Assume you are at a client site and plan to deploy a Windows Server (2008 / 2008-R2) or Windows Clients (Windows Vista / Windows 7) and want to check if they do already have KMS Services running on their network.
It’s very simple. Just open a command prompt and type the following command:
nslookup -type=srv _vlmcs._tcp
If KMS Services are present on the network the results will be listed as shown in the picture below.
Most IT pro’s probably don’t have a problem in getting access to the Windows 7 operating system installation sources because they can access them through their corporate volume license agreement and/or MSDN or TechNet subscription. But unfortunately there are still some out there who do not have such easy access to these sources.
For the use of Windows 7 on a primary device (the one that one uses on a daily basis) an official version of Windows 7 that comes either from the Corporate Volume media source or a separately acquired copy or pre-installed with a new computer must be used.
But if you need Windows 7 just for evaluation purposes Microsoft provides the following 2 options:
Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial The Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day trial program allows you to download the Windows 7 Enterprise 32 or 64 bit installation sources which can be used for evaluation purposes during 90 days. The Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day trial can be downloaded from here. Note that prior downloading the sources you must fill in a form which also includes a question about your occupation. If you select a profile that does not fit to this program, you don’t get access to the sources.
Microsoft Windows 7 90-Day Eval VHD This is a preconfigured virtual machine set contained within the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) format. To run Windows 7 within the VHD you must have access to a system that has Microsoft Hyper-V installed. The Microsoft Windows 7 90-Day Evaluation VHD can be downloaded from here. I recommend to read the Readme prior downloading the sources.
Finally let me also mention the Windows 7 Test Drive which provides access to a Windows 7 client that runs remotely on a Microsoft hosted virtual infrastructure.
Has your organization ever acquired PCs without operating systems preinstalled, and then used its Volume Licensing agreement to install the full operating system on those PCs? Download the Windows Licensing Fact Sheet to learn more about Windows Licensing.
If you are already running an existing KMS Service within your environment, and you do not plan to install a new KMS Service, the following information might be of interest if you have plans for deploying Windows 7 or Server 2008-R2 systems.
An update is available that installs Key Management Service (KMS) 1.2 for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and for later versions of Windows Server 2003 http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=968915
This update installs Key Management Service (KMS) 1.2 for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and for later versions of Windows Server 2003. KMS 1.2 provides support for the following KMS client installations:
· Windows Server 2008 R2
· Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
· Windows 7
· Windows Vista and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)
As I wrote the previous blog entry I started thinking about all the other products I come across in my daily professional life and started creating the table shown below.
For those that are still running Windows 2000 Server systems, it’s about time to start migrating these because next year the extended support will end.
On April 14th mainstream support for Windows XP will end. for the next 5 years the operating system goes into extended support. The table below illustrates the differences between mainstream and extended support.
The Microsoft Windows XP product page explains it as following:
Mainstream Support delivers complimentary and paid support, free security updates, and bug fixes to all Windows customers who purchase a retail copy of Windows XP (i.e., a shrink-wrapped, not pre-installed copy). Mainstream Support for Windows XP will continue through April 2009.
Extended Support delivers free security updates to all Windows customers. Customers can also pay for support on a per incident basis. Extended Support for Windows XP will continue until April 2014. New bug fixes require the Extended Hotfix Support program.
