WS16 and WS19 Channels?

[Sheridan]

MS have got me ragged this week already...

 

I've trying to activate a Server 2019 vm on our new ADBA system - from VLSC I've added the key referred to as "Windows Srv 2019 DataCtr/Std KMS" which seemed to work and shows up as 'VOLUME_KMS_WS19 Channel' in the list.

 

Now, when I add the KMS client key from VLSC (which appears to identical to the one above) and activate the 2019 server, it activate successfully but slmgr /dlv shows it as activated under the 'VOLUME_KMS_WS16 Channel' which I thought was the Server 2016 key?

 

Is that right? It seems wrong to me, but MS licensing is a mess at the best of times.

 

The irony is I'm only doing this to try an activate our LTSC 2019 test box!

[rls2k5]

I found the same thing, though I re added the keys with optional names so i could decipher what was what in the future.

 

As you say activation is successful, you must of worked out that in order for windows to activate you must import the keys on the 2019 server, either by it having the volume activation role, or by installing the volume activation RSAT tools. Fortunately Office 2019 was a lot simpler.

[Sheridan]

What I found odd as well, is that the client KMS key is the same as the server one in VLSC - however my LTSC 2019 test machine has now just activated!

 

Do MS themselves even know how their licensing works...it seems to be a dark art.

[kennysarmy]

What I found odd as well, is that the client KMS key is the same as the server one in VLSC - however my LTSC 2019 test machine has now just activated!

 

Do MS themselves even know how their licensing works...it seems to be a dark art.

 

[Sheridan]

 

We don't use 365, and Office 2019 will probably be the last ever install of office we use.

 

If MS hadn't made the Edu version of W10 such a mess of crap and bugs I would have persisted with it, after 2 years I've given up fighting with their approach and will be deploying LTSC in the next round of updates. We use GSuite so the desktop will be more and more a thin client as they start to use it more.