KMS Setup

[newpersn]

Hi all,

 

Looking for some information on KMS. We got our volume licencing now and we are trying to get our heads around KMS.

 

We got office 2010 key in. (we 5 installs.... we done 2 so far)

Just looking for someone to put OS Keys?

 

We installed VMAT on one of our servers and now stuck...

 

Thanks for any help

 

Newp

[DGardiner]

I was looking into this the other day as i am awaiting my agreement being approved and found this:

PeteNetLive - KB0000582 - Using KMS Server For Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, and Office 2010

 

not sure how accurate it is but seems to have all the info

[newpersn]

Needs to include server 2012 r2 and 8.1

 

Thats the problem. We run a 2003 scheme still. Although 90% of our pcs are now windows 7.

 

And we only got 1 server on 2012. (Not r2)

[newpersn]

Anyone its driving me round the bend....

[fiza]

You dont need KMS - you could do it all via VAMT.

 

Have you installed KMS on 2003 server? Where exactly are you stuck?

[newpersn]

You dont need KMS - you could do it all via VAMT.

 

Have you installed KMS on 2003 server? Where exactly are you stuck?

 

We have installed VMAT on a 2008 RC2 box...

[fiza]

We have installed VMAT on a 2008 RC2 box...

 

Ok so on which bit are you stuck?

[newpersn]

Entering OS keys.

 

We got office 2010 key in, (although the count is only 2 installs)

[fiza]

The following should help you out ;

 

Microsoft Volume Licensing - Frequently Asked Questions About Product Activation

 

Installing KMS Hosts

[newpersn]

The following should help you out ;

 

Microsoft Volume Licensing - Frequently Asked Questions About Product Activation

 

Installing KMS Hosts

 

Where would we stand with Windows 8(.1) and server 2012?

[SHimmer45]

Our network here is still 2003 based, the KMS is run on a 2008R2 server doing our KMS for Office 2010 and Windows 7.

im not using VMAT.

 

Office 2010 IIRC needs 15 registrations for the activation limit to be reached, windows is 5 and then the KMS will auto register/activate clients.

 

you also need to make sure your adding the correct KMS key type to the KMS host

Edited November 6, 2013 by SHimmer45

[sted]

easiest way of getting kms up and running if you have 2003 is probably find a pc install windows 8.1 on it. Use your vlk code on that and that will become your kms server for all client versions of windows (if you have a kms key for server 2012r2 install that on a pc just if its a poor pc dont give it anything else to do) then just do the office "patches" on the same pc (even easier if you can do it as a vm ive got a win8 one here as i dont have a kms code for a server grade os)

[Firefox]

Our network here is still 2003 based, the KMS is run on a 2008R2 server doing our KMS for Office 2010 and Windows 7.

im not using VMAT.

 

Office 2010 IIRC needs 15 registrations for the activation limit to be reached, windows is 5 and then the KMS will auto register/activate clients.

 

you also need to make sure your adding the correct KMS key type to the KMS host

 

You're using KMS but not using VAMT? how are you managing your KMS setup?

 

We're running VAMT 3.1 to run our KMS setup. a nice update as it is now a SQL backend which makes the tool a lot more useful.

 

To answer the OP....

 

You activate your KMS server, and you install the KMS license keys for Office\Windows etc. At no point are the actual OS keys exposed to you. You will require a DNS service record entry so that devices know where to locate the KMS server. After which the licensing should be an automatic process.

 

In saying that, you can do this process manually from the KMS server.

 

1) Discover the device

2) Right click a device and click "Install product key"

3) Select "Automatically select a KMS client key(GVLK)

4) Once complete right click the device again and Activate and choose volume activate

5) Right click once more and update device status which should now show as licensed

[SHimmer45]

i run slmgr.vbs and the required options to check the count and what keys are installed/add additional keys etc

using VMAT was something i was looking at using but havent got round to it currently (as the currently setup works nicely)

[Firefox]

i run slmgr.vbs and the required options to check the count and what keys are installed/add additional keys etc

using VMAT was something i was looking at using but havent got round to it currently (as the currently setup works nicely)

 

Ah ok, well VAMT doesn't replace slmgr.vbs it essentially just a gui version. A hell of a lot easier if you ever have to right documentation for new members of staff to follow (they seem to like gui screenshots)

[sted]

You're using KMS but not using VAMT? how are you managing your KMS setup?

 

We're running VAMT 3.1 to run our KMS setup. a nice update as it is now a SQL backend which makes the tool a lot more useful.

 

 

up to a point whats to manage once youve hit 25 activations it just keeps working never needed to use vamt for anythink but mak keys and when its been quicker to force kms activation to get to 25

[Firefox]

up to a point whats to manage once youve hit 25 activations it just keeps working never needed to use vamt for anythink but mak keys and when its been quicker to force kms activation to get to 25

 

Well we had a little headache getting our 2012 and Windows 8 devices to license from a 2008 R2 KMS server, thankfully that's now resolved with VAMT 3.1, no idea if this works or not from slmgr.vbs

 

Plus the tool gives a nice quick view of devices that were mistakenly licensed with MAK keys, and provides a nice easy way to convert them to KMS keys. The biggest bug bear of the older version was that once you'd done a discovery, if you forgot to save the info and closed the tool, you'd have to go through the same process next time. This is now automatically saved with SQL. Plus the tool is not proactive enough to remove devices that have been deleted from the domain, so we use the gui for cleanup, not much fun looking at a list of 25,000 devices when a large number have been removed

[p3dr0]

Where would we stand with Windows 8(.1) and server 2012?

this article might be useful

[newpersn]

You're using KMS but not using VAMT? how are you managing your KMS setup?

 

We're running VAMT 3.1 to run our KMS setup. a nice update as it is now a SQL backend which makes the tool a lot more useful.

 

To answer the OP....

 

You activate your KMS server, and you install the KMS license keys for Office\Windows etc. At no point are the actual OS keys exposed to you. You will require a DNS service record entry so that devices know where to locate the KMS server. After which the licensing should be an automatic process.

 

In saying that, you can do this process manually from the KMS server.

 

1) Discover the device

2) Right click a device and click "Install product key"

3) Select "Automatically select a KMS client key(GVLK)

4) Once complete right click the device again and Activate and choose volume activate

5) Right click once more and update device status which should now show as licensed

 

Ok. We got VAMT 2 on the said server will look at getting that updated now..

 

May also move it to our 2012 server as that's just sat there doing nothing.

[Firefox]

Ok. We got VAMT 2 on the said server will look at getting that updated now..

 

May also move it to our 2012 server as that's just sat there doing nothing.

 

If you plan on leaving the updated version ov VAMT running on your current server you will need this patch

 

An update is available for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts to support Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

 

Once the patch has been installed, install the new 2012 KMS host key from the command line on the KMS server:

cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk

 

The KMS server will then report that it’s no longer activated and Windows is not ‘Genuine’. Run the following from the command line to reactivate itself with the new key.

cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato

 

The install the latest version of VAMT - if you have a test environment I would try this there first

[newpersn]

If you plan on leaving the updated version ov VAMT running on your current server you will need this patch

 

An update is available for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS hosts to support Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

 

Once the patch has been installed, install the new 2012 KMS host key from the command line on the KMS server:

cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk

 

The KMS server will then report that it’s no longer activated and Windows is not ‘Genuine’. Run the following from the command line to reactivate itself with the new key.

cscript %windir%\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato

 

The install the latest version of VAMT - if you have a test environment I would try this there first

 

We already done the key change....

 

Ive installed that patch already.

[CHR1S]

I have never been able to get VAMT 3 to dish out GVLK keys to Win 7 clients.

I ended up just pushing MAK keys out.

[Firefox]

I have never been able to get VAMT 3 to dish out GVLK keys to Win 7 clients.

I ended up just pushing MAK keys out.

 

Do you have more then 1 domain?

 

VAMT 3 seemed to have great difficulty dealing with multi domain environments, we never truely got this working, however 3.1 seems a lot better (and 2.0 worked fine)

[CHR1S]

Do you have more then 1 domain?

 

VAMT 3 seemed to have great difficulty dealing with multi domain environments, we never truely got this working, however 3.1 seems a lot better (and 2.0 worked fine)

 

Yes, exactly same as you, 2 worked fine, not tried 3.1

[newpersn]

Yes, exactly same as you, 2 worked fine, not tried 3.1

 

Where can I get the 3.1 download? I got 3.0 installed...