Which license should I get?

[IT_Architect]

For a 5 person business I bought a new server from Dell with vSphere 7.02 pre-installed:
- vSphere on separate Dell drive system.
- 4TB Mirror SAS
- 2 Xeons w/6C /32T
- 32GB
- It is going to run two, 2022 Server Standard installs, one as the DC and file server, and the other running MSSQL 2019.  The MSSQL is required for Line-Of-Business software and they do not want to keep their data off-site.  For the operating system backups I'll probably use StorageCraft ShadowProtect.

The question that remains is the best way to backup VMs themselves in this scenario.  In a web scenario, I have two servers that cross-backup the VMs to each other using GhettoVCB with an NFS share projected from a Windows VM on each side.  In this situation I could do the same thing to workstation on the LAN.  That would simply require a free license.  My questions are:
1.  Is there are better way by using one of the vSphere licenses?
2.  Which license would be appropriate?

Thanks!

[fabio1975]

Ciao 

I would recommend that you buy at least the vSphere Essential license which, at a minimal cost, enables you the vSphere API to back up your VMs without having to install any agents.
I do not know theStorageCraft ShadowProtect SW but with the purchase of the license, most of the backup SW (Nakivo, Veeam etc) will allow you to protect even the internal VM workloads with the simple backup of the internal Virtual machine and be able to restore the individual files inside it.
The GhettoVCB backup solution is definitely working but it depends on what recovery times you have to guarantee and what data quality

[IT_Architect]

That sounds like what I would want to work with any 3rd party backup solution.  I assume the license is good only for the version of ESXi you are running, and any upgrades of ESXi means you re-buy?  (Not that that is big deal at that price)

[fabio1975 · Accepted solution]

Ciao 

The vSphere Essentials Kit licenses are perpetual and does not expire. It includes 6 CPU licenses of vSphere Essentials (for 3 servers with up to 2 processors each) and 1 license for vCenter Server Essentials The support term includes updates and new releases of the selected product during the time frame selected. Support for the selected product can be chosen on per incident basis. 

So when buying the Essential license you can choose whether to have 1 or 3 years of updates and new releases. (Change the cost if you choose 1 or 3 years and end of the year or 3 years you can renew it ..)

[IT_Architect]

You've given me what needed to know.  THANKS TONS!!!

[scott28tt]

Not sure why you started a second thread, this first one would have done:

https://communities.vmware.com/t5/ESXi-Discussions/Which-license-do-I-need-to-copy-from-VMFS-on-one-...

[IT_Architect]

These two threads are about two completely different situations and goals:

- The first one is to copy from a vmfs volume on one host to a vmfs volume on another host to preserve the -thin.  The way things shook out, it would cost $5,596.00 and quite a bit of complexity to solve a small problem that I had a work-around for if necessary.  A free solution was brought to my attention as to how I might integrate it with what I have been doing with GhettoVCB.  

- This thread is about a single host with two Windows 2022 Server VMs, with one acting as DC and file server and the other as MSSQL host in a small business environment.  There is no requirement here to copy between vSphere hosts.  I want to move off bare metal because moving to new hardware is such a pain, Microsoft's security has morphed to where they want their major services on separate boxes, and I'm addicted to snapshot so when an update goes bad in Windows, Linux, or FreeBSD, I can get back to the way it was before I started.  I planned to use ShadowProtect for the OSs and GhettoVCB here also to a separate computer unless there is a better way via a license.  It seems Essentials plus a one of the backup solutions mentioned can give me both in one backup solution.  

While I've used vSphere/ESXi steady since 2008, GhettoVCB and the free license was the only combination that made sense, and apparently still does in that scenario.  However, at business customer sites, it seems Essentials makes a lot of sense.  If you have some thoughts/strategies about either of these two scenarios I'd be interested. 

Thanks for your input!