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Off to Hong Kong

I’ll be going off starting tomorrow to Hong Kong for a 5-days holiday. So, see you all next week.

Microsoft advertisement on piracy

Buy original.

Understanding Windows Vista Volume Activation 2.0 (VA 2.0) and Key Management Service (KMS)

With Windows Vista, comes the new licensing programme named Volume Activation 2.0 (VA 2.0). Below is an easy-to-digest FAQ to help you to get familiar with this.

What is Volume Activation 2.0?

VA 2.0 is a part of the Microsoft Software Protection Platform (think Windows Genuine Advantage) and the Windows Vista deployment solution. It helps enterprise to better manage their Windows Vista licensing.

1. Windows Vista is the first Microsoft product to use VA 2.0. Future products will follow this licensing programme.
2. Strangely, Office 2007 uses the old VA 1.0 instead.
3. There will be two types of license key under this programme: Multiple Activation Key (MAK) and Key Management Service (KMS)
4. Volume License Key (VLK) can only be used with Volume Licensing media (Vista Business and Vista Enterprise), and cannot be used to activate retail or OEM version of Windows Vista.

What is Multiple Activation Key?

1. Multiple Activation Key (MAK) can be used to activate specific number of computers.
2. Activation can be performed over the Internet or telephone.
3. Additional activation can be requested by contacting the Microsoft Activation Call Center.
4. MAK supports two kinds of activation method: MAK Proxy Activation and MAK Independent Activation.
5. MAK Proxy Activation enables centralized activation request on behalf of multiple desktops with one connection to Microsoft. This activation method will be available as a new solution called Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT).
6. MAK Independent Activation requires each computer to directly connect and activate against Microsoft.

What is Key Management Service?

1. Key Management Service (KMS) enables organizations to perform local activations for computers in a managed environment without connecting to Microsoft individually.
2. This activation method is targeted to organizations with more than 25 computers. KMS will only start to activate clients when there are at least 25 connected clients.
3. KMS runs on Windows Vista Client or Windows Server “Longhorn” on port 1688. KMS on Windows Server 2003 is under development.
4. Clients must renew their activation by connecting to the KMS Host at least once every 180 days. Inability to do so will have clients go into Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM).
5. Virtual machine doesn’t contribute to the KMS computer count.