Help with the automatic activation of Microsoft products

In order for the Microsoft software to automatically activate, the system hast to find the license server. A license service is running under Windows which asks the DNS-server about the license server. 

DNS-Suffix is required

The system consults the DNS sever for the license server under Windows. In oder to do so, the system needs to enter with the DNS suffix that was registered for the institution at the RRZK.

For the special case that institutions do not own a registered DNS suffix wich is registered at the RRZK (like the medical department or a local DNS administration is used), the order in which the DNS suffixes are searched for has to be changed.

Computers of institutions who use the DHCP service (automatic distribution of IP addresses) offered by the RRZK, will receive their DNS suffix automatically.

For the manual distribution of IP addresses, it is important to not only enter the name of the computer but also the registered DNS suffix.

Example: galileo.rrz.uni-koeln.de : 
In this case, galileo ist the name of the computer and rrz.uni-koeln.de the DNS suffix of the RRZK. Of course, you have to use the suffix of your own institution with your computer.

Establishing the DNS suffix

• Start the control panel of your computer (Windows logo (from Windows 8 onwards you have to right-click on it) and then control panel)
• click on "system" in your icon view
• because there is no suffix you got the same name for "computer description" and "full computer name"
• click on "change" next to "full computer name"
• choose the tab "computer name"
• click on "more"
• now, fill in the DNS suffix in the field "primary dns suffix of this computer". If you don't know what suffix to choose, ask your network commissioner or the person in charge of the IT at your institution.
• confirm your changes via clicking "OK" 
• Please restart your computer after closing the window.

Changing the order of search for DNS suffixes

You should only follow this instruction if the DNS suffix of your institution is not registered at the RRZK or the activation of the DNS suffix did not work after the set up.

Preconditions: Find out your own DNS suffix

• Enter "cmd" into the input field of the Start Menu.
• Enter "ipconfig /all" into the window that is popping up.
• You should find an entry for your institute in the DNS suffix search list (entry should look like this: institut.uni-koeln.de) If you cannot find an entry, you don't need to enter a suffix for the institute.

Suffix search order

• Start the control panel of your computer. (Windows logo (from Windows 8 onwards you have to right-click on it) then control panel)
• Click on "Network and Internet" and then on "Network and Sharing Center"
• Click on "Change adapter settings" in the left collum.
• Do right click on "LAN Connections"
• Choose "Properties"
• Choose with a left click "Internet Protocol Version 4"
• Click on "Properties"
• Click on "Advanced"
• Choose the tab "DNS"
• Activate "Append these DNS suffixes"
• Click on "Add..." to enter the suffixes. First enter, if possible, your own suffix (institut.uni-koeln.de).
• Click again on "Add" to enter "uni-koeln.de"
• Confirm your changes by closing all windows with a click on "OK"
• Finally, reboot your computer.