Essentials

[flyingpig21]

I am moving three KVM hosts to Essentials and wondered as a first step can I install the Sphere 60 day trial so as to familiarise myself before buying the essentials I realise functionality will be reduced upon using essentials and already am prepared for that.

I couldn't find any essentials downloads in of its self.

Thanks

[asajm]

Hi @flyingpig21 

After login you can download it per each version Download VMware vSphere 

[e_espinel · Accepted solution]

Hello.
You can register for free at my VMware. Then with your user and password you can go to the Trial and free products section, choose VMware vSphere and register for the 60 day demo.
You can enter a vmware vSphere license at any time without reinstalling.

https://my.vmware.com

[flyingpig21]

Thanks I downloaded the 60 day trial version and then found I was offered a free licence so applied that so I have a free licence for this but do I need the Vmware elements on top of this I am thinking for backup or something ?

I am unsure as to the difference I think elements provides a hypervisor across different bare metal machines but also my Synology which I use a s a san and backup may require an elements licence ?

Is it possible to evacuate elements also ?

[e_espinel]

Hello.

The free license has several limitations

• You can't Manage via vCenter Server
• Maximum 2 physical CPUs in Hosts
• Maximum 8 vCPU Virtual Machines (VMs)
• No VMware Support

VMware has deactivated the vStorage API in the VMware vSphere Hypervisor (Free), which means that virtual machines cannot be backed up using standard backup programs.

When you install vmwarevsphere  you automatically activate a 60-day demo license (all Feactures) and after that time most of its Feactures are deactivated, you will need to enter a free license or a paid license.

You should make sure that all hardware (Server, Storage, and others) is supported by VMware, this can be verified at the following link

https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php

You can check the different types of licenses in the following link

VMware vSphere Compute VirtualizationLicensing, pricing and packaging  (WH I T E P A P E R –SEPTEMBER 2020)

https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/products/vsphere/vmware-vsphere-pr...