Let’s Talk About OS_Windows Server 2008 R2 New Licensing:Timebased Activation

With the introduction of the Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM, Microsoft had put in a new kind of licensing for customers to try out their products, a licensing for trial, although it’s no news that Microsoft used to roll out license keys specific for use in products trial.

For Windows Vista, there was a one year license for experiencing the OS, which would expire when the usage reached 365 days, thus getting “need of new license” prompts every now and then. However, there is no real difference in appearance of the system.

Same mechanism was found in Windows Server 2003, but not Windows XP. With a specific trial image provided by Microsoft, users can deploy the systems on whatever machine they like and use it for 360 days long, but uses will be prompted that they are using a product that can be used up to 360 days only for evaluation, which is printed at the right corner of the UI.

For Windows Server 2008 and Windows XP, nothing like this existed.

Now things came back to Windows Server 2008 R2 with a new name of “Timebased Activation”. It has been confirmed that Microsoft had provided a specific system image for products trial, which was leaked to torrent sites days ago.

I had somehow managed to grab the image and installed it for a spin.

Here are some interesting snapshots.

SLMGR information is quite different. Clearly Microsoft had introduced a new channel keys called TIMEBASED_EVAL.

Timebased activation will absolutely based upon time, so that requires your computer’s time was set accurately as it should. When you try to activate the system using timebased license keys, the computer has to validate the time against the default time server. Installation will not go on unless this is done successfully.

After the activation, an additional notice will show up.

In the Windows Properties dialogue, it’s clearly put how long this license will be valid.

And it also appears at the right corner.

It’s strange nothing about trial or evaluation show up anywhere noticeable. So I’d like to venture a bold guess, that Microsoft might be preparing themselves for a special kind of products, within category of SSAS, with which you can purchase licenses that will last any days you’d want.

Maybe it’s just my guess.