So PVS 5.6 SP1 added support for KMS/MAK activation so each new VM got a unique CMID so it could successfully register with the KMS. However, using XD5 without PVS each of the VMs in a catalog has the same CMID.

Given the entirely new deployment method with hosted VMs and using "linked clones" with VMware, what are the proper procedures to ensure each VM has a unique CMID?

We have the exact same issue. I have tried to use sysprep, but this results in a inoperable machine. Maybe a bug in the MCS?

This is being looked into, most developers are away for the Christmas holiday, so sorry that we cannot not resolve this as soon as we would normally like.

This is not a long term answer but I would like provide you with a potential and temporary work around. Looking into the behaviour of KMS it will continue to activate machines with the same CMID, as long as at least 25 machines of differing CMID's are activated first.

Hmmm. I hope a long term fix will come soon, since I am doing a project with a complete new KMS infrastructure and hoped the new Virtual Desktops would increase the counter automatically (as expected). Now I have to reinstall Windows 25 times (or sysprep it).

Edited by: Willem Zwart on Dec 24, 2010 8:07 AM

This issue has been escalated. Unfortunately I am unable to tell when to expect the release.

So I'm baffled how this got through Citrix QA. There was a thread in these forums for XD4 stretching back to spring 2010 about KMS problems. Citrix finally put out a fix for PVS in November, I think it was. XD5 comes out in December and KMS is broken.

To me it seems Citrix releases beta quality software at GA. I am not impressed.

Hi

Just wondered how the escalation is going? Has there been any feedback from the relevant departments?

Regards

Ben

Just run slmgr /rearm before shutting down the master image. Problem solved.

We were in the grace period because the CMIDS were the same so I rearmed the image and updated all the vms and turned on a bunch of vms. Took 10 minutes to have it activating again. (this is starting from a count of 3 on the kms server)

I have done this since XD4 with Pvs and its still working great with XD5. Even if there is a fix I will continue rearming the image when I make updates.

Don't use rearm on the master image, you only have 3 rearm's before you can't rearm again at which point you won't be abvle to make additional updates to your base image.

One thing I did notice.... Initially when I built my master VM I left the it unlicensed asuming that KMS would do it's thing with the new VMs created by MCS. When powered on, the new VMs did not license themselves. I then entered a MAK key into the master VM, did some windows updates and a few other tweeks and shut it down, performed the update process within the console, and when my VMs powered back on with the updated image, they both (I'm only playing with 2 at the moment in my environment) automatically contacted Microsoft and validated themselves. Not sure if this is normal behaviour with MAK keys as I've only used KMS in the past. Just wanted to see what would happen to them really. Could Microsoft be asuming that they're all the same machine?

Regards

Ben

I understand that, when I rearm the master I use up my 1 rearm as reported by slmgr /dlv. I update the vms and reboot them all and let them try to activate. This brings the kms count up past 25 so I can run slmgr /ato on my master and activate it(which resets the rearm count) If I run slmgr /dlv on the master I have 1 rearm back.

Ive been using this method for almost 1 year now with no issues at all. And I have updated our vms well over 15 times. If what you say is correct I should have only been able to do this 3 times.

Funny how so much time is wasted on stupid licensing, the people that pirate software have no issues and the people who actually paid get screwed over again and again.

Edited by: Stacy Arnold on Jan 13, 2011 1:05 PM

Like many things in life, the rules only effect the people that play by them :)

These steps worked for me when using the PVS 5.6 SP1:

1. Put the disk mode to "standard", Click OK. (Make sure to click the ‘OKs’ when doing this as it registers a change!)
2. Put the license mode back to "none" Click OK.
3. Put the disk mode back to "private" Click OK.
4. Login and execute slmgr –rearm
5. Shutdown target device (DO NOT RESTART)
6. Put the disk license mode to "KMS", Click OK.
7. Put the disk mode to "standard", Click OK.
8. Spin up the systems and viola unique CMID are generated for KMS activation.

@Thomas Huha

Thanks for that, but we are talking about MCS (Machine Creation Services for the sake of the search engines). MCS doesn't have the KMS key management features of PVS 5.6 SP1. I am already performing the steps you suggested, hoping they will work for MCS. So far they have, but I haven't had multiple VMs running for weeks yet and that is when the ugliness starts to show.

I am in a big trouble with that pb as my VMs were running for a long time during testing period with no pb at all and now, after each *reboot by desktop studio power management*, I must activate Windows 7 and enter the serial number for office 2010 on my pooled machines. It was not supposed to be like that when we bought Xendesktop 5.
We have a limited number of licenses and we might need to run several updates on our 17 virtual machines, how are we going to manage that?

As stated earlier in this thread, MCS in XD 5 does not yet have integrated MS license activation management. However, the KMS support in Provisioning Services 5.6 SP 1 will handle both the OS and Office 2010 activations. There is a separate rearm command for Office 2010:

Program Files(x86)\Common Files\microsoft shared\OfficeSoftwareProtectionPlatform\OSPPREARM.EXE

That must be run on the master image. If you use Provisioning Services you'll do that once, the first time you create your vDisk. After that Provisioning Services will manage it.

You can read more about how Provisioning Services deals with MS license activation on page 163 of the Administrators Guide, located here.

Patrick Carey
Director, Product Management
Provisioning Services

Well, I read that, but I can't implement provisioning services in a primary school with a limited budget. I must keep it as simple as possible to manage as people in place do not have the will or the skills to dive in technical issues.
I am just installing it at the moment, I will not live with it.

I just wondered why I can create the pooled VMs with no problem (windows and office 2010 are activated as expected) but when shutdown and power on is done by automatic power management in desktop studio, licenses are reset to null.

I am quite surprised by this software behaviour as when we bought it, we have been told that system sysprep was not necessary anymore with machine creation services which is, in fact, the case until VM are rebooted by desktop studio.

I hope there will be a fix very soon.

But what really boggles my mind is that Citrix knew about the problem with KMS/MAC over a year ago. They recently fixed PVS 5.6 SP1, yet XD5 is released after that and it's broken with no KMS support. Does Citrix think people don't use KMS/MAC? What do they really expect XD5/MCS customers to do? Wait for a real fix? Why was XD5 so rushed out the door it that it doesn't support the primary MS licensing scheme for enterprise products? I'm very, very disappoined in Citrix support. Maybe it's time for VMware View.

After installing Windows 7 25 times manually to increase the KMS counter, now after 30 days I have to do it again. Any help? I do not want to do this again in another 30 days.

And when is Citrix planning a hotfix for this urgent issue?

Hi Guys,

Well I have exactly the same problem as Thierry, we need to use MCS not PVS, are there any news from Citrix ?

Regards - Luc -