Trying to understand how this (confusing) licensing system works. VMView vs VSphere desktops

[AndyGK]

Good Afternoon!

First here's some basic stats about our setup:

System Data:

We’re running ESX 4.0, VSphere 4.0, and View 4.0

The system is intended be a virtual Computer Lab for

several courses on our campus. The pool uses provisioned non-persistent linked

clones. Users login through the web

based interface for vmview, and it provisions new machines based on the

min/max/available settings we choose.

Problem:

We’re hitting a hardcap of 20 desktop hosts, even though we

have 70 VM View licenses? When we hit this cap, View is unable to provision more.

What actually defines the hardcap of how many machines

vmware view can provision with VSphere? Do we need to

be purchasing per desktop licensing for the vSphere Desktop Hosts, AND for

View? (One license so Vsphere can host it, and 1 so it can be pulled up in VMView?)

I've attached a copy of our current licensing setup in VSphere. (I'd attached it for View Manager as well, but that product licensing page doesn't offer much in the way of information.)

[mikebarnett]

Hi Andy,

It looks like the vSphere licenses that you used for this environment are the ones that include a hard limit of VMs.

To provide a bit of background, View does not enforce its license limit in its software. The license limits are enforced in the EULA. It is an honor system. So View would never tell you that you had exceeded your license capacity or prevent you from spinning up more VMs. It is also licensed by concurrent connections so you could have 10000 VMs provisioned in your environment as long as only 70 are connected at any one time.

The limit is coming from your vSphere licensing. I would contact our licensing group and discuss this issue with them to find out why your vSphere licensing is showing up with this limit.

Hope this helps!

-Mike

[AndyGK]

Thanks, Mike. What would be the best way to contact them?

[mikebarnett]

You can call our main support number and ask to speak with someone regarding licensing. Our customer service team should be able to route you to the correct place. You will likely need the PLA (Primary License Administrator) for your account to open the case as they will likely have to provide some details about the account.

Here is our support number:

1-877-486-9273

-Mike

[coffeelover]

I am in the midst of resolving this for our multiple site/multiple VIEW installations.

Currently I strongly advise you upgrade to VIEW 4.5 with 4.1 vSphere and vCenter. At least now the vsphere for desktops licensing appears to be a soft limit like the View system itself. I know that the 4.0.1 system(s) exhibited this vSphere VM hard limit.

Also, you state you are licensed for 70 View concurrent connections. You should be able to build/use a 70 VM vSphere for desktops license key. We initially implemented a 70 licensed View4.0 system with a 10VM vSphere license. It was not pretty!

Currently I have just deployed and tested VMs to a VIEW 4.5 with vSphere 4.1 components. The 100 VM vSphere for desktops license is currently showing -20 VMs available!! I have 120 VMs turned on as of this writing!!!

-Patrick-