Use of Open Value Subscription contract for RDS USER CAL in Azure or AWS

Hi!

One the order of RDS CAL has been accepted in the OVS , what do we need to download from volume licensing portal or what do we need to do to use the RDS CAL licenses?

Thanks in advance!

Isabel

Hi Isabel,

To clarify: Bring-Your-Own-License (BYOL) for RDS User CALs in cloud environments like Azure and AWS is permitted only when the licenses are covered by active Software Assurance (SA). This applies to both traditional Open Value agreements and Open Value Subscription.

While it's true that Open Value Subscription does not confer perpetual ownership of the license, it does include Software Assurance benefits for the duration of the subscription term. Therefore, you may use RDS User CALs acquired through Open Value Subscription with active SA to license users in both Azure and AWS, provided the deployment complies with Microsoft's licensing terms.

It's important to note that:

Device CALs are not eligible for BYOL in cloud environments.

User CALs must be assigned to named users, and tracking must be maintained.

The licensing server must be properly configured to issue CALs in both environments.

Given that Open Value Subscription is renewable every three years and typically offers lower upfront costs, it can indeed be a viable and compliant solution for your scenario—assuming Software Assurance remains active throughout the subscription period.

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