What is KMS?

To understand KMS better and, with this, to explain the process of how KMS works, it will be compared with ADBA. Unlike ADBA which is GUI-based, KMS is command-line interface (CLI) based. KMS is a network service that can also activate the newest versions of Windows, such as Windows 10, and Windows Server 2016. However, KMS is primarily used by organizations to activate earlier versions of both desktop and server Windows, such as Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008/2008 R2, as well as MS Office 2010 and later. Like ADBA, KMS is configured (as shown in Figure 5.15) by adding a Volume Activation Services role to your organization's activation server. The KMS service can coexist on a server that provides other services too, thereby not requiring a dedicated server. In this way, organizations can benefit from that KMS flexibility by saving a physical or virtual server: