# Microsoft Volume Activation 2.0 Notes / Q& A

I attended the MS Live Meeting (10/27/2006) regarding the new Volume Activation 2.0 which will be implemented in the new coming Windows Vista, Windows Server (LongHorn) and also in future MS products. The next version of Volume Activation 3.0 is in the work and will be released in the future.

Some terminologies:

<span class="caps">SPP</span> (software protection platform)   
<span class="caps">MAK</span> (multiple activation keys)  
<span class="caps">KMS</span> (key management services)

<span class="caps">MAK</span> – one time activation against MS.  
1- individual act – each matchine individually connects can activates with MS  
2- proxy activation – one centralized act request on behalf of multiple desktops with one connection to MS

<span class="caps">KMS</span>  
1- activate against a customer hosted service <span class="caps">NOT</span> with MS  
2- systems must reactivate by connecting to a corp networks at least every 6 months

Volume activation doesn’t require end-user action

if have more than 25 machines, it is better to setup kms locally. <span class="caps">KMS</span> activates client for 180 dyas upon each connection.  
Systems silently re-connect regularly (def. 7 days) to renew activation.

<span class="caps">RFM</span> – reduced functionality mode. when windows not act within 30 days or significant hardware changes or tampering with OS detected.

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Q &amp; A (collected during the live meeting)—————-

Question: Will these slides be available for download?  
Answer: Yes, it will be available next week

Question: Will this also affect Office in the future?  
Answer: Yes for future versions of Office but not the immediate version of Office namely Office 2007

Question: Where will the link be posted?  
Answer: We will send out an e-mail with links

Question: Does Microsoft plan to expand its Volume Activation program to include Windows Xp or other Windows products?

Answer: Future versions of Windows will leverage this platform. Currently there are no plans to retrofit Windows XP with this model

Question: Why does Microsoft send VLKs to Campus Agreement customers by email?  
Answer: We are in the process of updating this process – we will no longer include VLKs in our notifications; these will only be available on <span class="caps">MVLS</span>.

Question: Will these deployment methods be compatible with products like Synmantec <span class="caps">GHOST</span> Enterprise?  
Answer: Yes

Question: From what date will you be ceasing to send VLKs to Campus Agreements via email?  
Answer: I’ve just been corrected… we are looking at removing these in the future, but don’t have a date yet. VLKs will continue to be available via <span class="caps">MVLS</span>.

Question: How many <span class="caps">VAMT</span> hosts for 80,000 PC’s?  
Answer: If the <span class="caps">VAMT</span> host are able see all 80K PCs, one <span class="caps">VAMT</span> is sufficient. You can have as many <span class="caps">VAMT</span>/<span class="caps">KMS</span> host as necessary.

Question: Will <span class="caps">KMS</span> be back ported to run on Windows Server 2003?  
Answer: Yes, We plan on providing Windows Server 2003 support by Q12007

Question: What ports are needed for the <span class="caps">KMS</span> server to open firewall?  
Answer: 1688 but it is configurable

Question: How do client machines find the <span class="caps">KMS</span> machine on the network?  
Answer: Through <span class="caps">SRV</span> records in the <span class="caps">DNS</span> or through <span class="caps">FQDN</span> or IPv4, IPv6 address specificed by the IT Pro in the registry

Question: Would the process of activating Vista be any different between a brand new install versus an upgrade from an existing OS?  
Answer: No it will be the same

Question: Is the <span class="caps">KMS</span> machine required to be a dedicated server?  
Answer: No it can be co-hosted with other services.

Question: Can you run multiple <span class="caps">KMS</span> machines for redundancy?  
Answer: Yes, you can

Question: When will <span class="caps">KMS</span> be available and what platform does it run on?  
Answer: Now on Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn. Windows Server 2003 support will be available in Q1 of 2007

Question: Are <span class="caps">OEMS</span> going to be able to distribute machines that are already activated?  
Answer: <span class="caps">OEM</span> machines with Windows Vista will come pre-activated. Unless these are reimaged w/ VL media, they would not be impacted by Volume Activation 2.0.

Question: Can an organization get multiple MAKs in different sizes?  
Answer: There will be one <span class="caps">MAK</span> per your license agreement

Question: Will this method be the same for Academic Select or will VLK’s still be available?  
Answer: This key technology will be used by all of our VL programs, including Open, Select, Campus, School, etc.

Question: Can an organization use independant <span class="caps">MAK</span>, <span class="caps">MAK</span> Proxy and <span class="caps">KMS</span> at the same time?  
Answer: Yes, we anticipate most customers will use all three combinations very often

Question: How will education customers be able to re-image <span class="caps">OEM</span> machines that came licensed and pre-activated?  
Answer: Our VL customers have rights to re-image a machine with VL media for the identical license. In this event it would not be pre-activated, as the installation would now be managed by Volume Activation 2.0.

Question: Our univerisity system has multiple locations and we have a campus agreement. Will each location receive it’s own key or will there be a system-wide key?  
Answer: We will be providing a <span class="caps">KMS</span> and <span class="caps">MAK</span> key per volume licensing enrollment. If you have a single enrollment covering system-wide, then yes, you would have a single set of keys for the full system.

Question: A little off topic—but does the Windows System Image Manager allow for the configuration of an answer file to automatically perform individual activation?  
Answer: Yes, the step-by-step guide that is part of Business Desktop Deployment guide ([www.microsoft.com/desktopdeployment](http://www.microsoft.com/desktopdeployment)) has the required details

Question: If we buy a PC with Vista installed, but we use a Ghost image to deploy Vista over the <span class="caps">OEM</span> license, will have have to buy two licenses for that computer? (I.e., <span class="caps">OEM</span> plus the volume license.)  
Answer: Our VL customers have reimaging rights to reinstall the identical license with VL media (i.e. can not reimage Windows XP Home with Windows XP Pro). In reinstalling the same license, there is no need to purchase again – your sole license would come from the <span class="caps">OEM</span>.

Question: To understand this <span class="caps">SPP</span> better, we’ll be required to re-activate all our computers every 30 days?  
Answer: No, only the <span class="caps">KMS</span> activated machines require to renew their activation status at least once every 180 days by default it is 7 days but that info is configurable by the administrator

Question: If the O.S. is tamppered, do we need to buy a new key/license?  
Answer: No you just need to reinstall the OS for integrity purposes and reactivate

Question: Does this activation include Student Select?  
Answer: No. Student Select customers are receiving the equivalent of <span class="caps">FPP</span> “bits”, so there is an individual key, that allows for a single installtion.

Question: Is the kms tied to active directory machine accounts?  
Answer: No

Question: If we have 2 <span class="caps">KMS</span> servers, can we report activity by each <span class="caps">KMS</span> server?  
Answer: Yes

Question: We have adjunct faculty who occasionally connect through <span class="caps">VPN</span>, will the activation happen automatically and how long does it take?  
Answer: yes, it is network connectivity sensitive and it exchanges approx 400bytes of data as such it should be quick

Question: Our faculty members often leave for Sabbatical without notifying us. How will we switch those computers (after the fact) from <span class="caps">KMS</span> to <span class="caps">MAK</span>?  
Answer: The will get notification after the 180 days and they will have 30 days before they connect to <span class="caps">KMS</span> host to renew their status

Question: Will you make the slides from the presentation available?  
Answer: yes

Question: For Students, you note a ‘retail prduct key’ for permanent activation. Does this mean media will be required?  
Answer: Physical media will be the simplest solution as each student will have their own individual key. You could also image a number of student devices (under Campus/School Student Option) via the VL media but would need to be prepared to manage the activation process overtime.

Question: what kind of hardware change would result in reactivate the key?  
Answer: For <span class="caps">KMS</span> activated machines if the hard-disk where the OS changes then it will require reactivation, in the case of <span class="caps">MAK</span> activation if there are significant changes such as processor, hard-drive that will trigger re-activation request

Question: In the higher ed how do we handle the students that are not on the domain?  
Answer: The simplest way will be to leverage standard physical media. This would provide an individual key (good for a single install) to each student.

Question: HOw does a client know where the <span class="caps">KMS</span> is? (by that I don’t mean the <span class="caps">DNS</span>, but rather the name of the <span class="caps">KMS</span> server)?  
Answer: It queries the <span class="caps">DNS</span> or determines using the <span class="caps">FQDN</span> or IPv4, IPv6 info specified by the administrator

Question: Will the student media contain a retail product key for products purchased under the Student Select?  
Answer: Yes. The Windows Vista Business Edition Upgrade key will be good for a single installation.

Question: What happens if the <span class="caps">MAK</span> is stolen?  
Answer: You can work with Microsoft to block the key, we will block it at your request.

Question: Will any of this affect <span class="caps">MSDNAA</span> licensing?  
Answer: Yes. For deployment on instituation owned devices, you would need to leverage the new Volume Activation 2.0; for students, we would need to arrange for individual keys, just as is done today.

Question: If I replace a motherboard, does it use another license. If I have 100 licenses, will this new rebuild count an additional license used?  
Answer: activation is not same as license

Question: Can you <span class="caps">MAK</span> Activate after initally doing <span class="caps">KMS</span> on a machine?  
Answer: Yes, we provide scripts to enable you to do it.

Question: If we want to continue using campus multiple license agreement for Microsoft OS (XP or 2000, 2003) and Office 2000/2003, will we have to use Vista and purchase Vista licenses?  
Answer: If you are under Campus Agreement, you will need to continue your subscription, but can elect when you wish to deploy Windows Vista. In the interim you are running the previous versions via “downgrade rights”.

Question: If a <span class="caps">MAK</span> is stolen, and Microsoft blocks the key, how does that effect <span class="caps">MAK</span> and <span class="caps">KMS</span> installations using the same license(s)?  
Answer: If you perform any genuine validation it will indicate it is non-genuine, we will not do this without customer agreement

Question: What is the download link for this presentation?  
Answer: [http://msevents.microsoft.com/](http://msevents.microsoft.com/)<span class="caps">CUI</span>/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032314520&amp;Culture=en-US

Question: Will Vista run as a virtual machine (either Microsoft’s or <span class="caps">VMWARE</span>)?  
Answer: Yes, it can and it can be activated as well

Question: In one of your previous answer ("No. Student Select customers are receiving the equivalent of <span class="caps">FPP</span> “bits”, so there is an individual key, that allows for a single installtion.") what are bits?  
Answer: meaning the Vista software

Question: A faculty member has a <span class="caps">KMS</span>-activated computer, which he takes to Mongolia for a year with no advance notice to <span class="caps">ITS</span>. What happens?  
Answer: After 6 months of not being able to reconnect to <span class="caps">KMS</span>, they will get a notice that they will go into <span class="caps">RFM</span> (Reduced Function Mode) in 30 days if the machine is not activated within that time. After that (~7 months), they could log in for up to an hour to reactivate or rekey the device in <span class="caps">RFM</span>.

Question: You mentioned use for software asset management. Is that to manage MS products only? Or can other non-MS products be managed as well?  
Answer: we are providing license store and public APIs enabling other vendors to store and mange their license info

Question: Will it be possible to re-image <span class="caps">OEM</span> licenses on student owned machines?  
Answer: This can only be done under Campus/School Student Option (not Student Select); this would imply that the activation would then need to be managed via Volume Activation 2.0

Question: Will the audio portion of the presentation also be available along with the slides?  
Answer: Yes, it will be available in 24 hours here: [http://msevents.microsoft.com/](http://msevents.microsoft.com/)<span class="caps">CUI</span>/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032314520&amp;Culture=en-US

Question: Are you going to be offering “deployment classes” for this?  
Answer: it is part of the Business Desktop Deployment guideance material and training provided by many partners

Question: Will there be a class on this for us slow learners?  
Answer: technical documents will be available on teh TechNet site as of next week. There will also be a link to this information on the following site: [http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/vol/default.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/vol/default.mspx) also live next week. Online training will also be available on the Microsoft Partner Program web site

Question: Is there a charge for additional <span class="caps">KMS</span> keys?  
Answer: No

Question: If activation is different from licensing, why did you answer “enabling other vendors to store and manage their license info”? Can you explain the relationship between activation and licensing?  
Answer: Activation is an execution process to support licensing policy, but are not directly linked. Just as we license via a user count undere Campus Agreement, that would not match 1:1 to the number of devices covered, which would in turn need to be activated. It would be entirely reasonable to have a greater number of devices than licenses under Campus Agreement (the <span class="caps">FTE</span> number is a proxy measurement), and based on changes to hardware, etc. you would have a greater number of activations versus number of covered devcies.

Question: What is the process *when* the <span class="caps">MAK</span> is stolen? (not IF in a .edu)  
Answer: you can report this and all piracy concerns via <piracy@microsoft.com>. The key can be blocked and a new key can be reissued. Please note, you will not be liable.

Question: Will All versions of Vista and Lognhorn need to be MAK’ed or KMS’ed?  
Answer: All volume edition copies yes.

Question: Is the <span class="caps">KMS</span> client for Server 2K3 available now, and if not, when (and where)?  
Answer: We are aiming for WinServer 2003 support by the end of this year.

Question: You said OEMs come preactivated—is that typically using <span class="caps">MAK</span> method or Key management Service?  
Answer: <span class="caps">OEM</span> activation uses special <span class="caps">BIOS</span> marker that is pre-loaded by the OEMs, if you need to reload the machine with VL images then it has to be activated using <span class="caps">MAK</span> or <span class="caps">KMS</span>

Question: How does a machine locate a <span class="caps">KMS</span>?  
Answer: using <span class="caps">SRV</span> record in <span class="caps">DNS</span> or <span class="caps">FQDN</span> or IP address specified by the administrator

Question: Can you email me the <span class="caps">URL</span> for the event and the Q&amp;A? (I can’t cut/paste the <span class="caps">URL</span> from this window)  
Answer: [http://msevents.microsoft.com/](http://msevents.microsoft.com/)<span class="caps">CUI</span>/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032314520&amp;Culture=en-US

Question: Can you email me the <span class="caps">URL</span> for the event and the Q&amp;A? (I can’t cut/paste the <span class="caps">URL</span> from this window)  
Answer: [http://msevents.microsoft.com/](http://msevents.microsoft.com/)<span class="caps">CUI</span>/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032314520&amp;Culture=en-US

Question: How will this new licensing scheme be affected or affect products such as Shared Computer Toolkits, DeepFreeze etc?  
Answer: it doesn’t

Question: When there are hardware changes, when is a new key required?  
Answer: to clarify. A new key would not be necessary – but reactivation may be necessary. With <span class="caps">KMS</span> – activations are unlimited. With <span class="caps">MAK</span> – this would count as another activation. As for the hardware changes – significant hardware changes would need to happen with <span class="caps">MAK</span> before reactivation is needed.

Question: How do we address the issue of students who have a habit of needing to reinstall Windows multiple times per year (such as computer science and engineering)? Also, in the case <span class="caps">WGA</span> for those of who worked with MS Enginerring to determine the the <span class="caps">WGA</span> error was in fact an MS error, what are we supposed to do in the future to prevent this from happening again?  
Answer: we are working very hard to resolve these type of issues and ensure it doesn’t repeat.

Question: Do you have a link to the <span class="caps">BBD</span> guide?  
Answer: it should be up next week on the technet site: [http://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/default.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/default.mspx) a link will be added

Question: does the <span class="caps">KMS</span> require any sort of authentication such as username/password or domain login or is it open to any machine that can access that port on the <span class="caps">KMS</span> host?  
Answer: no it currently requires no additional authentication

Question: Student media currently allows for two installations so that the student is able to reinstall the software in case of a system failure. Will that be the same for Vista Student Media?  
Answer: The current media actually allows an unlimited number of installations (reinstalls) on the <span class="caps">SAME</span> machine. It provides for installation on a single machine only (Office provides “secondary use rights” so Office could be installed on a primary and secondary machine used by the same user).

Question: Is there a Vista sysprep tool available currently so that we can start testing?  
Answer: yes,

Question: There are many 3rd party license management tools. Is there any effort by MS to work with these other vendor’s products?  
Answer: yes, we are working with them so that they can consume the data provided by Microsoft

Question: Home Use Media will no longer contain individual licenses? Must we then use VA 2.0 to manage our home users as well?  
Answer: Work at Home (<span class="caps">WAH</span>) media will continue to contain individual keys.

Question: <span class="caps">KMS</span> sounds complicated. You have to have a server and if a machine goes out of use for a while off campus it deactivates. What is the benifit of using <span class="caps">KMS</span> over <span class="caps">MAK</span>? What is the downside of <span class="caps">MAK</span> that I’m not getting?  
Answer: <span class="caps">KMS</span> provides more adminstrator control and no activation limit

Question: This is a followup. <span class="caps">KMS</span> clients need to ‘know’ where the <span class="caps">KMS</span> service is located. Is the user prompted for this info or can we add this info via script so the activation is silent?  
Answer: there is no user interaction. it is determined through auto-discovery or explicity registration by the admin

Question: When is the exact release date for Vista and the new Office?  
Answer: We expect to have Windows Vista and Office 2007 available to our VL customer before the end of the year (<span class="caps">MVLS</span> will be the first place to get access), and general availability in retail in the January timeframe.

Question: How long before the Key Management Server software will be released? Even if still in beta or prerelease.  
Answer: <span class="caps">KMS</span> is available now, <span class="caps">KMS</span> on W2K3 will be available in Q1 of 2007

Question: Is the <span class="caps">KMS</span> server located by forrest or by domain?  
Answer: It is a service running on any Vista or Longhron machine. As long as <span class="caps">DNS</span> info is set for cross-forrest discovery it should be able to serve all machines

Question: Were do we get keys to give to students that graduate and are entitled to a perpetual license?  
Answer: We would recommend starting by issuing physical media which is individually keyed – in this instance there is no change needed at graduation. If the student devices are managed via <span class="caps">KMS</span>, that install can be rekeyed to a retail key (available w/ physical media).

Question: Will Office 2007 use the same activation technology as Vista or will it be activated like previous versions of Office.  
Answer: Office 2007 currently doesn not use this activation technology

Question: What happens when you’ve had to activate a machine more than twice due to various failures and you reach the activation limit?  
Answer: In the case of <span class="caps">KMS</span> there is no limit and in case of <span class="caps">MAK</span> you can request for revision in the limit

Question: Will the keys continue to change annually, a current frustration for us?  
Answer: At this point we have moved to “re-using” enrollment numbers under Campus, so both the enrollment number and keys will continue to be available (won’t change annually).

Question: how do programs effect activation ex deep freeze?  
Answer: there will be no impact

Question: Reference DeepFreeze; only concern would be 6 month reactivation DeepFreeze would have to be thawed to accomplish this.  
Answer: There should be no impact on using DeepFreeze

Question: what version of Vista will .edu be getting?  
Answer: Most likely Enterprise version, ultimate will be an upgrade.

Question: if you have 40 kms servers all in dns, is it a registry setting at a site that directs the workstations to the local <span class="caps">KMS</span> server?  
Answer: no not at this moment, it is random

Question: If there’s no impact on DeepFreeze, how do systems maintain lease-life info?  
Answer: we probably need to follow-up on this since we don’t know much about Deepfreeze please follow-up

Question: Will there be a web archive of the text Q&amp;A win dow for this event?  
Answer: yes