KMS Server Activation

[Duke]

So here's the deal...

 

I'm currently running XP clients and Office 2003 with a Server 2003 backend. We plan to virtualise the servers, move to Server 2008 on a new domain then deploy Windows 7, but that's probably a year away yet.

 

In the mean time, I need to deploy Office 2010 and rather than have to mess around with a limited number of MAK keys I need to use our KMS key... which means I need a KMS server.

 

As far as I understand it, this just needs to be a Server 2008 box which I activate with a KMS key, then I activate the KMS server with slmgr.vbs /ato.

 

However, to fully activate the KMS server and get it working, you need to run 25 unique Windows 7 boxes or 5 unique Windows 2008 boxes through it - but I don't have these! I was planning to use virtual machines but from what I can see on the MS docs virtual machines don't count as 'unique activations'.

 

Soo... if I need to get the KMS server activated for Office 2010, any suggestions on how I can do it? I don't have 5 spare servers lying around to put Server 2008 on nor 25 half-decent PCs for Windows 7. Any thoughts?

 

Cheers,

Chris

[Duke]

Just seen this was moved, sorry! I figured it would end up as more of a technical server question than a licensing one.

 

Anyway, is this the answer I'm looking for: Microsoft Office 2010 KMS Host License Pack?

 

I was under the impression that a KMS server wouldn't need additional packages to manage different software, you'd just need to give it keys?

 

Cheers,

Chris

[AngryTechnician]

You do need the KMS Host pack you've already found. You do NOT need 25 Windows machines to activate it, because the KMS server doesn't have an activation threshold - those apply to the individual products, which will activate individually at their own levels. The threshold level for Office 2010 is only 5 machines.

 

So, once 5 machines contact the KMS server to licence with Office 2010, the Office 2010 key will activate, regardless of how many Windows machines you have taking to it. I have zero Windows clients licences via KMS and my Office 2010 installs have activated just fine.

[Duke]

Cheers mate, thanks for the confirmation. MS could really make this stuff easier to find, there's no mention of how Office 2010 works in the standard KMS documentation (which is where I thought it was logical to look!) so I only found after digging through the Office stuff. Thanks again and much appreciated.