KMS Server in a View Environment

by John C. Wray III Thursday, October 16, 2014 8:08 AM

Install the KMS Server:

To get KMS to start activating Windows 7 you need 25 unique Windows 7 installs to check in with the KMS server.
To activate Office 2010/2013 you need five unique installs.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to set up a test pool with your parent image and have it create 25 non-persistent desktops. 


http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303280.aspx#_Install_KMS_Hosts 


To enable KMS functionality, a KMS key is installed on a KMS host, then the host is activated using Microsoft hosted services. Computers running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 can both serve as KMS hosts.
To install a KMS host on Server 2008 or Windows 7
1.      Log on to the computer that will serve as the KMS host.
2.      Open an elevated command prompt. To do this, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories,  right-click Command prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
3.      To install your KMS key, type the following at the command prompt, and then press Enter:
         slmgr /ipk <KmsKey>
If you are installing this on a server 2008 R2 install their Server 2008 R2  KMS key. Running onServer 2008 will allow you to activate Server and Desktop software.
If they don’t have a KMS key for server, you can use a windows 7 VM for your KMS server. Use the Windows 7 KMS in that scenario.  Running on Windows 7 will allow you activate only desktop software.
4.      Activate the KMS host with Microsoft® using one of the following:
a.      For online activation, type the following at the command prompt and then press Enter:
         slmgr /ato
b.      For telephone activation, type the following at the command prompt and then press Enter:
slui.exe 4
5.      After activation is complete, restart the Software Licensing Service using the Service application.
There is a service called Software Protection, restart that service anytime you make changes to the KMS server. If the windows firewall has to be on, make sure tcp port 1688 is allowed through.
 
Restart Software Protection service.
Verify the server is registered in DNS.
 

You should see a record that looks similar to this.
 

You can also open a command prompt and type this command.
 
You should see the server listening on 1688.


KMS Activating Office

You will need to install the software form this link for Office 2010/2013


http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&lc=1033&id=25095


At the end of the install the application will ask you for your office KMS key.
When you set up your parent image:
1.    Create a customization file and don’t enter a product key, make sure you checkmark Generate New Security ID.
2.    After you install Office 2010, open the product and verify it works, do any updates required. Once you are finished installing Office, you will need to re-arm the install. Close all office products and DO NOT open them again. Navigate to Program Files>Common Files>microsoft shared>OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform and run a program called OSPPREARM.exe
 
3.    Finish up the parent, prepare normally using prepare.bat and make your snapshot.
4.    Create the pool and make sure to use a customization file you created earlier.

To get KMS to start activating Windows 7 you need 25 unique Windows 7 installs to check in with the KMS server.
To activate Office 2010 you need five unique installs.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to set up a test pool with your parent image and have it create 25 non-persistent desktops.


Microsoft makes a handy gui for administering KMS.
Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=11936

When you first open the VAMT MMC you should see your server and any KMS keys you activated from the command line.
 

Next you can search for your view desktops or Servers and use them to get the KMS server to start activating.
Change the top drop down to Search for computers in Active Directory. Select the domain from the next drop down. Enter the naming convention you used for your pool with an asterisk at the end for a wild card search and hit enter.

 

Multi Select your view desktops, right click, select Update Status and use current credential.
 

You should see the unknown status change to something like this.
 

CSVLK – KMS Key Server installed
GVLK – KMS Key will try to activate against a KMS server
MAK – MAK key was installed, will not try to activate against KMS server.

You should see the status of the last activation say “Successfully activated product with KMS server.”
If not, there should a descriptive error to help trouble shoot.


From a command line run slmgr /dli
 

The number to look at is the Current Count. If that is below 25 you probably don’t have enough unique windows 7 clients up yet.


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Microsoft

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