Dynamics AX 2012 R3 Licensing Model

Dynamics AX 2012 R3 licensing follows the common server-Client Access License (CAL) model for Microsoft products.

A Dynamics AX server license is generally required for each physical application object server, which is a middle-tier server that executes user (client) requests, contains the standard and customized business logic for an organization, and controls access to the database server. Licenses for other software required to run Dynamics AX (such as Windows Server, SQL Server, and SharePoint Server) are not included in the AX 2012 R3 server license and must be licensed separately.

Each client device or user requires a CAL, and organizations can have a mix of user and device CALs in a single Dynamics AX installation. The user and device CALs are identically priced and are categorized in four levels. The higher-levels CALs include all rights of the lower-level CALs, and additive CALs can be purchased to convert a lower-level CAL to a higher-level CAL.

Enterprise CALs (the highest level) provide full access to all functionality and are for users or devices that manage processes across an organization or multiple legal entities, such as a financial controller, marketing director, or corporate HR director.