VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit Offering-Need help in understanding for DC & DR setup.

[Karan9650]

Hello There,

Hope everyone is keeping safe & healthy !

I was curious to know more about VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit understand this is primarily designed for requirements where the VM-ware cluster is max upto 6 sockets. Just wanted to have your insights around in a 3 server scenario-2 @ DC and 1 @ DR with 2 sockets on each host machine, how exactly will this be deployed or work. Also lets say I add on more hosts either @ DC or DR, can I still do the management via a single vCenter server or do I need to upgrade my existing licenses or buy new one. Please guide with Do's and Don'ts  for the same.

Thanks in advance.

[dimyke]

Hi

If you want to add more hosts, you will need a new vCenter license as your current license only allows for 3 hosts and a specific amount of CPUs.
So when you add a 4th node you will need 2 new licenses. 1 for the ESXi and then a new one for vCenter (as the vCenter is licensed to manage 3 nodes max). I don't think it is possible to ugprade an essentials kit license to something higher but I am not sure.
I remember reading this somewhere.

How 'it' will be deployed and how 'it' will work is a question you need to ask yourself. You or your partner need to design/configure/deploy the environment as per your needs...
But to answer: ESXi will be  installed on the 3 nodes and a vCenter appliance will be deployed on one of the nodes.
For example you could install ESXi with the ISO through the IPMI console of the server.
Then from a jumphost you can deploy vCenter on your ESXi.

Kind regards
Dimitri

[e_espinel]

Hello.
Attached is a link about VMware licenses.
https://www.vmware.com/content/dam/digitalmarketing/vmware/en/pdf/products/vsphere/vmware-vsphere-pr...

VMware vSphere Essentials Plus kit includes 2 licenses, one VMware vSphere Essentials Plus license for 6 CPUs (3 hosts with 2 sockets each) and one vCenter Server Essentials license.

The vCenter Server Essentials can only manage up to 3 VMware vSphere Essentials.