Purchasing question ESX

[Totohydra]

I don't think the vendor understood what I was trying to get across so let me put it out to the group.

I requested a quote for Virtualized Infrastructure to include two ESX nodes.

Many line items were in the quote. Among them were two ESX licenses.

I asked the vendor if these were necessare if ESXi was free. When I manage an ESXi node in Virtual Infrastructure Client there is an option to manage it in Virtual Infrastructure.

The vendor's response was that they always added them in based on CPU content per server requested.

But are they necessary?

Am I getting took or can I not mingle my existing ESXi nodes with soon to arrive ESX boxes?

[weinstein5]

You definitely can moingle ESX and ESXi - just rememebr that with ESXi there are no addiitionaly licenses that are supplied - so I think what your venor might be doing is a way to keep their book keeping stragiht

[TomHowarth]

you can manage free ESXi with VC but you do need to purchase a license.

What you get with ESXi is a very good Hypervisor, but not much else. to get the higher features of VMotion, DRS, HA, and Management etc you need to put your hands in your pocket for licenses

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Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

[Totohydra]

So just to clarify...

I have ESXi currently installed on one server and manage using Infrastructure Client.

I purchase two new servers. For those servers I purchase ESX licenses as part of a VI quote to include support, etc.

I can manage the ESXi box in VI the same as I could in VI Client but cannot make it part of a group for vmotion DRS etc?

[weinstein5]

You can have your ESXi server utilize vmotion, DRS and HA only if you purchase those additional licenses -