Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 5 Remote Desktop User CALs

Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 5 Remote Desktop User CALs combines a Windows Server 2019 Datacenter license with five per-user Remote Desktop Services client access licenses. Datacenter is the edition for heavily virtualized hosts: on a fully licensed server it covers unlimited Windows Server virtual machines. The five RDS user CALs let five named people work in Remote Desktop sessions on that server from any of their devices. HypestKey sells this set of Server 2019 Datacenter Remote Desktop CALs to small IT teams that host desktops and apps for a few remote users.

Key takeaways

• Windows Server 2019 Datacenter: every Standard role plus Storage Spaces Direct, shielded VM support and the Network Controller.
• Five per-user RDS CALs for Remote Desktop sessions on Windows Server 2019 and 2016 hosts.
• RDS CALs install on a license server running Windows Server 2019 or later.
• Extended support with security updates until January 9, 2029.
• Keys emailed instantly after payment, no account needed.

What do you get with Windows Server 2019 Datacenter and 5 Remote Desktop user CALs?

You get two licenses in one order: a product key that activates Windows Server 2019 Datacenter, and a license code for five Windows Server 2019 RDS per-user CALs. The server key runs the operating system; the RDS CALs are installed in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager and cover five people who connect to Remote Desktop sessions.

Datacenter carries every role of Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, file and print services, IIS, Hyper-V, failover clustering and Remote Desktop Services. On top of that it adds the features built for private clouds. Storage Spaces Direct turns local disks in a cluster into shared storage. Host Guardian Hyper-V Support runs shielded virtual machines. The Network Controller drives software-defined networking. And on a host activated with Datacenter, Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA) activates Windows Server guests without a separate key in each VM.

Five RDS user CALs suit a compact setup: an accountant, two sales reps and two managers who open a hosted desktop from the office and from home, for instance. Need more users later? Add RDS CAL packs to the same license server.

Datacenter or Standard: which Server 2019 edition do I need?

Choose Windows Server 2019 Datacenter when one host will run many virtual machines or when you need Storage Spaces Direct, shielded VMs or software-defined networking. Choose Standard for a physical server or a host with up to two Windows Server VMs. Both editions run Remote Desktop Services and use the same RDS CALs, so the five CALs work the same either way.

A single physical RD Session Host with a few users rarely needs Datacenter. For that case the Windows Server 2019 Standard 5 RDS user CALs set is the leaner choice. Data: Microsoft Learn, comparison of Windows Server editions.

How do the RDS user CALs work with Windows Server 2019?

Each Windows Server 2019 RDS user CAL lets one named user in Active Directory open Remote Desktop sessions from any number of devices. The CALs license sessions on Windows Server 2019 and 2016 session hosts, not on 2022 or 2025 hosts. They are installed on a Remote Desktop license server running Windows Server 2019 or later.

Per-user CALs show as valid for 60 days and renew when the user signs in; they cannot be tracked in a workgroup, and the license server does not block extra users, so keep an eye on the count. For a 2025 session host you would need the Windows Server 2025 RDS user CAL pack instead. Source: Microsoft’s RDS client access license documentation.

What other licenses does a Remote Desktop server need?

Microsoft licenses Windows Server Datacenter per physical core, and every user or device that accesses the server needs a Windows Server CAL. RDS CALs come on top of that for Remote Desktop sessions. The product name lists five RDS user CALs, so plan Windows Server CALs for the same five users separately.

• Server license: the Datacenter key in this order, covering the host operating system.
• Windows Server CALs: the base access right for each user or device that uses the server.
• RDS CALs: the five per-user licenses in this order, for Remote Desktop sessions.
• Admin access: up to two simultaneous administrative RDP sessions need no RDS CALs.

After the RD Session Host role is deployed, a 120-day grace period runs without a license server. Install the CALs before it ends; after that, users without a valid RDS CAL cannot sign in.

What are the system requirements for Windows Server 2019 Datacenter?

Windows Server 2019 Datacenter needs a 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor with NX, DEP and Second Level Address Translation, 1 GB of RAM for Server Core or 2 GB for Desktop Experience, 32 GB of disk space and a 1 Gbps Ethernet adapter. A Remote Desktop host needs far more RAM in practice, sized by the number of users.

Source: Microsoft Learn, hardware requirements for Windows Server. Remote Desktop Services itself works only on the Desktop Experience installation, so plan for that option and its larger footprint.

How do I activate the server and install the CALs?

Activate Windows Server 2019 Datacenter first by entering the product key in Settings or with slmgr, then install the five RDS user CALs in Remote Desktop Licensing Manager on your license server. Finally point the session host at that license server and set the licensing mode to Per User.

1. On the server, open Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Change product key and enter the Datacenter key. Or run slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX and then slmgr /ato in an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Installed from evaluation media? Convert it with DISM /online /Set-Edition:ServerDatacenter /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula and restart.
3. Add the Remote Desktop Services roles in Server Manager, including Remote Desktop Licensing.
4. Open Server Manager > Tools > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Licensing Manager, right-click the server and select Activate Server.
5. Right-click the server again, select Install licenses, enter the license code and choose Windows Server 2019, RDS Per User CAL, quantity 5.
6. In Server Manager > Remote Desktop Services > Overview > Tasks > Edit Deployment Properties > RD Licensing, select Per User and add your license server.

Our step-by-step guide to activating Windows Server with DISM covers the evaluation conversion in detail.

Tip: Run slmgr /dlv after activation. The output shows the edition and license status, a quick way to confirm that the server really reports Datacenter before you build VMs on it.

How long is Windows Server 2019 supported?

Windows Server 2019 mainstream support ended on January 9, 2024, and extended support with monthly security updates runs until January 9, 2029. Both the Datacenter license and the RDS CALs are perpetual, so they stay valid after that date; only the security updates stop.

Planning a host that should run past 2029? Then look at the 2025 generation, which receives security updates until November 2034. Every Server 2019 option, including single keys and CAL packs, is listed in the Windows Server 2019 category.

Delivery and support

HypestKey emails your Windows Server 2019 Datacenter key and the five RDS user CAL code instantly after payment, and no account is needed. You pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. If a key does not activate or the CAL code does not install, we help you fix it or send a replacement.

Questions about editions, CAL types or the license server go to support@hypestkey.com or the live chat. Something went wrong? We’ll help you fix it.