This article walks you through the steps you need to create a KMS host. The KMS clients that a KMS host can activate are dependent on the host key used to activate the KMS host.

KMS clients connect to a KMS server, called the KMS host, for activation. And I guess 2012 R servers will come along for the ride as well.ģ) Point Server 2019 images and work group servers to new KMS server (since they cannot use AD licensing) using: 'cscript.exe slmgr.vbs /skms 'Ĥ) After deployment of a new Windows 2019 server from an image, use a post deployment script to set it back to auto detection of licensing (which will use AD licensing) if it is a domain joined machine: 'cscript.exe slmgr.KMS uses a client-server model to active Windows clients and is used for volume activation on your local network. The existing two KMS servers will continue to support Windows 7 and will remain in DNS.Ģ) Activate AD licensing for any domain joined Windows 2019 servers. The new KMS server will support Windows Server 2019 using the new activation key - it will not be in DNS so that Windows 7 machines do not try to use it. This will be in addition to the existing two I already have. So here is my proposed solution - if anyone has any better solutions, please let me know:ġ) Build a new KMS server. No way of activating a Server image if I move to AD activation.Ĭan I use MAK with the server 2019 image and then is it smart enough to use Active Directory activation after deployment? Or is the MAK key stuck in the image and all servers deployed from it now have the MAK activation key and wont use KMS/AD activation.Ĭan I have one KMS server with the new 2019 key and the other KMS server with the older 2016 Key? Will Windows 7 clients be smart enough to try the latter if the former does not work.or will it flat out fail and not try the other KMS server it gets To activate Windows 7 PCs and yet be able to activate new Windows Server 2019 machines? Active Directory activation is not an option - it does not work with work group machines or my server build images. After reviewing the process for activating Windows Server 2019, it appears the new KMS activation key that I download from the Microsoft Business Customer Portal does not support activation of Windows 7 PCs anymore.

Kms activation in windows server 2019