In this scenario, the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) is deployed in the Core Network environment. The VAMT is installed on a central computer with network access to all client computers. Both the VAMT host and client computers have Internet access. The Secure Zone represents higher-security Core Network computers that have addition firewall protection. The following illustration shows a diagram of the online activation scenarios using Multiple Activation Keys (MAKs).



Diagram of MAK Independent Activation scenario

Step 1: Install and launch the VAMT on a networked host computer

  1. Install the VAMT on the host computer.

  2. Click the VAMT icon in the Start menu to open the VAMT snap-in within the Microsoft Management Console.

Step 2: Configure the Windows Management Instrumentation firewall exception on target computers

  • Ensure that the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) firewall exception has been enabled for all target computers. For more information, see Configure Client Computers.

Step 3: Add computers to the Computer Information List

  1. Find the Add Computers pane in the center pane and expand it, if it is minimized.

  2. Select a search option in the drop-down menu. You can search for computers in a workgroup, in an Active Directory domain, by individual computer name or IP address, or via a general LDAP query.

  3. If you are searching by individual computer name or IP address, enter that information in the text box below the drop-down menu.

  4. If you are searching a domain or a workgroup, select the domain or workgroup from the additional drop-down list displayed for those options. Use the Filter by computer name field to search for a specific computer within the domain or workgroup.

  5. If you are searching by LDAP query, copy and paste your LDAP query into the textbox below the drop-down list.

  6. Click Add Computers.

The VAMT will search for computers and add the computers it finds to the Computer Information List (CIL).

Step 4: Collect status information from the discovered computers

  1. Discover the products and collect their status from individual computers by directly selecting one or more computers in the product list-view pane.

  2. Right-click the selected computers(s) to display the context-sensitive Actions menu, or choose from the Action menu on the top menu bar, or choose from the Selected Items menu on the right-hand pane.

  3. On the menu, click Update Status.

  4. If you are activating products that require administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using, choose the Alternate Credential option.

  5. Provide a Domain Administrator account (to collect status from all computers in the domain) and password when prompted.

The VAMT will display the Collecting computer information dialog box while it collects the status of all installed products on the selected computers. When the process is finished, the updated status of those products will appear in the product list view in the center pane. It is possible to show more items in the product list pane after updating the status as there could be one or more Microsoft® Office 2010 products installed, in addition to Windows® and Windows Server®.

Note

To retrieve the licensing status on the selected computers, the VAMT must have administrative permissions on the remote computers and WMI must be accessible through the Windows Firewall. In addition, for workgroup computers, a registry key must be created to enable remote administrative actions under User Account Control (UAC). For more information, see Configure Client Computers.

Step 5: Add a MAK and determine the remaining activation count

  1. Click the Product Keys node under the VAMT node.

  2. Find the Add Product Keys pane in the center pane and expand it, if it is minimized.

  3. Enter a MAK and click Verify. Once verified, the Edition field will automatically populate.

  4. Provide a meaningful description in the Remarks text box and click Add Product Key. The MAK will now be listed in the product key list-view below.

  5. Select this key, as well as any additional keys you want to work with.

  6. Right-click the selected product keys to display the context-sensitive Actions menu, or choose from the Action menu on the top menu bar, or choose from the Selected Items menu on the right-hand pane.

  7. On the menu, click Refresh Product Key Data Online to retrieve the number of remaining activations for the MAKs from Microsoft. This step requires Internet connectivity.

The remaining activation numbers are shown under the Remaining Activation column in the center pane.

Step 6: Install the MAK

  1. Select the individual products to be installed with a MAK in the product list-view pane.

  2. Right-click the selected product keys to display the context-sensitive Actions menu, or choose from the Action menu on the top menu bar, or choose from the Selected Items menu on the right-hand pane.

  3. On the menu, click Install Product Key. The VAMT displays a list of available product keys in the next dialog box.

  4. Select the desired MAK from the Select a key to install list and click OK. Only one key can be installed.

  5. The VAMT displays the Installing product key progress window while it attempts to install the product key to the selected products). When the process is finished, the status will appear in the Action Status column of the progress window. Click Close to close the progress window.

The same status is shown under the Status of the last action column in the product list-view in the center pane.

Note

It is possible for the MAK installation to fail due to mismatched key types or editions. The VAMT will display the failure status and continue the installation for the next product in the list. For more information about choosing the correct MA or KMS host key, see How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=184603).

Step 7: Activate the client products

  1. Select the individual products to be activated in the list-view pane.

  2. Right-click the selected product keys to display the context-sensitive Actions menu, or choose from the Action menu on the top menu bar, or choose from the Selected Items menu on the right-hand pane.

  3. On the menu, click Activate and then Online Activate. This instructs the selected products to activate immediately by using the Internet to contact the Microsoft product-activation server.

  4. If you are activating products that require administrator credentials different from the ones you are currently using, select Alternate Credentials.

The VAMT will display the Activating products dialog box until the requested action is completed. If you have selected Alternate Credentials, you will be prompted to enter the credentials prior to these dialog boxes appearing.

Note

Installing a MAK and overwriting the KMS client key on the client products must be done with care. If the RTM version of Windows Vista has been installed on the computer for more than 30 days, then its initial grace period has expired. As a result, it will enter Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) if online activation is not completed successfully before the next logon attempt. However, you can use online activation to recover properly configured computers from RFM, as long as the computers are accessible on the network. RFM only applies to the RTM version of Windows Vista or the retail editions of Microsoft Office 2010. Windows Vista with SP1 or later, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and volume editions of Office 2010 will not enter RFM.

See Also