Active directory based activation

Question

Hello,

Today my customer has domain controller with 2012R2.

Migration to 2025 is planed for this year.

He is using only KMS server to activate all server + clients today.

The plan is to migrate it to Active directory based activation.

He has different members servers : 2012r2 until 2025 and W10 + W11.

1)Is it possible to install volume activation role on domain controller and use 2025 CSVLK key ?

On MS documentation, I think I understand 2025 CSVLK key is not possible on 2012R2.

Should I use a member server 2025 and install volume activation role on it to create the activation AD on the domain for it to work ?

2. If I use a 2022 CSVLK key for ADBA activation, will 2025 server will be automatically activated on a supported environment or do I need to enter a 2025 CSVLK key to create a new activation object to be able to activate 2025?

Answer 1

Hello

1. You are correct that Windows Server 2025 CSVLK keys cannot be used on Windows Server 2012 R2. To implement Active Directory-Based Activation (ADBA) for Windows Server 2025, you should use a member server running Windows Server 2025 and install the Volume Activation Services role on it to create the activation object in Active Directory.
2. If you use a 2022 CSVLK key for ADBA activation, it will not automatically activate Windows Server 2025. You will need to enter a 2025 CSVLK key to create a new activation object to be able to activate Windows Server 2025.

Have a nice day.

Best Regards,

Hania