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BrightPeter
Contributor
Contributor

ESX 3 x 2 Processor License

We are upgrading from 2 pysical CPU's to 4 physical CPU's in our current ESX 3.0.2 server and looking to bring another ESX server online with 4 physical CPU's. What licenses do I need to order to cover me for this?

I tried ordering 3 x 2 CPU license but my reseller tells me that I MUST order telephone support with these licenses, that VMware stipulate it.

Can anyone confirm this.

Thank you

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Texiwill
Leadership
Leadership

Hello,

Yes VMware requires support with most purchases if not all. YOu need a 4 CPU license but 2 2CPU licenses will work. YOu may want to contact your original sales rep or another sales rep to see if you can just upgrade. However, I do know that most vendors are stuck with this as well.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky, author of the forthcoming 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', publishing January 2008, (c) 2008 Pearson Education. Available on Rough Cuts at http://safari.informit.com/9780132302074

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
jhanekom
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

As of ESX 3.x, all licensing was changed to 2CPU chunks. The old model of 4CPU, 8CPU and 16CPU licenses was dropped. As long as you have enough licenses to cover all the CPU sockets you're using, things will be fine. (It's perhaps a good idea to just bring up the topic of multi-core here again: in many cases it's more efficient to buy one or two smaller, newer servers rather than having to fork out money for newer VMware licenses to re-use old single-core 4-CPU monsters.)

SnS (Support and Subscription) or SLS (Support and Limited Subscription) is mandatory on all orders. Both are available in Gold (9x5) and Platinum (24x7) options. (SLS allows upgrades only to new point releases, not new major releases.)

Yearly Gold SnS costs is calculated as 21% of the purchase price of the main product. Platinum is 25% of the purchase price.

Yearly Gold SLS costs is calculated as 16% of the purchase price of the main product. Platinum is 20% of the purchase price.

For more authoritative information:

NeelR
Contributor
Contributor

So if you have a 4 proc box, and only 2 proc license, do you see any issues? Does it just not 'enable' the othe 2 procs?

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mcwill
Expert
Expert

Note, that unless you need all the features of the Enterprise license I would hold off on that purchase, there is a massive price cut just around the corner when ESX 3.5 is launched.

eg: For the cost of a 2-cpu Standard License of ESX 3.0 you will be able to purchase a VMware Infrastructure 3.5 Foundation pack that includes 6-cpu of foundation licenses, virtual center and all the neccessary support contracts. (Note that a 3.5 foundation license has all the functionality of a 3.0 standard license).

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jhanekom
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

As far as I know, licensing multiple processors in a server is "all or nothing." If you don't have enough licenses to run the entire server, I don't think you'll be allowed to power on any VMs.

I'd concur with holding off a bit if you're not buying Enterprise Edition - after the previous post I've just taken a closer look and the licensing changes are quite significant!

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