Enquiry on VI Licensing

[roundorange]

Hi All,

I just started to look at VMware Infrastructure and have some queries regarding the licensing, if anyone can help with.

I read from the following URLs ...

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi_pricing.pdf

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_license_FAQ.pdf

... that license purchased is based on "capacity per two processors" increments and depolyment can be mixed and match.

If I currently have two single processor servers, can I split the "1 x 2 processor license" into 2 x 1 and apply to these two servers individually? Or do I need to purchase 2 sets of "two processor license" for these two single processor servers?

TIA!

[MR-T]

You can't split these out I'm afraid.

You'll need to purchase 2 licences if you're running 2 x 2CPU servers.

[oreeh]

According to this thread http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=51944 it is possible if you use a license server.

I admit I never tried it.

[skippy33]

As oreeh said, you can with a licence server. The licence server will list 2 licences for 1 CPU. Each ESX will use 1 licence.

[roundorange]

Hi, thanks for the prompt response. If I got you wrongly, to clarify, I am running 2 servers, each with 1 CPU and not 2 servers, each with 2 CPUs.

[MR-T]

You need 2 CPU's to run ESX (Supported).

[roundorange]

My CPU in this case is a Quad Core.. =p But VMware licensing is based on per physical CPU? Or do you mean to say that I need to have 2 physical CPUs (regardless of number of cores) to run a supported VI?

[oreeh]

Or do you mean to say that I need to have 2 physical CPUs (regardless of number of cores) to run a supported VI?

exactly

[roundorange]

Hmmm... any idea if this can this be done via the online license manager? (http://www.vmware.com/download/licensing.html)

[MR-T]

To be honest, I've not tried to split a 2 CPU licence before.

You need 2 physical CPU's to install ESX server. You require 1 licence to make this work.

Each ESX licence gives you 2 CPU support.

So, they've made it simple really. If you have 1 server with 2 physical CPU's, regardless of cores, you require 1 licence.

That's it.

[oreeh · Accepted solution]

Redeem your license as described here http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_license_steps.pdf using Centralized License Server license.

Add the licenses to the license server and point your ESX hosts to the License Server.

Again: One physical CPU per ESX is NOT a supported configuration!

[roundorange]

Thanks MR-T & oreeh for the clarifications. I wasn't aware that the minimum number of CPUs is 2 cos when I was testing out the VI3 eval, there was no warning when I installed on the single quad core, hence my subsequent query on the licensing breakdown.

Many thanks for your time and best regards,

[esiebert7625]

Similar threads on this issue. I started a thread in the moderators forum on this last week to see if someone from VMware could confirm if you can do this. The initial response is that you can split the license, they are not sure if this is documented and are looking into it further. Of course as mentioned it is not a supported configuration.

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=87871&tstart=0

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=648327&#648327