Here is the deal... I currently have three servers running NT 4.0. I just purchased a new server running server 2000. I also purchased two 20 pack of licenses. (grand total; 45). I want to upgarade my existing servers to server 2000 from NT. Now according to Dell, the CAL's I purchased for the new server is supposed to cover me. According to a fdriend of mine, I need to purchase the user licenses for each server??? this CAL stuff has always confused me. I just want to do the right thing. Any one know FOR SURE which is correct. I have an upgrade disk on the way...side note...any one done this upgrade???? Advice on that would be appreciated! (one of the servers is running SQL 7, and the other one is running Exchange 5.5) Thanks, Ryan

The cal that MS set up is utter BS. How many users do you have total? Do they access all of the servers or some? If they access some, how many at the most would be accessing each server at a time? Example 1: 60 users Server 1 - 20 users max accessing at one time Server 2 - 5 users max accessing at one time Server 3 - 10 users max accessing at one time Server 4 - 5 users max accessing at one time In this scenario you might want to get 40 CALs and make them "Per Server". Example 2: 60 users Server 1 - 40 users max accessing at one time Server 2 - 10 users max accessing at one time Server 3 - 20 users max accessing at one time Server 4 - 10 users max accessing at one time In this scenario you might want to get 60 CALs and make them "Per Seat". You are probably closer to the "Per Seat" example 2. If you have 20 Win2000 licenses and 40 WinNT licenses, Mr Gates wants you to buy 40 upgrade licenses for Win2000.

thanks for the reply total users...approx 40 I have one PDC...NT 4.0 (main file server)so i guess everyone uses this one stand alone Exchange server...NT 4.0 (e-mail) SQL server NT 4.0 (about half the users are logged into this at any one time) and on the way...new server running server 2000 which will run Macola. at any one time most users could be logged into this one. I purchased the 40 additional licenses for the new server...hoping these some how count towards updating the other three servers...

If you have 40 licenses then make them "Per Seat" and you're done.

so if I upgrade the other three servers...that would cover me there too??? thats really the big concern for me. But it looks like i at least need "upgrade licenses". some one was telling me because the other two servers are running their own applications (exchange, SQL) that i would need licences for them. I hate that this subject is not more clear cut!