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maishsk
Expert
Expert

Adding hardware to a running machine with ESX4i Free license

When activating the free ESX4i license - it seems that removing the hotpluggable virtual hadrware from the license (which I gather was originally supposed to stop the addition on CPU/RAM) has created a more serious problem

Once the licesnse has been changed from Evaluation

to Free

Then it is no longer possible to add any virtual hardware to a running machine - no NIC / Hard Disks either

Error received

Firstly what is "Need have have"

Secondly this feature has been an integral part of VMware products (it works on all versions of Workstation/Server and and ESX 3.5 Product) since I can remember - why was it removed?



Maish

Virtualization Architect & Systems Administrator

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design
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26 Replies
wila
Immortal
Immortal

why was it removed?

Because VMware thinks it is a feature that people will want to pay money for?

Instead it just upsets the VMware fan base.

They are effectively crippling the free product to be less interesting as Hyper-V (R2 or not), a bit of a strange thing to take features away.

It is like taking away the writable RCLI again, how can we trust in VMware not doing this in the future?

Effectively making ESXi free a non interesting platform as people will wonder what will be taken away in the next update.

This is NOT making sense guys.



--

Wil

_____________________________________________________

Visit the VMware developers wiki at http://www.vi-toolkit.com

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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LucasAlbers
Expert
Expert

i am able to remove nic cards from a running system on esxi 4.

I think your licenses are corrupt or wrong.

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LucasAlbers
Expert
Expert

after reading other post's I can see that you are correct, and it appears you need a license to hot add hardware.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Hot Add is not available on a licensed ESXi 4.0. Please see the vSphere Editions Comparison chart:

http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/buy/editions_comparison.html

VMware-GSS,

VMware Communities User Moderator

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maishsk
Expert
Expert

I would like to think that someone in vmware made a mistake - if what the comparison charts say are correct - then you will not be able to add any virtual hardware in any edition of ESX besides- Advanced

Of course since this is a free product - the only way to get support is to post through this forum - so would it be possible to get some kind of comment from the VMware staff on this issue?

Maish

Virtualization Architect & Systems Administrator

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design
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DSTAVERT
Immortal
Immortal

This is HOT adding. Hot adding has not been a part of ESXi until 4. To add ram or disk or cpu has always been a cold process.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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maishsk
Expert
Expert

I beg to differ.

Adding RAM/CPU has been a cold process

Adding NIC/HD was always available on the fly

Today with hot-add (CPU/RAM) this will only work on OS's that support it



Maish

Virtualization Architect & Systems Administrator

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design
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DSTAVERT
Immortal
Immortal

Didn't mean to include disk. Nics didn't work though.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
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AndreTheGiant
Immortal
Immortal

Adding NIC/HD was always available on the fly

Only disks Hot-Adding was availble since 3.5.x.

Net card Hot-Adding is only for ESX 4.

Andre

**if you found this or any other answer useful please consider allocating points for helpful or correct answers

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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maishsk
Expert
Expert

I stand corrected - NICS were not available in 3.5 - but HD's were and no longer are.

Maish

Virtualization Architect & Systems Administrator

Maish Saidel-Keesing • @maishsk • http://technodrone.blogspot.com • VMTN Moderator • vExpert • Co-author of VMware vSphere Design
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isi
Contributor
Contributor

Hi,

vcenter Agent is missing also in 4.i Free. It was in 3.5. This sucks.

Time to hava a look at Hyper-V.

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LucasAlbers
Expert
Expert

Don't you still need to get an agent license?

But I mean seriously, how often do you need hot add hardware to a system?

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MarkGreifenberg
Contributor
Contributor

yes, a free vcenter agent license for esxi4 would be great.

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Josh26
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Hi,

vcenter Agent is missing also in 4.i Free. It was in 3.5. This sucks.

Time to hava a look at Hyper-V.

I don't get what you're complaining about. vcenter agent always required a purchased license. ESXi 3.5 would not connect to Virtual Center unless you had a license.

I missed the part where Hyper-V supported management of multiple hosts from one interface on a free edition in order to compete with this.

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MarkGreifenberg
Contributor
Contributor

please delete

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isi
Contributor
Contributor

Hmmm, I've a esx 3.5i connected to our vcenter server the only license key i got was that from vmware.

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Josh26
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

isi wrote:

Hmmm, I've a esx 3.5i connected to our vcenter server the only license key i got was that from vmware.

Perhaps you are still running a 60 day trial? This issue is discussed here:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/159777

You obviously have some sort of license because vcenter itself is a licensed product.

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M_B_-_NS
Contributor
Contributor

This is seriously a shame.

Sure, I have no real business case for hot-adding disks that do not require Advanced licences anyway, but I use this very convenient feature very often on ESX 3.5, Workstation and I'm quite sure I'm not alone.

Not having it anymore will be frustrating for many VMware users.

What would it cost them to only licence CPU/RAM/NIC hot-add, and leave disk hot-add the way it was ?

Removing features will not do any good to VMware...

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isi
Contributor
Contributor

mea culpa

looks like you're right. so I better go and check the licenses twice.

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