Test environment and extended evaluation

[TxTechLaw]

With the recent security fix announcement:

http://lists.vmware.com/pipermail/security-announce/2010/000090.html

I had to go into my test enviroment, and it of course was not working, as the evaluation period had ended. Anyway, I want to apply these patches to my test systems before I deploy them on my production ESX server, so my question is this, how does everyone running VI3 manage to test patches and updates? Do you hit VMWare up for an extended eval license every 30 days? Or is there some other workaround?

We have a fully supported/paid for VI3 environment, so I'm not trying to get out of paying anything, but like with my guest systems, I want to apply patches on test systems before the patches go to production. And of course test my protocol as well.

Appreciate any guidance on testing environments,

Chad

[weinstein5]

The two methids I have seen - they include in their official environemnt a small test/dev environment or with careful planning vmotion all vms off one host and apply the patches/updates and see what the impact is -

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[TxTechLaw]

Yah, I have 2 test ESX systems and openfiler running withing my VM Workstation, per those how tos floating around the 'net. It works great, the only issue is every 60 days, I have to go thru and re-do the evaluation license. VMware has given me extensions, but it is a real pain of a process, email them for a lic file, deply it, make sure the test ESX systems 'see' the new lic file, etc.

Chad