access GPU-dependent applications engineering design tools in shared CAD workstation environments, scientific visualization applications, medical imaging workstations shared by radiologists and technicians Windows Server 2016 RDS extends the scope of workloads that shared terminal infrastructure can deliver without requiring dedicated per-user GPU hardware at each shared workstation.
Virtualization-Based Security Protecting Session Host Servers
Windows Server 2016 introduces Virtualization-Based Security across the server platform, providing security benefits directly relevant to Device CAL RDS deployments. Credential Guard on VBS-enabled Session Host servers protects domain credential material from extraction from Session Host memory preventing credential theft attacks that target the credential material of multiple users simultaneously authenticated on the same Session Host from shared terminals.
In high-density shared terminal environments where dozens of users from different locations are simultaneously authenticated on the same Session Host, Credential Guard provides meaningful protection against credential theft that could otherwise expose multiple users’ credentials from a single Session Host compromise.
RemoteFX Adaptive Graphics for Shared Terminal Connections
RemoteFX in Windows Server 2016 RDS delivers improved adaptive graphics rendering that automatically adjusts visual quality and compression based on the available bandwidth between the shared terminal and the Session Host.
For Device CAL deployments where shared terminals connect over varied network infrastructure branch office terminals over WAN connections, thin clients on congested network segments, kiosk terminals in wireless or shared network environments RemoteFX adaptive graphics in Windows Server 2016 provides the best achievable visual experience within the available network capacity without requiring per-device or per-connection manual configuration.
Windows Server 2016 Security Improvements for Shared Environments
Windows Server 2016’s platform-wide security improvements are particularly relevant for Device CAL environments where shared terminals introduce specific security considerations. SMB1 can be disabled on Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts removing the most commonly exploited file sharing vulnerability from the RDS infrastructure that shared terminals connect to. The improved default TLS configuration in Windows Server 2016 strengthens the encryption of Remote Desktop Protocol connections from shared terminals to Session Hosts.
Windows Defender is enabled by default on Session Hosts, providing baseline malware protection for the server-side environment that all shared terminal users’ sessions run within.
For Device CAL deployments where shared terminals in publicly accessible or semi-public locations retail floors, reception areas, kiosk installations, healthcare waiting areas may be more exposed to physical or network-based attacks, the stronger default security posture of Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts provides better protection for the centralized session environment that all those terminals connect to.
Cloud Witness Simplifying DR for RDS Infrastructure
Windows Server 2016 Failover Clustering introduces Cloud Witness the ability to use an Azure Blob Storage account as the cluster quorum witness for a Failover Cluster. For Device CAL RDS deployments running clustered Connection Broker infrastructure for high availability, Cloud Witness simplifies the quorum configuration for two-site RDS clusters by using Azure storage as the geographically neutral witness instead of requiring a dedicated file share witness server at a third location. This makes highly available RDS Connection Broker deployments more operationally practical for organizations that cannot justify a dedicated witness server at a third physical site.
Windows Admin Center for RDS Management
Windows Admin Center available as a separate download for Windows Server 2016 provides modern browser-based management capabilities for Remote Desktop Services infrastructure, including session monitoring, device connection management, Session Host performance visibility, and licensing status monitoring. For Device CAL deployments where the number of licensed terminals and active device connections needs to be monitored centrally, Windows Admin Center provides management visibility in a modern browser-based interface accessible from any device without Remote Desktop access to the management server.
Call centers and customer service operations organizations where customer service agents, support staff, inbound sales teams, and collections personnel share physical workstations across shifts, where the number of desks and terminals on the call center floor is significantly smaller than the total headcount of staff who rotate through those workstations. One Device CAL per terminal covers every agent who uses that station regardless of how many different people sit at it across all shift rotations throughout the week.
Manufacturing, warehouse, and industrial floor environments factories, distribution centers, fulfillment operations, and industrial facilities where a limited number of shared terminals are installed at production lines, assembly stations, packaging areas, warehouse locations, and shipping docks for workers to access production management systems, inventory applications, work order systems, and time-tracking software delivered through Remote Desktop Services on Windows Server 2016. Device CALs license each terminal regardless of the rotating workforce that uses it across shifts.
Retail and point-of-sale environments retail businesses where store terminals, point-of-sale workstations, back-office computers, and service desk machines are shared by multiple staff members throughout the trading day and across shift changes, all using those terminals to access retail management applications, inventory systems, loyalty program platforms, and reporting tools delivered through Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services.
Kiosk and self-service terminal deployments organizations that have deployed locked-down kiosk terminals running published RemoteApp applications or restricted session desktops through Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services, accessed by a rotating or open population of users throughout the operating day. A single Device CAL per kiosk terminal covers all access from that terminal regardless of who uses it and how frequently throughout the day.
Classroom and educational computing laboratories schools, universities, community colleges, technical training centers, and professional training facilities where the same physical computers in a computer lab or classroom are used by different students, trainees, or class groups across multiple sessions, periods, classes, and days. Device CALs license each computer in the lab for all users who sit at it across the academic year, without requiring a separate user license for every student who might use that machine.
Healthcare clinical workstation environments hospitals, outpatient clinics, surgical centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and healthcare networks where clinical workstations at nursing stations, examination rooms, procedure areas, radiology reading stations, pharmacy counters, and clinical support areas are shared by multiple clinicians, nurses, technicians, pharmacists, and administrative staff who access electronic health record systems, clinical imaging platforms, pharmacy management systems, and healthcare management applications through Windows Server 2016 Remote Desktop Services.
Device CALs license each clinical workstation for all staff who authenticate at it throughout their shift and across shift rotations.
Hospitality and hotel environments hotels, resorts, cruise ships, and hospitality operations where front desk terminals, concierge workstations, housekeeping coordination stations, food and beverage management terminals, and back-office computers are shared by staff across all shifts and all hours of operation, used to access property management systems, reservation platforms, point-of-sale systems, and operational management applications through Remote Desktop Services.
Branch offices with thin-client terminal infrastructure individual branch locations where a small number of shared thin-client terminals or workstations connect to centralized Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts at headquarters or a regional data center, where the number of terminals at each branch is significantly smaller than the number of branch employees who use them across the working day.
Device CALs licensed per terminal cover all branch users at each location without requiring per-user license tracking across distributed branch locations.
Organizations upgrading from Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS RDS CALs are version-specific. Organizations whose RDS Session Host infrastructure has been upgraded from Windows Server 2012 R2 to Windows Server 2016, or who are planning that upgrade, must acquire Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs for all connecting devices to remain compliant. Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS Device CALs are not valid for connections to Windows Server 2016 RDS Session Hosts.
IT departments maintaining Windows Server 2016 RDS through extended support organizations that have made the operational decision to maintain their Windows Server 2016 RDS infrastructure through the extended support period ending January 2027, who need to ensure full Device CAL compliance for all terminals and devices connecting to Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts throughout that period including ensuring that CAL counts remain sufficient as new terminals are added to the environment.
Running Remote Desktop Services on Windows Server 2016 legally requires two separate CAL types for every connecting device, both purchased separately from the server operating system license.
Windows Server 2016 Device CAL the base access license required for any device accessing any service on a Windows Server 2016 server, regardless of whether Remote Desktop Services is involved. This covers general server access and is required for every device connecting to Windows Server 2016 for any purpose.
Note that Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025 Device CALs are backward-compatible with Windows Server 2016 access if devices in your environment are already covered by newer base Device CAL versions, separate Windows Server 2016 base Device CALs are not required for the base access requirement. However, a base access CAL of some version is required alongside the RDS Device CAL.
Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CAL the additional Remote Desktop Services-specific license required on top of the base Device CAL, specifically covering devices initiating Remote Desktop Services sessions on Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts. This is what the license from MMKeys provides.
RDS CALs are version-specific: Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs are required for Windows Server 2016 RDS host access, and newer RDS CAL versions are not backward-compatible with older RDS host versions in the same way that base Windows Server CALs are.
Both CAL types are required simultaneously. The RDS Device CAL does not replace the base Windows Server 2016 Device CAL it is an additional license layered on top of it. The server OS license covers the server itself. The base Device CAL covers general server access for the device. The RDS Device CAL covers the Remote Desktop Services session from that device specifically.
RDS CALs are managed and tracked by an RDS License Server role installed on a Windows Server in the environment. In Per Device licensing mode, the License Server issues temporary and then permanent Device CAL tokens to each connecting device and tracks the device CAL inventory. Deploying an RDS License Server configured for Per Device licensing and pointing your Session Hosts to it is a required compliance step in any Windows Server 2016 RDS deployment using Device CALs.
Step 1 — Purchase and receive your RDS Device CALs. Your license key arrives by email within minutes of payment confirmation at MMKeys. Check your spam folder if it does not appear in your primary inbox.
Step 2 — Install the Remote Desktop Licensing role. On a Windows Server 2016 server in your environment, open Server Manager and navigate to Add Roles and Features. Add the Remote Desktop Licensing role service under the Remote Desktop Services role group and complete the role installation wizard. This server becomes your RDS License Server.
Step 3 — Activate the License Server. Open the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager console from Administrative Tools or Server Manager Tools, right-click your server in the left pane, and select Activate Server. Follow the Activate Server Wizard to complete activation online activation completes in seconds with an internet connection; telephone activation is available for air-gapped environments. The License Server must be activated before RDS Device CALs can be installed onto it.
Step 4 — Install your RDS Device CALs. In the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager console, right-click your activated License Server and select Install Licenses. Enter your MMKeys license key when prompted on the license key entry page. Select Windows Server 2016 as the product version, select RDS Per Device CAL as the license program type, and complete the Install Licenses Wizard. The specified quantity of Device CALs is now added to your License Server’s inventory and is available for issuance to connecting devices.
Step 5 — Configure Session Hosts to use your License Server in Per Device mode. On each Windows Server 2016 RDS Session Host, open Group Policy Editor or Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Session Host > Licensing. Enable the Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers policy and enter the hostname or IP address of your License Server.
Enable the Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode policy and set the licensing mode to Per Device. Apply the Group Policy settings to the Session Hosts and verify that each Session Host can reach the License Server over the network.
Step 6 — Verify Device CAL issuance and monitor inventory. Open Remote Desktop Licensing Diagnoser on each Session Host accessible from the Tools menu in Server Manager to confirm that the Session Host can reach the License Server, that the licensing mode is correctly reported as Per Device, and that no licensing warnings or errors are present.
When client devices connect to a Session Host for the first time after Device CAL installation, they receive temporary CAL tokens that are upgraded to permanent assigned Device CALs on subsequent connections. Monitor the License Server inventory in the Remote Desktop Licensing Manager console regularly to track Device CAL consumption against your installed inventory and plan additional CAL purchases before inventory is exhausted.
Full step-by-step deployment and activation instructions are included with every MMKeys order. Our support team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if you need assistance at any stage of the deployment process.
Is this a genuine Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CAL? Yes. Every license sold by MMKeys is an authentic Microsoft product license. There are no shared keys, workarounds, or grey-market codes. Your RDS Device CAL installs and activates through Microsoft’s official Remote Desktop Licensing infrastructure.
Do I need both a base Windows Server CAL and an RDS Device CAL? Yes. Both are required. The Windows Server 2016 Device CAL covers general server access for the device. The RDS Device CAL covers the Remote Desktop Services session from that device specifically. Both must be in place for every device connecting via RDS on Windows Server 2016. The base Windows Server 2016 Device CAL is available separately at MMKeys.
Note that Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025 Device CALs are backward-compatible with Windows Server 2016 and satisfy the base access requirement if devices are already covered by newer base Device CAL versions, separate 2016 base Device CALs are not needed.
How many users can share one RDS Device CAL? Unlimited. A Device CAL licenses a specific physical endpoint, and any number of individuals may use that device to connect to Remote Desktop Services. There is no user limit associated with a Device CAL it covers all access originating from that one licensed physical device regardless of how many people use it and how frequently they connect.
Can I use Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS Device CALs for Windows Server 2016? No. RDS CALs are version-specific. Windows Server 2012 R2 RDS Device CALs are not valid for connections to a Windows Server 2016 RDS Session Host. You must purchase Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs for devices connecting to Windows Server 2016 RDS. Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs are backward-compatible with older RDS host versions including Windows Server 2012 R2 and earlier.
Are Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs valid for Windows Server 2019, 2022, or 2025 RDS hosts? No. RDS CALs are version-specific and must match the version of the RDS Session Host server. Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs are valid for Windows Server 2016 RDS Session Hosts and are backward-compatible with older Windows Server RDS versions. If you upgrade your Session Hosts to Windows Server 2019, 2022, or 2025, you must purchase the corresponding version of RDS Device CALs for those upgraded hosts.
What happens if I run RDS without CALs? Windows Server 2016 provides a 120-day grace period after RDS role installation during which connections are allowed without CALs. After the grace period expires, Remote Desktop Services begins refusing device connections beyond the two built-in administrative sessions.
Microsoft licensing audits independently identify CAL non-compliance, and non-compliance discovered during an audit can result in significant licensing penalties and back-payment obligations.
Should I choose Device CALs or User CALs? Count the total number of devices that will initiate RDS connections and count the total number of users who need RDS access. License whichever number is smaller.
Device CALs are the right choice for shared workstations, kiosk terminals, call center stations, classroom computers, clinical workstations, and shift-work environments where multiple users share fewer devices than the total user count.
User CALs are the right choice for knowledge workers and professionals who connect from multiple personal devices where the user count is smaller than the total device count. The two models cannot be mixed on the same RDS License Server choose the model that best fits your environment before deployment.
Can I switch from Device CALs to User CALs after deployment? Switching CAL models requires reconfiguring your RDS License Server to the new licensing mode, updating Session Host Group Policy settings to reflect the new mode, and purchasing the appropriate CAL type for the new model.
Existing Device CALs cannot be converted to User CALs they are distinct license types with different price points and different unit definitions. Plan your licensing model carefully based on accurate device and user counts at deployment time to avoid the operational and financial overhead of switching models after deployment.
Are Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs the same as Azure Virtual Desktop licenses? No. Azure Virtual Desktop uses a separate licensing model based on Microsoft 365 or Windows per-user subscriptions and does not use on-premises RDS Device CALs.
Windows Server 2016 RDS Device CALs apply specifically to on-premises or hosted Remote Desktop Services deployments running on Windows Server 2016 Session Hosts. If you are deploying Azure Virtual Desktop in Azure rather than on-premises RDS, consult Microsoft’s AVD licensing requirements separately.
How soon will I receive my CALs after purchase? Most MMKeys orders are delivered within minutes of payment confirmation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your email includes the license key and complete activation and deployment instructions.
What if my key does not activate? Contact MMKeys support at any time. Every license is backed by our lifetime warranty and money-back guarantee. If your key does not activate for any reason, we will resolve the issue or provide a replacement at no cost. CONTACT US
