Accidentally running two KMS servers - problem?

[sparkeh]

So as I was looking through DNS I noticed that I am running two KMS servers on two different hosts both validating our Office 2010 installations.

I have no idea why we ended up with two but I am guessing its my fault

 

 

Firstly, its this an issue?

Secondly, one of the KMS servers appears to be doing 99% of the work with very few requests making it to the other. Is it simply a case of removing the second KMS record in DNS and removing the server from the host and everything will be fine, or is that woefully optimistic?

 

Cheers!

[plexer]

You can run multiples but be aware that each one would have to reach the minimum counts before they started activating clients.

 

Microsoft KMS Demystified « Infrastructure « Walker IT Group, LLC

 

It's a shame really that they can't share counts as otherwise you can't cluster/failover kms services.

 

Ben

[sparkeh]

It's a shame really that they can't share counts as otherwise you can't cluster/failover kms services.

That would be nice actually but hey-ho.

I am thinking that as the Office activation checker thing uses DNS to kind the KMS then I can just delete the entry without causing any fuss?

[sparkeh]

Oh well its done now, I'll see if the world falls apart.

[plexer]

I don't see a problem deleting the dns record and stop the other kms server so it doesn't re-publish them?

 

Ben

[glennda]

I don't see a problem deleting the dns record and stop the other kms server so it doesn't re-publish them?

 

Ben

 

yes you will need to stop the kms server readding the dns address back in - fairly easy to do

 

Cold cup of coffee: Disable KMS server DNS record publishing

[BHMS]

You can change the second KMS server to a MAK key and it should sort the whole issue out. Existing clients registered to that server will simply use the other server without error. Command line:

 

slmgr -upk

slmgr -ipk

slmgr -ato

 

I had exactly the same problem myself and this cleared it all up.

[ZeroHour]

It's a shame really that they can't share counts as otherwise you can't cluster/failover kms services.

 

Being Frank (I was Janice yesterday ) you dont really need failover as its pretty trivial to remake and activations have several weeks before they expire and need KMS to reauth.

[oxide54]

you dont really need failover as its pretty trivial to remake and activations have several weeks before they expire and need KMS to reauth.

 

this. i have millions of services i should cluster before kms

[cscott]

We delibrately run two KMS servers, just in case one has a problem, doesn't cause any bother as long as you have enough clients to ensure you hot the activiation levels