KMS Activation

Administrators can use the Key Management Service (KMS) to manage the activation of more than 25 computers by following these steps:

(1) The administrator gets a KMS key from eOpen, Microsoft Volume Licensing Services (MVLS), or MSDN, installs it on a computer running Windows Vista, and connects to Microsoft, either online or by telephone, to activate the KMS. (In the near future, a Windows 2003 or Windows Server “Longhorn” server will also be able to run the KMS.)

(2) The KMS registers the location of the computer running the KMS with the Domain Name Service (DNS). The location of the KMS can also be included as a Registry key on computers that will use the KMS for activation.

(3) Computers requiring KMS service activation use the DNS record or Registry key to connect to the KMS service.

(4) After successfully connecting to the KMS, computers are activated for 180 days. Activations do not start until the 26^th computer requests activation.

(5) Starting shortly after activation (seven days by default, but configurable by administrators), a computer activated by KMS will attempt to reconnect and reactivate. The reconnection and reactivation must successfully complete within 180 days of the last successful activation.