Exchange licensing

Here are instructions, http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/9/68964284-864d-4a6d-aed9-f2c1f8f23e14/Assessing_Exchange_Server_Licensing.docx.  Exchange deals with the Cal licenses.

There is a Microsoft licensing service that checks for your licenses being accessed. When it is exceeded, entries will be inserted into the Windows event log.

The message will look like this:
Warning: License usage for a product licensed in per server mode has exceeded the maximum number of licenses purchased and will prohibit further licenses from being granted

Unless you see this message in the logs, you are ok.

Exchange isn't licenced per mailbox, it is licenced per seat.
Therefore it is perfectly legal to have 1000 mailboxes with only five CALs.

The Microsoft Logging Service doesn't provide any information that can be relied upon so should be ignored. There is nowhere to enter Exchange CALs in to the tool.

The tools provided by Exchange are also close to useless for telling you how many CALs you have.

Basic maths I use 1 CAL per member of staff. If the staff turnover is high but stays below 100, then you SHOULD be fine.

However, I, and no one else on this site is authorised to give you advice on licencing. Everything I and anyone else writes on this question cannot be used to make a decision. Call Microsoft, ask them, get it in writing. ANything else isn't worth the paper it (isn't) written on.

Simon.

Yes, I agree. Microsoft has the final answer.

Hi,

I have asked Microsoft this before but I'll ask again, as you answer differed from what they said.

examples:

(question1)
Same Exchange 2010 Server.

Same user but has 1x mailbox james.brown@companyabc.co.uk and 1x mailbox james.brown@companyxyz.co.uk - does that require 1 or 2 Exchange cals?

(question2)
If I have shared mailboxes like sales@companyabc.co.uk & info@companyabc.co.uk do they require an exchange cal each?

Perfect cheers