Windows Server Standard, Datacenter, and Essentials

Note:  Windows Server subscription licenses (Core, Base and Additive CALs, and SLs) purchased through MCA are subject to different terms as set forth in the Server Subscriptions for Azure section of these terms.

Product Conditions:

Provides additional information related to acquiring the Product, such as prerequisites for purchase, prior versions, and the applicable Product Pool.

Windows Server Premium Assurance Add-on

Customers looking for terms and conditions for Premium Assurance Add-on should refer to the January 2018 Product Terms (which may be found at https://www.aka.ms/licensingdocs)

Identifies the License Terms for each Software Product, including the Universal License Terms, the applicable License Model, and any Product-Specific License Terms. References in Customer’s volume licensing agreement to “Use Rights” refer to the terms included in the Use Rights section of each Software Product Entry.

Additional Terms for Windows Server 2019 Essentials

Limitations on Use

1. At any one time, Customer may use a Running Instance of the server software in each of the Physical OSE and in one Virtual OSE.
2. Customer must run the server software within a domain where the Server’s Active Directory is configured as (i) the domain controller (a single server which contains all the flexible single master operations (FSMO) roles), (ii) the root of the domain forest, (iii) not to be a child domain, and (iv) to have no trust relationship with any other domains. If the server software is used in a Virtual OSE, the Instance in the Physical OSE may be used only to run hardware virtualization software, provide hardware virtualization services, or run software to manage and service Operating System Environment on the Licensed Server. That Instance does not need to meet the requirements in (I) through (iv) above.

Using the Server Software

A User Account is a unique user name with its associated password created through the Windows Server 2019 Essentials Console. Customer may use up to 25 user accounts. Each user account permits a named user to access and use the server software on that server. It may reassign a user account from one user to another provided that the reassignment does not occur within 90 days of the last assignment.

Windows Server 2019 Essentials Connector

Customer may install and use the Windows Server 2019 Essentials Connector software on no more than 50 devices at any one time. It may use this software only with the server software.

Windows Server Active Directory Rights Management Services Access

Customer must acquire a Windows Server 2025 Active Directory Rights Management Services CAL for each User Account through which a user directly or indirectly accesses the Windows Server 2025 Active Directory Rights Management Services functionality.

Windows Server Containers without Hyper-V isolation with Windows Server 2025 Standard and Datacenter

Customer may use any number of OSEs instantiated as Windows Server Containers without Hyper-V isolation on the Licensed Server.

Windows Server Datacenter: Azure Edition

Use Restriction

Customer may use Windows Server Datacenter: Azure Edition only as an operating system for virtualization on Microsoft Azure and Azure Stack.

Limited Right to Use Datacenter Images with Standard Licenses

Customers with Windows Server Standard subscription licenses acquired through CSP and assigned on a Virtual OSE basis may run Windows Server Datacenter images instead of Standard images.

Subject to the following conditions:

• Customer may run Datacenter images as guest OSEs only.
• Customer must use its existing Windows Server Datacenter activation infrastructure to activate Datacenter guests (e.g., existing KMS server), or access the Datacenter guests provided by a Cloud Solution Provider-Hoster.
• All other Windows Server Standard Use Rights apply.

Additional Software

Per Core/CAL

Server Licenses (per core)

1. Customer may use the server software on a Licensed Server, provided it acquires sufficient Server licenses as described below.
2. The number of Licenses required equals the number of Physical Cores on the Licensed Server, subject to a minimum of 8 Licenses per Physical Processor and a minimum of 16 Licenses per Server.
3. Datacenter edition permits use of the server software in any number of OSEs on the Licensed Server.
4. Standard edition:
   • Standard edition permits use of the server software in two OSEs on the Licensed Server.
   • Standard edition permits use of one Running Instance of the server software in the Physical OSE on the Licensed Server (in addition to two Virtual OSEs), if the Physical OSE is used solely to host and manage the Virtual OSEs.
   • Customer may assign additional Standard edition Licenses to the Licensed Server equal to the number specified in 2 above and use the server software in two additional OSEs on the Licensed Server.
5. As long as the total numbers of Licenses and Physical Cores remains the same, License reassignment is permitted any time Customer repartitions a single piece of hardware.
6. As a one-time alternative to assigning base CALs per user or per device, a number of base CALs may be dedicated to an Instance of the server software on a single Server (per server mode) to permit up to the same number of users or devices to concurrently access that Instance.

Server Licenses (per core) – Licensing by Individual Virtual OSE

Available for subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only. All CALs used to access the software under this model must also be acquired as subscription licenses or have active Software Assurance.

1. Customer may use the server software in one Virtual OSE on the Licensed Server, provided it acquires sufficient Server licenses as described below.
2. The number of Licenses required equals the number of Virtual Cores in the Virtual OSE, subject to a minimum of 8 Licenses per Virtual OSE.
3. Customer may reassign any of its Licenses to any of its Licensed Servers located within the same Server Farm as often as needed. Customer may also reassign these Licenses from one Server Farm to another, but not on a short-term basis (i.e., not within 90 days of the last assignment).

Access Licenses

1. Except as described here and noted in the Product-Specific License Terms, all server software access requires CALs or CAL Equivalent Licenses.
2. CALs are not required for access by another Licensed Server.
3. CALs are not required to access server software running a Web Workload or HPC Workload.
4. CALs are not required for access in a Physical OSE used solely for hosting and managing Virtual OSEs.

Specialty Servers

Server Licenses (per Instance)

Customer may use one Running Instance of server software in either a Physical OSE or Virtual OSE on a Licensed Server for each Server License it acquires.

Subscription licenses or licenses with active Software Assurance only: When licensing by Virtual OSE, Customer may reassign any of its Licenses to any of its Licensed Servers located within the same Server Farm as often as needed. Customer may also reassign these Licenses from one Server Farm to another, but not on a short-term basis (i.e., not within 90 days of the last assignment).

Client access licenses may be assigned by user or device, as appropriate. A user CAL allows access to corresponding version of the server software or earlier versions of the server software from any device by one user. A device CAL allows access to corresponding versions of the server software or earlier versions of the server software from one device by any user. CALs allow access to server software running on Customer’s Licensed Servers only.

Server Software Access

*As an exception, users do not need Windows Server CALs when accessing the server software solely to sync between an Active Directory infrastructure running on Customer’s Licensed Servers and Microsoft Entra ID.

Cloud Solution Provider - Hoster Exception

Users do not need Windows Server CALs when accessing server software acquired from, fulfilled, and hosted by a Cloud Solution Provider-Hoster.

Additional Functionality Associated with Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services CAL

Microsoft Application Virtualization for Remote Desktop Services and Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services functionality

*Also required for use of Windows Server to host a graphical user interface (using the Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services functionality or other technology).

Additional Functionality Associated with Windows Server 2025 Rights Management Services CAL

Windows Server 2025 Rights Management Services

Additional Functionality Associated with Microsoft Identity Manager User CAL

Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 functionality

*Also required for any person for whom the software issues or manages identity information.

Synchronization Service

Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 CALs not required for users only using Microsoft Identity Manager synchronization service.

Server External User Access

Cloud Solution Provider - Hoster Exception

Customer does not need a Windows Server External Connector license for External User access to server software acquired from, fulfilled, and hosted by a Cloud Solution Provider-Hoster.

Additional Functionality Associated with Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services External Connector License

Microsoft Application Virtualization for Remote Desktop Services and Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services functionality

*Also required for use of Windows Server to host a graphical user interface (using the Windows Server 2025 Remote Desktop Services functionality or other technology).

Additional Functionality Associated with Windows Server 2025 Rights Management Services External Connector License

Windows Server 2025 Rights Management Services

Additional Functionality Associated with Microsoft Identity Manager External Connector License

Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 functionality

*Also required for any External User for whom the software issues or manages identity information (in absence of Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 CALs).

Please note these resources are provided for reference purposes only and are not considered to be part of the Product Terms.