Can I use the same license key to activate VMware ESXi 5.5?

[Acevirgil]

I have server and VMware ESXI 5.5 running on it and it's licensed. I'm planning to deploy another server and install the ESXi 5.5 and apply the same license key to activate it. Is this possible?

Thank you.

[schepp]

Hi,

I hope you are talking about the free Hypervisor license key right? 😉

You can use that on multiple servers.

[KSethi]

Hope you are referring to the free version if yes then you can use it.

[Acevirgil]

Hi Tim and LSethi,

Thank you for responses. But i'm not referring to the free version. The license was purchase separately.

[schepp]

It depends. A license key can be valid for several CPU sockets.

Do you use vCenter Server?

When you add the license key to the vCenter, it will tell you for how many sockets it's valid. Then you can assign the key to the servers and it will show you sockets left.

You can also check in the myvmware.com portal for how many sockets your license is valid.

Tim

[Linjo]

VMware ESXi is licensed per socket usually, so if you have enough unused licenses then yes, if not then you need to buy more.

// Linjo

[Acevirgil]

Hi Tim,

I don't use vCenter server. The license is 2-socket. How would the server know if the license was already utilized by other server?

[schepp]

Are you really just asking in the official VMware forums how to break your license contract with VMware?

[SavkoorSuhas]

Licensing is done per socket.

If you haven't used all your sockets on the current ESXi then you can add new hosts.

A vague example

License for 4 sockets and you have 3 ESXi host with 1 socket each. Then you can add another ESXi host provided it has one socket.

Suhas

[JinuV]

It is possible to add on another esxi..but you cannot put both on cluster and it license voilation as per vmware