Forum Discussion
LicensingConcierge1
Microsoft
MicrosoftRe: Windows Server 2022 RDS CALs missing in partner benefits
I have raised the question with the Partner Support. They pointet out that the CALs included in the benefits are indeed Windows Server 2019 Remote Desktop Services CALs, and agreed on, that the information should be clearer in the licensing table.
Are you saying that Partner Support confirmed that the CALs included in the benefits are specifically for Windows Server 2019 and cannot be used for 2022?
The MS Learn documentation lists which RDS CAL and license server versions are compatible with each other:
License your RDS deployment with client access licenses (CALs) | Microsoft Learn
Hope this clarifies! 
If this reply answers your question, please Accept as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly. Otherwise, please let me know if you need further assistance on this topic.
Regards,
Microsoft CSP Licensing Concierge
LicensingConcierge1 The Partner Support has clarified that "Windows Server 2019 Remote Desktop Services CALs" is indeed the correct license included in the Partner Benefits. You can install the license on a Windows 2022 RD License Server, but that cannot be used to license sessions on Windows 2022 RD Session Hosts. Just as the document you linked to describes.
It seems like a whole new strategy for Microsoft to not include the latest versions as Partner Benefits. It also doesn't align with provided licenses for Windows Server 2022 and ordinary Windows Server 2022 CALs.
The Partner Support refused to raise the question til the Partner Benefit decision makers, and just referred to this forum.
This question is not about where we can buy the 2022 RDS CALs, but how, when or why not we will get it included in the Partner Benefits.
LicensingConcierge1The Partner Support has clarified that "Windows Server 2019 Remote Desktop Services CALs" is indeed the correct license included in the Partner Benefits. You can install the license on a Windows 2022 RD License Server, but that cannot be used to license sessions on Windows 2022 RD Session Hosts. Just as the document you linked to describes.
The Partner Support refused to raise the question til the Partner Benefit decision makers, and just referred to this forum.
I can provide documentation; however, I cannot override the information that you were given by Partner Center. If you disagree with their direction, you should reply to them directly.
However, if you're saying that the information provided from Partner Support does not align with the documentation in the link that I provided, I will need documentation of the response that you were provided from Partner Support. Therefore, would you please provide a snapshot of the information that you received from Partner Support showing that they informed you that " Partner Support has clarified that "Windows Server 2019 Remote Desktop Services CALs" is indeed the correct license included in the Partner Benefits"? Once I have a snapshot from Partner Support, I can confirm is there if a discrepancy regarding the Windows 2022 RD License Server and Windows 2022 RD Session Hosts.
In the meantime, I can confirm that the process is that 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 RD Session Host server then requests an RDS CAL from the Remote Desktop license server.
If an appropriate RDS CAL is available from a license server, the RDS CAL is issued to the client, and the client is able to connect to the RD Session Host server and from there to the desktop or apps they're trying to use. License your RDS deployment with client access licenses (CALs) | Microsoft Learn
In order to install licenses for your session hosts, you'll need a Remote Desktop license server with per-user or per-device client access licenses (CALs) activated. License Remote Desktop session hosts | Microsoft Learn
Additional Helpful Resource:
Overview of Windows Server upgrades | Microsoft Learn
Regards,
Microsoft CSP Licensing Concierge
LicensingConcierge1 This post has nothing to do with the technical use of RDS CALs. It is posted to the "Partner discussion topics » Partner benefits" forum, so everyone should understand what area the topic relates to. I believe that anyone who uses RDS CALs from their Partner Benefits, fully understand what the post is about.
The Benefits are described in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Benefits Guide (https://aka.ms/solutionsPartner.benefits). From the PDF-document, I have listed the products related to this post below. Please notice that no version is listed for the RDS CALs. Also notice the included Windows Server products is listed as 2022.
But as Simon Baer describes, when we go to the Benefits area of the Partner Center site, the available licenses are listed as below. Please note that the RDS CALs are listed as 2019, while the Server licenses and the ordinary CALs are for 2022.
The Partner Support has verified that the listed licenses are the correct ones included in the Partner Benefits. For some reason they cannot escalate the question to the decision makers and referred me to this forum.
While the Partner Benefits normally includes the latest version, the obvious questions are:
- Why is only 2019 RDS CALs included in the Partner Benefits, and not 2022?
- When could we expect 2022 RDS CALs to be included in the Partner Benefits?
- If never, why not?
