Generally available: New KMS DNS in Azure Global Cloud

In late June 2022, we rolled out a new KMS DNS, azkms.core.windows.net, to improve Azure Windows activation experience in Azure Global Cloud. Specifically, all Azure Windows VMs provisioned in Azure Global Cloud from July 2022 are activated via **azkms.core.windows.net**, and most Azure Windows VMs provisioned in Azure Global Cloud before July 2022 remain activated via existing KMS DNS, **kms.core.windows.net**. To most Azure Global Cloud customers, the transition to new KMS DNS is transparent. However, Azure Global Cloud customers who have followed troubleshooting guides, such as the ones listed below, need to include new KMS DNS, **azkms.core.windows.net**, and two new KMS IP addresses, **20.118.99.224** and **40.83.235.53**: [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/custom-routes-enable-kms-activation](https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Ftroubleshoot%2Fazure%2Fvirtual-machines%2Fcustom-routes-enable-kms-activation&data=05%7C01%7Cdanielli%40microsoft.com%7Cb28c1a9f6b6648e7250008da6900f4a0%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637937750086302592%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2Bg9wJCi7O1lqRCiCiZNLU9t9Eivu9ekumprnYmKnEzM%3D&reserved=0) [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/troubleshoot/azure/virtual-machines/troubleshoot-activation-problems](https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Ftroubleshoot%2Fazure%2Fvirtual-machines%2Ftroubleshoot-activation-problems&data=05%7C01%7Cdanielli%40microsoft.com%7Cb28c1a9f6b6648e7250008da6900f4a0%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637937750086302592%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wOYq9W5wc0aQgUPsdY9FTtuDZZb3lHD9GTaiWsKkHXo%3D&reserved=0) [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/firewall/protect-azure-virtual-desktop](https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fazure%2Ffirewall%2Fprotect-azure-virtual-desktop&data=05%7C01%7Cdanielli%40microsoft.com%7Cb28c1a9f6b6648e7250008da6900f4a0%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C637937750086302592%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qobzgNH6XSfD58YgD%2FB3uj96Vf1%2Bs0dkLZj0%2BzYCyDU%3D&reserved=0) By 1 March 2023, kms.core.windows.net will point to **20.118.99.224** instead of 23.102.135.246\. This change will have no effect on Azure Global Cloud customers who have followed troubleshooting guides to include two new KMS IP addresses. Blog post [Azure Windows Virtual Machine Activation: two new KMS IP addresses (…and why you should care)](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-compute-blog/azure-windows-virtual-machine-activation-two-new-kms-ip/ba-p/3621189) has more details. * Windows Virtual Machines * Operating System * Services