VMware vSphere Essentials Kit for 3 hosts - questions about licensing

[SantiagoGL]

Hi friends,

Only a novice question. VMware VSPHERE 5 ESSENTIALS KIT is limited to 6 CPU, allows you 3 servers with up to 2 processors each. I assume it's talking about VM servers (installed on a physical machine), ain't?

My idea is 2 physical servers (primary server and backup server), on each 2 VM (2 threads to one and the other one to another). Total: 6 cpu/theads. It could be done?.

Other configuration could be these?

- 2 physical servers

- Primary server: 2 VMs 2 threads each (4cpu)

- Backup server: 2 VMs 1 thread each (2cpu) => this VMs are mirror of the otherone on Primary server, but 1 thread limited

Regards.

[a_p_]

The VMware licenses are for the processor sockets on the physical hosts. You can install as many virtual machines as you want on the hosts. However, don't forget that you may also need to purchase appropriate licenses for the guest operating systems from the different vendors.

André

PS: I brached your question to a new discussion.

[SantiagoGL]

Sorry, but I'm not sure about understand you..

In VMWARE web page: VMware Europe Official Online Store - VMware vSphere Essentials Kit We can read this text in "compare kits" label: "3 servers with up to 2 processors each". I assume that 3 servers are 3 instalations of vmware hypervisor on 3 physical machines. I'm right? Also, we can read this text: "This kit includes 6 CPU licenses of vSphere Essentials (for 3 servers with up to 2 processors each) and 1 license for vCenter Server Essentials." in "what's included" label. So I assume you be able to run one instance of vcenter. But what's 6 cpu license of vSphere Essentials (for 3 servers with up to 2 processors each) ?  It's talking about physical maquines, virtual machines, processors, processor's cores, processor's theads?

Thanks.

Regards.

[richardsonporto]

The 6 CPU license allows you run 3 physical servers with up to 2 sockets processors each.

[a_p_]

vSphere is licensed by physical processor sockets, i.e. 3 hosts x 2 CPUs = 6 CPU licenses. Except for the Essentials Kits (which have the mentioned limitation), you can use hosts with any number of sockets up to the supported maximum, provided you have a license for each socket. In previous versions, there was also a limitation for the number of cores in the physical CPUs and for the host's memory, but such limitations don't exist for the current version anymore.

André

[SantiagoGL]

Perfect! Both help me a lot. Thank you.

Best regards