The Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) enables network administrators and other IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the Windows®, Microsoft® Office®, and select other Microsoft products volume and retail activation process. VAMT can manage volume activation using Multiple Activation Keys (MAKs) or the Windows Key Management Service (KMS). VAMT is a standard Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in and can be installed on any computer that has one of the following Windows operating systems: Windows® 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012.
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VAMT can be installed on, and can manage, physical or virtual instances. VAMT cannot detect whether or not the remote products are virtual. As long as the products can respond to Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) calls, they will be discovered and activated. |
In this Topic
Managing Multiple Activation Key (MAK) and Retail Activation
You can use a MAK or a retail product key to activate Windows, Windows Server, or Office on an individual computer or a group of computers. VAMT enables two different activation scenarios:
- Online activation. Many enterprises
maintain a single Windows system image or Office installation
package for deployment across the enterprise. Occasionally there is
also a need to use retail product keys in special situations.
Online activation enables you to activate over the Internet any
products installed with MAK, KMS host, or retail product keys on
one or more connected computers within a network. This process
requires that each product communicate activation information
directly to Microsoft.
- Proxy activation. This activation
method enables you to perform volume activation for products
installed on client computers that do not have Internet access. The
VAMT host computer distributes a MAK, KMS Host key (CSVLK), or
retail product key to one or more client products and collects the
installation ID (IID) from each client product. The VAMT host sends
the IIDs to Microsoft on behalf of the client products and obtains
the corresponding Confirmation IDs (CIDs). The VAMT host then
installs the CIDs on the client products to complete the
activation. Using this method, only the VAMT host computer needs
Internet access. You can also activate products installed on
computers in a workgroup that is completely isolated from any
larger network, by installing a second instance of VAMT on a
computer within the workgroup. Then, use removable media to
transfer activation data between this new instance of VAMT and the
Internet-connected VAMT host.
Managing Key Management Service (KMS) Activation
In addition to MAK or retail activation, you can use VAMT to perform volume activation using the Key Management Service (KMS). VAMT can install and activate GVLK (KMS client) keys on client products. GVLKs are the default product keys used by Volume License editions of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2012 as well as Microsoft Office 2010.
VAMT treats a KMS Host key (CSVLK) product key identically to a retail-type product key; therefore, the experience for product key entry and activation management are identical for both these product key types.
Enterprise Environment
VAMT is commonly implemented in enterprise environments. The following illustrates three common environments—Core Network, Secure Zone, and Isolated Lab.
In the Core Network environment, all computers are within a common network managed by Active Directory® Domain Services (AD DS). The Secure Zone represents higher-security Core Network computers that have additional firewall protection.
The Isolated Lab environment is a workgroup that is physically separate from the Core Network, and its computers do not have Internet access. The network security policy states that no information that could identify a specific computer or user may be transferred out of the Isolated Lab.
VAMT User Interface
The following screenshot shows the VAMT graphical user interface.
VAMT provides a single, graphical user interface for managing activations, and for performing other activation-related tasks such as:
- Adding and removing computers. You can
use VAMT to discover computers in the local environment. VAMT can
discover computers by querying AD DS, workgroups, by individual
computer name or IP address, or via a general LDAP query.
- Discovering products. You can use VAMT
to discover Windows, Windows Server, Office, and select other
products installed on the client computers.
- Monitoring activation status. You can
collect activation information about each product, including the
last 5 characters of the product key being used, the current
license state (such as Licensed, Grace, Unlicensed), and the
product edition information.
- Managing product keys. You can store
multiple product keys and use VAMT to install these keys to remote
client products. You can also determine the number of activations
remaining for MAKs.
- Managing activation data. VAMT stores
activation data in a SQL database. VAMT can export this data to
other VAMT hosts or to an archive in XML format.