Microsoft 2 User Manual

Volume Activation 2.0 Operations Guide

Introduction

This guide contains information to assist you in managing the activations of volume

editions of Windows Vista

and Windows Server

2008 in your environment. Topics

covered include available management tools, troubleshooting, recovery from

unlicensed states, and resolving Non-Genuine issues, as well as specific information

on managing each method of volume activation.

Management Tools for Volume Activation

There are several tools available to monitor and manage the activation status of

volume license editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)

VAMT enables you to manage MAK-activated systems in your environment. VAMT

collects data on both MAK Proxy and MAK Independent activation clients, including

information about product keys and current license states. VAMT stores MAKs in a

computer information list (CIL) file. This allows administrators to query the online

Microsoft

Activation servers to determine the number of activations remaining on

an organization’s MAKs. The CIL is an XML file and is readable using any text editor,

such as Notepad.

For more information about VAMT, see the

VAMT Step by Step Guide

that is

included with the VAMT installation files. You can download VAMT at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=77533

Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 SP3

Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3) contains built-in

asset intelligence reporting, which utilizes Windows

Management Interface (WMI)

to generate detailed activation reports for MAK- and KMS-activated Windows Vista

and Windows Server 2008 computers.