Installing a trial version and activating later?

[feargalr]

Hi all,

We're going to install vSphere v. 5 on our server here. The option of VMware was presented to us by the hardware guy that was assembling our server yesterday. We've looked at compatibility and everything is fine there, and we think this will be a good option for us.

However we have a guy coming on Monday to set up a raid and mount the memory (I'm not much of a hardware person so forgive me if I make some mistakes here) and he needs either VMware, or an OS installed on the machine to do so, or so we've been told. It will probably be Tuesday by the time that've raised a PO and paid for the licence, so we were thinking (instead of delaying that guy coming) that we would download the trial version and activate it next week. I was just curious if anyone knows are there any features restricted in the trial version? or is it just the full version with a timer on it?

Also we are going to be going with the vSphere standard kit, something that is confusing me though is whenever I go download a trial it takes me to this page https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/evalcenter?p=vmware-vsphere-ops Which is vSphere with operations management product evaluation center, which I think according to this page VMware vSphere Pricing Options is a different version to the standard one. Is this correct? or will that free trial be fine for the standard licence??

Thanks in advance!

[julienvarela]

Hi,

No need to activate a trial version or something else, when you install an ESXi, the ESXi is automatically in evaluating mode during 60 days. No need to apply something. The link you are posted, is regarding vsphere operation management.

Then , with a free license the major difference is that you cannot manage an ESXi from a vcenter.

Regards,

Julien

[feargalr]

Hi Julien,

Thanks for the reply. Forgive my ignorance here but I'm still confused. In that page with the pricing, the vSphere with operations management is listed as being separate to vSphere standard edition, and the price is different too.

But you're saying that I can download the free trial listed here

Download VMware vSphere with Operations Management Evaluation - Free Managed Virtualization for 60 D...

And then activate this with a standard licence? I won't need to purchase the vSphere with operations management which is listed here on the VMware vSphere Pricing Options as being almost twice the price of a standard licence? Sorry if these are stupid questions, I just find the VMware licencing to be really confusing!

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

The evaluation contains vCenter Server, ESXi as well as Operations Management. Which of these components you later want/need to license, depend on your needs. The binaries are always the same, no matter which version you license. It's only the license key which locks/unlocks the features.

André

[feargalr]

Perfect. Thank you.