vCenter licensing for 3.5

[njd62495]

OK, I know this question has probably been asked a thousand times already...

I want to upgrade my Virtual Center Server to vCenter 4.0. I'm not ready to upgrade all of my host servers just yet (they are all ESX 3.5 Update4), as I'm waiting for the first service pack for 4.0 to come out. Yes I am a chicken

Is there anything I need to do with my 3.5 licenses, or can I just upgrade the virtual center server to 4.0 (my licensing server runs on the virtual center server), and then create the 4.0 license (which will also include the old 3.5 licenses) when I am ready to upgrade. I've done upgrades before but unfortunately this is my first go round with the virtual center licensing.

[byoung111 · Accepted solution]

The process is simple. Upgrade your vCenter server. The new vCenter server will see your 3.5 license server and you will be able to see your 3.5 licences from there. Then add your 4.0 licenses to vCenter. Our 4.0 licenses were automatically created from VMware, and we just copied and pasted them into vCenter. I don't believe the new licenses carry any information about your 3.5 licenses. You have to keep your 3.5 license server until you are done with 3.5 ESX servers as licensing for 4.0 is handled through vCenter.

Hope that helps.

[anujmodi1]

You can upgrade the vCenter 4 and can add esx 3.x , esx 4 into that center. Go through the vCenter upgrade guide before planning next change.

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vs_pages/vsp_pubs_esxi40_i_vc40.html

AM,

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[njd62495]

Thanks.

[AntonVZhbankov]

You can upgrade vCenter only to 4.0, it perfectly works with ESX 3.5. But you need License server with 3.5 licenses anyway.

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