Behind the feature “Automatic Virtual Machine Activation” is a function in Microsoft Windows Server 2012R2 Datacenter, Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Datacenter for Hyper-V, but it works only with the Datacenter Edition activated. With this feature, all supported Windows Server operating systems since Microsoft Windows Server 2012R2 can be automatically activated by the Hyper-V host. But only up to the own version, which means that a Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Hyper-V cannot activate Windows Server 2016. The limitation of this feature to the Datacenter Edition is due to the unlimited Virtual Windows Server Guests covered by the Datacenter License. The advantage is that it is now easier to assign the license to the corresponding datacenter license during a software audit on the AVMA license key.
On the installed server operating system, only one AVMA key must be entered during installation. These are, like KMS keys, always the same:
AVMA license key
| Edition | AVMA-Key |
| Windows Server 2012R2 Datacenter | Y4TGP-NPTV9-HTC2H-7MGQ3-DV4TW |
| Windows Server 2012R2 Standard | DBGBW-NPF86-BJVTX-K3WKJ-MTB6V |
| Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials | K2XGM-NMBT3-2R6Q8-WF2FK-P36R2 |
| Windows Server 2016 Datacenter | TMJ3Y-NTRTM-FJYXT-T22BY-CWG3J |
| Windows Server 2016 Standard | C3RCX-M6NRP-6CXC9-TW2F2-4RHYD |
| Windows Server 2016 Essentials | B4YNW-62DX9-W8V6M-82649-MHBKQ |
| Windows Server 1709 Datacenter | TMJ3Y-NTRTM-FJYXT-T22BY-CWG3J |
| Windows Server 1709 Standard | C3RCX-M6NRP-6CXC9-TW2F2-4RHYD |
| Windows Server 1803 Datacenter | TMJ3Y-NTRTM-FJYXT-T22BY-CWG3J |
| Windows Server 1803 Standard | C3RCX-M6NRP-6CXC9-TW2F2-4RHYD |
| Windows Server 1809 Datacenter | H3RNG-8C32Q-Q8FRX-6TDXV-WMBM |
| Windows Server 1809 Standard | TNK62-RXVTB-4P47B-2D623-4GF74 |
| Windows Server 2019 Datacenter | H3RNG-8C32Q-Q8FRX-6TDXV-WMBMW |
| Windows Server 2019 Standard | TNK62-RXVTB-4P47B-2D623-4GF74 |
| Windows Server 2019 Essentials | 2CTP7-NHT64-BP62M-FV6GG-HFV28 |
| Windows Server 2022 Datacenter | W3GNR-8DDXR-2TFRP-H8P33-DV9BG |
| Windows Server 2022 Standard | YDFWN-MJ9JR-3DYRK-FXXRW-78VHK |
The AVMA keys can be simply entered during the installation, or afterwards, like KMS client keys with the command:
slmgr.vbs /IPK <AVMA-Key>
What does this feature help with?
- The advantage is especially when several networks are hosted on one server that do not have internet access for a MAK or KMS activation.
- The guest servers should not be activated via KMS in order not to falsify the number of servers activated via KMS.
- For automated provisioning / deprovisioning of virtual machines, as MAK keys have a maximum activation number.
- To determine which VM’s are already licensed with a Datacenter Edition during a license audit
Further information about AVMA can be found on Microsoft TechNet.
Current lists of serial numbers for KMS and AVMA
- To the KMS / ADBA Client serial numbers for Microsoft Windows Client
- To the KMS / ADBA Client serial numbers for Microsoft Windows Server
- To the KMS / ADBA Client serial numbers for Microsoft Office
- AVMA serial numbers for Windows Server
This article first appeared on Infrastrukturhelden.de in German.
This article is a translation of the Infrastrukturhelden.de article “Automatische Virtuelle Maschinen Aktivierung (AVMA) mit Windows Server Datacenter (Update)” (Published – 2019-01-08). Links may refer to other Infrastrukturhelden.de articles, these may also be available in English language.
Also it can be, that I still use screenshots of German systems. However, where it is possible for me with little effort, I insert screenshots of English systems.
