Licensing Active Directory
As a component of Windows Server 2008 R2, Active Directory functionality is available to you as part of your Windows Server 2008 R2 license rights. Learn how you can obtain Windows Server by visiting the
Windows Server How to Buy page.
Windows Rights Management Services has unique licensing requirements which are described below.
Licensing Windows Rights Management Services
Microsoft Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) continues as a service for Windows Server 2008 R2. Outlined on this page are the components necessary to set up RMS, as well as licensing and pricing information.
RMS Components
To set up RMS, the following components are necessary:
- Server software: RMS is the server component that is included in Windows Server 2008 R2. It is available to all licensees of Windows Server 2008 R2 at no additional charge.
- Client software: Desktop software is required for each user who will be creating or viewing rights-protected content. It can be downloaded from Microsoft Windows Update or from the Microsoft Download Center. It is available to all licensees of Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition and later. It will not ship on the physical media contained in Volume License (VL) kits.
- RMS-enabled application: At the desktop level, an RMS-enabled application is required for creating or viewing rights-protected content.
RMS Licensing Basics
To use RMS, organizations need the following licenses:
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Server License.
- Windows Server 2008 Client Access Licenses (Windows Server CALs).
- Windows Rights Management Services 2008 Client Access Licenses (RMS CALs).
A Windows Server 2008 R2 Server License is required, since RMS is a component of Windows Server. A Windows Server 2008 CAL is required for every user who accesses or uses the server software. In addition, every user who creates or views rights-protected information through Rights Management Services requires an RMS User CAL. As an alternative to User CALs, customers may acquire RMS Device CALs for the devices used to create or view rights-protected content. Both user and device CAL options are available for RMS and Windows Server 2008.
In addition, organizations have the option to acquire an RMS 2008 External Connector (EC) license. The RMS EC license gives organizations the right to permit an unlimited number of external users to access or use a single, licensed copy of the RMS server software without the need to acquire CALs for each external user. The EC is an alternative to CALs when, for example, an organization creates rights-protected information or documents and needs to allow customers or business partners to view this information. Each copy of RMS server software being used by external users requires its own EC license.
Since external users must also be licensed to access Windows Server 2008 R2, the Windows Server 2008 EC license may be used as an alternative to Windows Server 2008 CALs.
Service providers should visit the Services Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) site for specific licensing information.
Integration with Other Microsoft Products
At the server level, RMS relies on Windows Server Active Directory® directory service (Windows Server 2000 or later) and a database such as Microsoft SQL Server® to store configuration data. Both are required to implement RMS.
Microsoft Office 2003 or higher includes RMS-enabled applications available from Microsoft. For creating or viewing rights-protected Microsoft Office documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and e-mail messages, Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Edition or Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Edition is required. Microsoft Office 2003 Standard Edition or Microsoft Office 2007 Standard Edition allows users to view—but not create—rights-protected Office content.
Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007 is also RMS-enabled to allow for the protection of shared information.
RMS Pricing