sonofsanta Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 Thats what MAK keys or the 30 day window before activation are for. I think that the count for Office is 20 and the required count for Server 2008 is 5. This works well on a single virtualised 2k8 Enterprise server as you have one host and four virtuals making 5. So just install the test machines with MAK, and then roll out with KMS? Shouldn't be too bad then... is the KMS server best as its own VM or will it sit quietly on a WSUS/AV server? (Or does it prefer DC etc.)
SYNACK Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 So just install the test machines with MAK, and then roll out with KMS? Shouldn't be too bad then... is the KMS server best as its own VM or will it sit quietly on a WSUS/AV server? (Or does it prefer DC etc.) Yes, test with MAK then when you have a fair few setup you can point them at your KMS and boost your count up to the required value quickly. KMS is really small and you can put it on any server, if you only have a Windows 7 KMS key you can even use it on a Windows 7 box and use that to run KMS but if you have 2K8 then it is better just to install the higher level key and centralise it. 1
sonofsanta Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 Yes, test with MAK then when you have a fair few setup you can point them at your KMS and boost your count up to the required value quickly. KMS is really small and you can put it on any server, if you only have a Windows 7 KMS key you can even use it on a Windows 7 box and use that to run KMS but if you have 2K8 then it is better just to install the higher level key and centralise it. Marvellous - tah muchly!
jinnantonnixx Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 SYNACK seems to have a good grasp of this convoluted nonsense. I may return with a question or twelve.....
RabbieBurns Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 @RabbieBurns - According to that article, Volume License Windows 7 and Server 2008 have built in keys or KMS keys. By setting up a KMS server, you specify your real VLK and this is when 25 or more machines will 'check in' and activate OK. KMS clients will then check in every 180 days. Is that right? Yep. When I do a new install from my VL media, as soon as it reboots after initial install, it is activated.
SYNACK Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 (edited) Yep. When I do a new install from my VL media, as soon as it reboots after initial install, it is activated. If you have Pro (because you don't have a Volume agreement) or are going MAK for testing first you can make them point back to KMS by changing the keys to these http://www.edugeek.net/forums/licensing-questions/50536-kms-client-setup-keys.html The system will then skulk around DNS, find the KMS server and activate via that just like Enterprise does by default. Edited July 20, 2011 by SYNACK
Michael Posted July 20, 2011 Author Posted July 20, 2011 So let me get this straight - I install Windows 7 Pro using the default KMS key: FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4 or do I install Windows 7 with no serial? I then setup KMS on 2008 R2 and I specify a 2008 R2 KMS key. This will then activate Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. What's the procedure for Office 2010? I install the Office KMS app, then specify the Office KMS key. Do I enter a serial number for Office on the workstation or not? A step by step guide would be useful Synack
ict_support Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 You install windows 7 with no key. Then setup enter your 2008r2 KMS key in windows server 2008 r2 "just click change key" It will then say that you have entered a KMS key do you want to continue. Remember that the KMS key can be activated a max of 6 times. When your windows 7 or 2008 clients look for activation they use your local DNS service record to find your local KMs server, thats it Office 2010 install the app and it will ask you to enter the 2010 kms key, thats it 1
SYNACK Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 As above, and if you have a volume agreement you should be using enterprise anyway, its better. I mostly put that bit in for those doing testing with MAK, that way they can install them with MAK keys and then when they have enough and the KMS server setup they can change the MAK keys on the clients to the ones from the post above which will point them at the KMS server. The clients are just KMS clients and by default have the KMS client keys in them when you install them with 'no key'. They then spend the next 30 days searching for a KMS server to activate against. You should use your KMS server key from MVLS on the server which sets it up as a KMS server and all the clients will just look to it by default. Same deal with Office, the default setting is KMS so as long as you set up the Office KMS key on a server they will all just find it and activate when they are opened up for the first time. When it's all up and running it does make things really easy as everything just registers itself. 1
ChrisMiles Posted July 20, 2011 Posted July 20, 2011 I don't know the answer to this yet. I hope to find out during the Summer break [by experimentation?] KMS keys are not activation keys as you usually understand them, they are not the keys used to activate your servers and clients (the clients use a generic key which tells them to activate via KMS), they are the keys to activate the KMS server itself. When you set up a KMS server you use the Windows 2008 R2 KMS key to create the KMS server. This key will then activate Windows 2008 R2 servers AND Windows 7 Clients. You do not and indeed cannot add the Windows 7 KMS key to the KMS server. The Windows 7 KMS key is for running a KMS server ON Windows 7 NOT for licensing Windows 7 clients as I said above. Office 2010 KMS requires you download and install the Microsoft Office 2010 KMS Host License Pack onto your existing KMS server, you specify your Office 2010 KMS key during the install and the Office clients will find it automatically. And yes, KMS activated clients do need to check back periodically to verify their licence and the annoying thing about this is if they fail to activate they immediately go into "this copy of windows/office is not genuine" mode.
sonofsanta Posted July 23, 2011 Posted July 23, 2011 Right, I've done some more research, and as is typical for Microsoft licensing, this has left me more confused than ever. My new servers are going in from next week - two physical servers for the virtual infrastructure and another physical server to be the primary DC. Apparently Win2k8 requires 5 physical hosts for KMS activation, so I have to use the MAK key to install them. In that case, then, how do I set up a KMS server? Bearing in mind I want it as a virtual server, would I just set up one of the physical hosts with the KMS key? Would that then set that installation to be the KMS server, or can I delegate it to one of the virtual hosts inside that physical server? Would I set everything up with the data center MAK key and then change the key on one of the virtual hosts? (Although as I understand it, VMs are licensed by the physical host, and will share its key). Nothing is ever simple with Microsoft...!
SYNACK Posted July 23, 2011 Posted July 23, 2011 I've got a 2k8 r2 Enterprise server with 4 VMs on it using KMS and it seems to work fine. 1
sonofsanta Posted July 25, 2011 Posted July 25, 2011 I've got a 2k8 r2 Enterprise server with 4 VMs on it using KMS and it seems to work fine. So install one of the physical hosts with the KMS key and then one of the VMs picks up the role? What happens in a failover situation? (sorry for the hassle, the rest of the Internet is remarkably unhelpful on the specifics of this thing)
SYNACK Posted July 25, 2011 Posted July 25, 2011 So install one of the physical hosts with the KMS key and then one of the VMs picks up the role? What happens in a failover situation? (sorry for the hassle, the rest of the Internet is remarkably unhelpful on the specifics of this thing) I installed the whole lot under the grace period then just activated my PDC emulator (a VM) with the KMS key. Made sure the firewall was letting the request through and then they all happily activated. 1
sonofsanta Posted July 25, 2011 Posted July 25, 2011 I installed the whole lot under the grace period then just activated my PDC emulator (a VM) with the KMS key. Made sure the firewall was letting the request through and then they all happily activated. I thought KMS on Win2k8 needed 5 physical machines as a minimum? As I'll only have 3 physical, albeit half a dozen virtual
SYNACK Posted July 25, 2011 Posted July 25, 2011 I thought KMS on Win2k8 needed 5 physical machines as a minimum? As I'll only have 3 physical, albeit half a dozen virtual In practice that does not seem to be the case so you should be fine. 1
sonofsanta Posted July 25, 2011 Posted July 25, 2011 In practice that does not seem to be the case so you should be fine. Brilliant - I shall give it a go then. I'd give you rep if I was allowed but I'm not, so multiple thanks will have to suffice for now...!
6Foot2 Posted August 22, 2011 Posted August 22, 2011 I am trying to get my KMS keys to work [Windows 7 Pro: SP1: 64 Bit and Office 2010 Pro Plus: 32 Bit] All I can get to work at the moment is Windows 7 MAK keys. This thread seems to have some promising suggestions that I will try tomorrow. However it bothers me at the moment that I have Office KMS keys that are rejected by my KMS server. How long is this going to sort? I only have two more weeks [less today and Bank Holiday Monday!]
6Foot2 Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 Yes, test with MAK then when you have a fair few setup you can point them at your KMS and boost your count up to the required value quickly. KMS is really small and you can put it on any server, if you only have a Windows 7 KMS key you can even use it on a Windows 7 box and use that to run KMS but if you have 2K8 then it is better just to install the higher level key and centralise it. Can you point me to a location where I can download whatever I need to to install KMS server on a Windows Server 2008 64 Bit server? I have been playing with Volume Activation Management Tool and Key Management Service but I am having real trouble getting anything but MAK keys to activate my products. To say I am confused at the moment would be an understatement. I have enough stations running Windows 7 Pro: 64 Bit and Office 2010 Pro Plus to exceed any required threshold. What I need now is to get licencing setup before the start of term. I expect I am making a silly mistake somewhere but I can't see it. At the moment I seem t have exhausted all of my options. Any help gratefully received. Thanks.
SYNACK Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 Can you point me to a location where I can download whatever I need to to install KMS server on a Windows Server 2008 64 Bit server? Any help gratefully received. Thanks. @DaveP - The KMS server components are built in to Vista/2008 and above. It is simply a case of putting the KMS key in the computer properties page and rebooting. It will then be a KMS server. The Office KMS requires you lto download the Office KMS server thing from MVLS. It is just a case of installing it and then entering the key when it prompts, it setus up a seporate product registration inside the existing KMS server. To get the clients to activate with it you may need to reset the Office 2010 and add the client KMS keys to your workstations if you have set them up with MAK keys: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/office-software/74238-solution-kms-activation-imaging-plus-error-0xc004f038.html http://www.edugeek.net/forums/licensing-questions/50536-kms-client-setup-keys.html 1
6Foot2 Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 Hi, It would appear that I have made some progress today: http://gyazo.com/3c8c33e9a38ac6c53471f1bd8510022c.png So I have Key Management Service enabled on my 2008 server. Good so far. However whenever I enter my KMS keys the server comes back with an error: 0x0c004f050 [or something similar: I looked up the correct error earlier today and it says that the product key is invalid. [i am copying the key directly from the website so I am sure I have the correct details] What is going wrong? Thanks.
SYNACK Posted August 23, 2011 Posted August 23, 2011 Hi, It would appear that I have made some progress today: So I have Key Management Service enabled on my 2008 server. Good so far. However whenever I enter my KMS keys the server comes back with an error: 0x0c004f050 [or something similar: I looked up the correct error earlier today and it says that the product key is invalid. [i am copying the key directly from the website so I am sure I have the correct details] What is going wrong? Thanks. Are you sure you are using the KMS key and the key for the right architecture, I always get caught out by using the one for 2008 rather than r2 or the one for itanium. You want the one for 2k8R2 standard/enterprise/web AMDx64/x86. This will activate both your servers and your Windows 7/Vista hosts.
SHimmer45 Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Do the partial license keys need to match on both the client and KMS host for the activation request to increase and in the case of office 2010 actually reach the min of 5 requests and then activate?
SYNACK Posted October 13, 2011 Posted October 13, 2011 Do the partial license keys need to match on both the client and KMS host for the activation request to increase and in the case of office 2010 actually reach the min of 5 requests and then activate? Not that I know of, the 'key' is pushed out from the KMS to the client. 1
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