vCenter

I have to purchase a copy of SQL for Virtual Center before I can install Virtual Center. Can I purchase only SQL 2005 Standard, or do I also need to purchase a CAL(s)?

If I need to purchase a CAL, should I buy a device or user CAL, or does it not matter? How many?

You would need to purchase a copy of SQL Server plus a CAL for each device and/or user who acccesses the database. Even though the ESX hosts won't directly access the database, they do have to be licensed. If the users accessing virtual center already have a SQL CAL they you won't need an additional one for them as a CAL will cover access to an unlimited number of SQL Servers. If you expect more than 27 users/ hosts then you may want to consider getting a processor license for SQL Server (assuming you're looking at a 1 processor SQL Server.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/multiplexing.mspx

When I actually perform the install of SQL on the Virtual Center server, will I have to somehow enter in the keys for the CALS during the installation? Or can I install my copy of SQL Server 2005 and run Virtual Center and buy the SQL CALS in a month or so later on down the road in order to be SQL license compliant? I am just trying to figure out exactly how these CALS come into play and I am not familiar with SQL 2005.

Here's a good SQL FAQ, CAL's are usually the honor system, SQL usually comes with 5 CAL's. SQL Server will never know about more then VC Server's connection to the database. If you exceed 5 CALs I won't tell Microsoft if you don't......

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/howtobuy/faq.mspx

At a technical level, do the ESX servers (and VI3 client) connect to the SQL server directly, or do they connect to the VC server, and the server service talks to SQL?

No they do not, only the VC server connects to the database. ESX hosts and users connect to the VC server which in turn connects to the database.

At a technical level, do the ESX servers (and VI3 client) connect to the SQL server directly, or do they connect to the VC server, and the server service talks to SQL?

IANAL, but I wouldn't think that VC2 Server would constitute multiplexing or pooling software. My understanding is that the VC2 server polls the hosts for information. Since VC2 initiates[/i] the connection, collects data (using a proprietary protocol) and then stores the data, the process isn't driven by the ESX host. Therefore, the host itself isn't a database client.

You would probably still need a CAL per VI3 user, though.

I agree on that one, another Microsoft licensing gray area.

In case anyone wants to know what is in the VC database, check out this info I posted a while ago...

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=626899&#626899

do you have any queries for cpu utilization for ESX server and VM's? We are trying to figure out how to query this data.