How to control distribution of VMX & VMDK file?

[Ravisinha]

I have a product image which we distribute using VMX & VMDK file. In order to stop un-controlled distribution, we would like to add some licensing mechanism with image distribution. Our requirment is without license key, user will not be able to load the image to use the sw.

License would be based on -

MAC address of user PC

end date

How can we achieve this requirement? We are using VMplayer  4.0.4 build-744019

[alelievre]

If you are delivering a Microsoft Windows based image, maybe you can delivered it unactivated. Users will have to activate Windows to use the image once they will deploy it.

[schepp]

Hi welcome to the communities,

this is not a task for the VMware Players. Even if you were able to block it on VMware level you could possible bypass it by converting the image to Microsoft VirtualPC image or Virtualbox.

You should include a licensing mechanism in the software you wrote.

Regards

[continuum]

Consider to use Workstation 7 instead - there you ca\n enable ACE-features which would allow you to restrict the usage of a ACE-VM.

[WoodyZ]

Consider to use Workstation 7 instead - there you ca\n enable ACE-features which would allow you to restrict the usage of a ACE-VM.

I would think only if one currently has an ACE License because according to VMware ACE End of Availability & End of Service Life FAQs one "will not be able to purchase VMware ACE Licenses after 12/31/2011".