KMS vs. MAK

I have a question about the activation option.

I work in a company that has over 200 pc's. We have an volume license
at microsoft.

We want to upgrade from XP to Vista SP1 and before we upgrade all
systems we want to test the applications. Microsoft gives 2 options
activate with KMS and MAK.

What is the best option for deployment in a network envirement. The
KMS looks to me like the best option, but then you must install 25
machines within 30 days before something happens. Or am i reading the
documentation wrong. From the things i've read the KMS can activate
unlimited clients, but when will i know that it works? Hopefully there
is someone who can answer this question.

Greetings,
Patrick Tak

<> wrote in message
news:5c06b250-213b-42d8-82e9-...
>I have a question about the activation option.
>
> I work in a company that has over 200 pc's. We have an volume license
> at microsoft.
>
> We want to upgrade from XP to Vista SP1 and before we upgrade all
> systems we want to test the applications. Microsoft gives 2 options
> activate with KMS and MAK.
>
> What is the best option for deployment in a network envirement. The
> KMS looks to me like the best option, but then you must install 25
> machines within 30 days before something happens. Or am i reading the
> documentation wrong. From the things i've read the KMS can activate
> unlimited clients, but when will i know that it works? Hopefully there
> is someone who can answer this question.
>
> Greetings,
> Patrick Tak

The KMS is the best option as it allows you to build your machines and
activate them - then they continuously check their activation state with the
KMS server (after sop many days). This stops devices that go missing from
your environment from remaining activated (so if someone takes a laptop when
they leave it will go none activated after a number of days.)
Also the KMS ensures you are within your allowed number of licenses.
You are correct that the KMS will not start activating machine until it has
had requests for activation from 25 machines. Since you machines have a
grace period anyway then you should have deployed 25 by the end of this and
the KMS will be active, so no problem there.

--

Mike Brannigan

Hello Patrick
You should be able to use either MAK or KMS keys.
You can test with the MAK key, then when you want to roll-out the rest of
the machines, those machines can either continue to use the MAK keys or
they can be changed to talk to the KMS host machine.
Or you can extend the 30 day grace period three times by running slmgr
-rearm while you are in the testing phase.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
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|> From:
|> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.general
|> Subject: KMS vs. MAK
|> Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:29:41 -0800 (PST)
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|> I have a question about the activation option.
|>
|> I work in a company that has over 200 pc's. We have an volume license
|> at microsoft.
|>
|> We want to upgrade from XP to Vista SP1 and before we upgrade all
|> systems we want to test the applications. Microsoft gives 2 options
|> activate with KMS and MAK.
|>
|> What is the best option for deployment in a network envirement. The
|> KMS looks to me like the best option, but then you must install 25
|> machines within 30 days before something happens. Or am i reading the
|> documentation wrong. From the things i've read the KMS can activate
|> unlimited clients, but when will i know that it works? Hopefully there
|> is someone who can answer this question.
|>
|> Greetings,
|> Patrick Tak
|>