Windows Server Remote Desktop Services (RDS) is the platform of choice for building virtualization solutions for every end customer need, including delivering individual virtualized applications, providing secure mobile and remote desktop access, and providing end users the ability to run their applications and desktops from the cloud.

Windows Server  Remote Desktop Services CAL is part of the flexible licensing system for Windows Server . It will give customers the opportunity to leverage fantastic enhancements that make it the optimal version of RDS, to date, with several areas of innovation to improve the administrative and client experiences.

What is Remote Desktop Services?

RDS stands for “remote desktop services” and refers to the functionality enabling users to work with graphic desktop and Windows applications via remote access. Desktop networks can be managed centrally using the appropriate client access licences (CALs).

Do I need a Client Access License?

A client access license (CAL) is needed for each user and device that connects to a Remote Desktop Session host. An RDS licensing server is needed to install, issue, and track RDS CALs. 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.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USER CAL AND DEVICE CAL

License your deployments with Device or User Client Access Licenses

Each user or device accessing a licensed Windows Server requires a Windows Server CAL or a Windows Server and a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CAL.

Remote Desktop Services User CALs

It allows a user to establish a Remote Desktop session on a Remote Desktop session host server. Regardless of the number of devices that the user uses to log in.

Remote Desktop Services Device CALs

It allows a specific device to establish a Remote Desktop session on a Remote Desktop session host server. Regardless of the number of users connecting from of this device.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Simplify IT management

Microsoft has time and again heard from customers that license management should focus on simplification to scale deployments. Therefore, it has focused on improving management of Remote Desktop (RD) Licensing servers and entitlement through Active Directory (AD).

Now, you will be able to leverage high availability RD Licensing servers with forward-compatibility for future versions of Windows Server to enable easier management of licenses from a variety of RDS releases.

It has become easier to manage licenses for your employees by bringing the ability for the RD Licensing servers to update RDS user Client Access Licenses (CALs) into AD objects without accessing AD directly.

Lastly, perfmon (Performance Counters) APIs have been added to provide partners an easy way to access data to build monitoring dashboards and deliver a consistent user experience.

User experience

Microsoft has also invested in providing an enhanced user experience where end users will be able to leverage desktops and apps through RDS  to maximize productivity.

Modern notifications for RemoteApp in the Action Center to improve productivity with applications like Microsoft Outlook.

Users can now have a better experience with video-intensive interactions.

Reduced CPU usage on the client and server and bandwidth with better image quality to bring a faster end-to-end web client experience.

Security

One of Microsoft primary goals as the Remote Desktop Services product team is to help improve your security posture for your desktop and app virtualization environments. They have improved security through several enhancements.

With Windows Admin Center integration, it is easy to consolidate all local and remote server management into a single pane.

Several Windows Defender optimizations for multi-session to give you more confidence. In bringing a secure, scalable and cost-effective desktop experience to end users.

Web client support for Single Sign-on (SSO) to deliver a streamlined authentication experience for users connecting via the web client.

A few additional features include easy-to-configure DTLS-based encryption, all of which, work toward providing a trusted end-to-end RDS deployment.