Nicholas A. Hay Technology Director Jefferson Schools KEY MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 Previous Microsoft Volume License products did not require activation.  Starting with Windows Vista, Windows 2008 Server, and Office 2010, Microsoft required Volume Activation (VA).  Product activation is used to cut down on software piracy.  Data sent during activation cannot be traced to a computer or user. WHAT IS KMS?

Two types of product activation:  MAK – Multiple Activation Key  One time activation using Microsoft’s hosted activation services.  Recommended for fewer than 50 PC’s.  Good for computers that are not on domain or onsite.  Limited quantities of activations allowed.  KMS – Key Management Services  Activation within own network  It may be necessary to use both types of activation in your environment. KMS vs. MAK

 Windows 2008 Server is NOT supported to activate Windows 7 and Office 2010  Note: A patch is available for 2008 server to activate Windows 7 machines, but you need a Windows 2008 R2 KMS key on the server.  Windows 2003 Server can be used as a KMS host for Windows 7, Windows 2008 R2 servers, and Office You must install KMS 1.2.  Physical or virtual servers are supported  Each KMS host key can be installed on up to 6 hosts. Each of these hosts can be reactivated 9 more times. If more activations are needed, a call to the Activation Call Center is required. KMS SERVER REQUIREMENTS

 Minimum number of KMS clients must contact the host server before activation occurs. It will appear at first that activation has failed on the client.  Windows OS and Servers – minimum 5 before successful activation  Office – minimum 25 before successful activation  Each client must connect at least once in every 180 days to renew the activation  KMS client activation, by default, will attempt to connect every 7 days. If activation fails, the client will retry every 2 hours. After activation, the validity interval begins again.  Windows 2008 R2 KMS Host key will activate Windows 7 KMS clients.  By default, computers that are running Windows 7, Server 2008 R2, or Office 2010 are preinstalled using the KMS client keys, so no additional configuration is needed. You do not need to type in a product key during installation. IMPORTANT NOTES

 The KMS client keys are generic. Below is the list of KMS keys for the various Microsoft products.  Windows OS and Server KMS Client Keys  Office 2010 KMS Client Keys KMS CLIENT KEYS

 VAMT 2.0 (Volume Activation Management Tool) – MMC Plugin  Discover Windows and Office installations in environment  Deploy Product Keys and Activate  d= d=11936  Command Line Tool  Slmgr.bat – works for both KMS and MAK keys  Install Key slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx  Activate Key: slmgr.vbs /ato  KMS Summaryslmgr.vbs –dli  KMS All Products Summaryslmgr.vbs –dli all  Can run this remotely if you type slmgr.vbs...  You can specifiy the DNS name manually to the KMS server by typing slmgr.vbs –skms and then running the slmgr.vbs /ato to activate server. TOOLS

 Microsoft KMS Installation Video   Install the KMS key on a host  Keys can be found on the volume licensing website   Activate Service and this will update your DNS with a SRV record.  See for more info about DNS.  See if you need to manually create DNS entries.  KMS Clients will automatically look for a KMS host using DNS.  NOTE: You must ensure Key Management Service is opened on the firewall if is enabled. INSTALL WINDOWS KMS HOST

 2 steps is all it takes!  Install KMS Host key on server:  slmgr.vbs /ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx  Activate key  slmgr.vbs /ato  When a KMS host key is activated, the DNS SRV key is added to the DNS server in your environment. Ensure this key is installed before trying to activate your clients. INSTALL WIN KMS HOST VIA CMD LINE

 The Office 2010 KMS host can be installed on the same Windows KMS Host server.  Download the Office 2010 Host License Pack   During installation, you will be prompted to install the Office 2010 KMS host key.  That’s it! INSTALLING OFFICE 2010 KMS HOST

 Run slmgr.vbs /dli all on KMS host server.  After running this command, a window will appear with the data. Usually, there is too much data to view on the screen. If you press Ctrl+C, it will copy all the contents of the window to the clipboard, which you can paste in notepad for better viewing. Below is a screenshot that will show each product KMS key installed and how many total requests were received. When testing, pay close attention to this to ensure your software is trying to activate with the server. VERIFICATION

 In Office 2010, if you click on the File menu > Help, you can verify that your Office 2010 is activated successfully, as you can see below. OFFICE 2010 STATUS

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