Windows Licensing comprehension

[DrFatalis]

Hi everyone,

I bought 2 DELL servers on which ones I installed ESXI 5.5. My 2 servers are running 13 VMs (Windows Server 2008 r2).

Each server came with Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Licence, but these licences are not usable on Windows Server 2008 R2.

I ask a key downgrade to DELL support service and they gave me Windows Server 2008 R2 licence Key in two version.

     - 1 physical key

     - 1 virtual key

With a windows server datacenter key, I should be able to activate unlimited VMs. My problem is this one:

Should I modify all my VMs from Standard version to datacenter ? or is there a way to activate my VMs with the datacenter key ?

Thanks for your help ! XP

[vNEX]

primarily MS Datacenter license bought per hypervisor CPU/Socket allows you to run an unlimited number of instances of Windows Servers simultaneously in virtual OSEs.(ESXi servers) more info on that topic here:http://microsoftlicensereview.com/tag/microsoft-licensing-with-vmware/

Once you have all the necessary CPU licenses you have to activate deployed MS servers via MAK key or KMS server with appropriate keys given by MS/DELL.

With MAK you have to manually enter this key on every server separately ... with KMS you will need to install KMS server into your environment and activate him with given key.

Once its done your servers should find KMS server on network and activate automatically...for more details see:

Deploying KMS Activation

Using MAK Activation

Hope this helps...

[DrFatalis]

First, thanks for your response. It was very helpfull.

My actual licence are OEM licence from DELL

So in command:      slmgr -dli

The answer is:           Description: Windows Operating system - Windows Server (R), OEM_COA_NSLP channel

No mention of Volume_KMS

What I understand about Windows Server 2008 R2 datacenter licence, is that I can activate an unlimited number of VMs if these VMs are running on my Windows Server Datacenter thanks to Hyper-V role.

But in my situation, my VMs are running on an ESXI host so I can not activate all VMs just with using Windows Server Datacenter licence.

I need at least a KMS licence in order to build one VM as KMS host and activate all my VMs with this KMS host.

Am I right ?

[vNEX]

I suppose you have to use given virtual key for OS activation...not the physical one (OEM).

Regarding KMS server you can configure it on any member server or DC there is no need to have a separate/dedicated server.

I would also ask DELL for what type of key you are eligible to use (KMS/MAK).

[DrFatalis]

I will make a try by creating a VM with Windows Server 2012 using the original licence which came with the server (normaly a volume licence) and I hope I will be able to activate my others VMs with the KMS host on this host.

If it works I will manage with Dell and their AWESOME OEM licence !! ^^

We keep in touch :-)

[DrFatalis]

My VM with Windows Server 2012 doesn't work. My licence for this server is an OEM too. So when I try to configure KMS role in Windows Server, it ask me to fill a textbox with a KMS Host key. Thing I don't have....

I can configure the KMS host at all.

Bad day...

[vNEX]

Don't give up :smileyhappy: below is the official DELL white paper with instructions:

https://www.google.cz/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=8w4TVOajA4WWasvGgMAE&url=http://ja.community.dell.com/techcenter/m/me…

Have a good weekend!