VMware Cloud Community
SuperSpike
Contributor
Contributor

vSphere 5 Licensing

I took a minute to read the licensing guide for vSphere 5 and I'm still trying to pull my jaw off the floor. VMware has completely screwed their customers this time. Why?

What I used to be able to do with 2 CPU licenses now takes 4. Incredible.

Today

BL460c G7 with 2 sockets and 192G of memory = 2 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses
DL585 G7 with 4 sockets and 256G of memory = 4 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses

Tomorrow

BL460c G7 with 2 sockets and 192G of memory = 4 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses
BL585 G7 with 4 sockets and 256G of memory = 6 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses


So it's almost as if VMware is putting a penalty on density and encouraging users to buy hardware with more sockets rather than less.

I get that the vRAM entitlements are for what you use, not necessarily what you have, but who buys memory and doesn't use it?

Forget the hoopla about a VM with 1 TB of memory. Who in their right mind would deploy that using the new license model? It would take 22 licenses to accommodate! You could go out and buy the physical box for way less than that today, from any hardware vendor.

Anyone else completely shocked by this move?

@Virtual_EZ
Reply
0 Kudos
1,980 Replies
MKguy
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

>In my opinion VMware is still a much more advanced platform and there is no hard in paying a premium to enjoy the fruits.

I love how you are just admitting that the new model is overpriced.

The point that you are missing though is that most of us don't need a BMW or Mercedes in the first place, and that "good enough" does not mean it's bad to begin with. Surely, if I had my own rotary-money press I wouldn't hesitate but sadly I don't own one (and I presume nobody else here does).

>Even with the new model, you will still be better off with being virtual.

Oh yes, like paying $91749 alone for Hypervisor-licensing for my cool, cloudy, now possible 1TB VM with 1 a year SNS sounds like an awesome deal. Where can I sign up?!

-- http://alpacapowered.wordpress.com
Reply
0 Kudos
SuperSpike
Contributor
Contributor

Bilal wrote:

Why not size your VMs to what they will use? Why cry over something that can be controlled. If you will be fine with them charging you for utilized RAM, then just provision the VMs appropriately. Now factors like TPS, ballooning, swaping and compression can be used as they will always change. The only static number is the configured memory. So just configure the VMs appropriately.

I don't know what world you live in where you actually have a choice in how VMs are sized. I challenge every single server request that I receive. Users (especially developers) always want more RAM. If you're a Java-heavy shop, you need A LOT of RAM. If you use any of the SpringSource components like vFabric, those need a lot of RAM, too. This argument holds about as much water as VMware telling customers to start all VMs with a single vCPU "unless it's multi-threaded." Yeah right, what modern app ISN'T multi-threaded? 9 times out of 10, it's the software vendor setting the memory requirements. If we go against what the software vendor recommends, that opens up all kinds of risk for us.

Any experienced VMware user knows: You ALWAYS run out of memory first. VMware surveyed their customers and realized this. vSphere 5 pricing is the net result.

@Virtual_EZ
Reply
0 Kudos
Full_Halsey
Contributor
Contributor

I am a VCP with a properly deployed and sized VM environment. I am "right sized". The other poster's argument justifying a upgrade premium of 2 to 3 times current licensing is stupid. Your argument is illogical and invalid. 

Reply
0 Kudos
ats0401
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I just noticed this in the licensing PDF

Q: I have received an alert from VMware vCenter that I have
exceeded the available pooled vRAM, but the product did
not prevent me from deploying a new virtual machine.
What is going on?
A: Only vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus implement hard
enforcement of vRAM capacity. VMware vCenter Server
Standard will not prevent you from exceeding the available
vRAM capacity; it will only signal that the licensing of the
environment is out of compliance. VMware licensing policy
is that customers should buy licenses in advance of use,
so we recommend monitoring the vRAM consumption and
extending the available pooled vRAM capacity before
exceeding it. In this example, to become compliant you should
immediately add enough vSphere licenses to cover the high
watermark of consumed vRAM capacity.

"In this example, to become compliant you should
immediately add enough vSphere licenses to cover the high
watermark of consumed vRAM capacity"

YEAH,, I'm sure we will all jump RIGHT on that.  </s>

Reply
0 Kudos
StylusEater
Contributor
Contributor

> Any experienced VMware user knows: You ALWAYS run out of memory first.

Exactly. My CPUs do next to nothing but I always have to stack RAM when I buy new nodes. I'm glad those surveys do something useful.

Reply
0 Kudos
StylusEater
Contributor
Contributor

> YEAH,, I'm sure we will all jump RIGHT on that.

You will once the BSA comes knocking. 😕

Reply
0 Kudos
ats0401
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Considering I'm in a war zone, I highly doubt anyone from the BSA will come knocking Smiley Happy

Reply
0 Kudos
StylusEater
Contributor
Contributor

> Considering I'm in a war zone, I highly doubt anyone from the BSA will come knocking

One can only hope they do! 🙂

Reply
0 Kudos
waynej
Contributor
Contributor

StylusEater wrote:

> YEAH,, I'm sure we will all jump RIGHT on that.

You will once the BSA comes knocking. 😕

Or you call VMware support on a critical issue.  After examining the log bundle your support case is put on hold until you pay the piper to license your vRAM usage -- and pay for back SnS fees -- after they see you have exceeded your license level for the last X months.

Reply
0 Kudos
dgrace
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

SuperSpike wrote:

Today

BL460c G7 with 2 sockets and 192G of memory = 2 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses
DL585 G7 with 4 sockets and 256G of memory = 4 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses

Tomorrow

BL460c G7 with 2 sockets and 192G of memory = 4 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses
BL585 G7 with 4 sockets and 256G of memory = 6 vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses


Anyone else completely shocked by this move?

That doesn't include oversubscribing with TPS. I have servers that are saving 50-80% RAM from TPS. That's a slew more licenses that will be needed too. We support K-12 schools (budget slashing!). We're going to be hosed by this. I've spent 6 years promoting VMWare in our environment and locally/statewide. With this, I'm hosed too.

EDIT: The 50-80% are on my non-Nehalem servers. With MMU I'm going to have to review my RAM needs as I replace the older hosts.

Reply
0 Kudos
ats0401
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

my point is, jacking up the price and screwing your customers like this is a great way to encourage piracy of your software.
Going after customers with BSA or holding them hostage on support requests is a horrible way to increase your revenue and grow your business.

I really hope VMware addresses this and listens to their customers before the actual release of vSphere 5.0.

Reply
0 Kudos
rickardnobel
Champion
Champion

Wayne wrote:

Or you call VMware support on a critical issue.  After examining the log bundle your support case is put on hold until you pay the piper to license your vRAM usage -- and pay for back SnS fees -- after they see you have exceeded your license level for the last X months.

I like the fact the they present the "monitor tool" for this as a great new feature, with large bold YES! Smiley Happy

monitor.JPG

My VMware blog: www.rickardnobel.se
Reply
0 Kudos
Frank_Heidbuche
Contributor
Contributor

well except for complaining here in this forum, is there anything else we can actualy do...

to let vmware revise this?

i don't like to idea that i'm paying yearly maintenance for support and upgrades...

and then be a change like this, are stopped from upgrading...

can they legaly do this.

if so i want my SnS back...

no point in paying for it, if you can't upgrade, as this would mean slashing my IT budget.

Reply
0 Kudos
stevieg
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

SuperSpike wrote:

Bilal wrote:

Why not size your VMs to what they will use?

I don't know what world you live in where you actually have a choice in how VMs are sized. I challenge every single server request that I receive. Users (especially developers) always want more RAM. If you're a Java-heavy shop, you need A LOT of RAM. If you use any of the SpringSource components like vFabric, those need a lot of RAM, too.

Exactly - this is the point - 90% of our VMs are right sized, but we have many that cannot be, simply because we are bound by the vendor's sizing for the environment and applications teams will not want to deviate because of the support implications.

I understand the logic of why VMware think they need to do this, as VMware reveneues only stand to fall flat or drop as people reduce host count and customers new to virtualisation consider Hyper-V first, but I don't believe this will help with their problem.

The only model of this variation I could have lived with was moving to a flat ESX edition structure, scapping CPU licensing and focusing on *utilised* RAM "bundles" instead. Getting the new features (Ent cust here) and being licensed on real utilisation would have been an easier pill to swallow. We would have also had a list of benefits to go into a business case when asking for more funds in the future.

Steve

Reply
0 Kudos
Frank_Heidbuche
Contributor
Contributor

any idea how long vmware is legaly bound to support V4.1?

and how easy would it be to migrate to hyper-V or xenserver?

Reply
0 Kudos
stevieg
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Pascal Watteel wrote:

well except for complaining here in this forum, is there anything else we can actualy do...

to let vmware revise this?


One suggestion is to speak to your VMware reseller, let them know your concerns and what you plan to do about it if there isn't a change. I know I have.

Steve

Reply
0 Kudos
aarondovetail
Contributor
Contributor

Never touched Hyper-V before, downloading the trial now to see what it's all about

Reply
0 Kudos
Frank_Heidbuche
Contributor
Contributor

the problem is WE are the vmware partner and integrator.

Reply
0 Kudos
chanaka_ek
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I will bet anything that next update to hyper-v will include memory single instancing (form of tps) along with relaxed memory overcommit restrictions and that will make lot of decision making easier for potential virtualisation customers Smiley Happy

Sent from my iPhone

Reply
0 Kudos
Frank_Heidbuche
Contributor
Contributor

let me know how it goes....

i'm doing the same for xenserver now.

Reply
0 Kudos