Adding new remote sites hosts and licensing for vSphere Replication

[bgctnv]

Hi,

We are currently running a 3 host vSphere 5.5 cluster with the Enterprise Acceleration Kit (no Operations Management; we're grandfathered in from the vSphere 4 Advanced Acceleration Kit).  I'd like to set up a remote site vSphere server or two that would be used as an offsite vSphere Replication (or Data Protection?) destination.  I'm obviously at my 3 host limit with the existing vCenter Foundation.  What licensing would I need to have my existing cluster work with the remote site server(s) with vSphere Replication?

Thanks!

[memaad]

Hi,

For ESXi host you can have any of these license to use vSphere Replication

VMware vSphere 5.1

vSphere Replication Licensing

Certain vSphere editions include the license for vSphere Replication.

vSphere Replication does not have a separate license. You can use vSphere Replication if you have an edition of vSphere that includes the vSphere Replication license.

■	vSphere Essentials Plus
■	vSphere Standard
■	vSphere Enterprise
■	vSphere Enterprise Plus

If you have the correct vSphere license, there is no limit on the number of virtual machines that you can replicate by using  vSphere Replication.

You cannot use vSphere Replication to replicate virtual machines on ESXi hosts that do not have the correct vSphere license. You can install vSphere Replication on an ESXi host that does not have the correct license, but attempts to configure replication on virtual machines on that host fail with a licensing error.

If you configure a virtual machine for replication on a host with the correct vSphere license and move it to a host with an unsupported license, vSphere Replication stops replication of that virtual machine. You can disable vSphere Replication on a configured virtual machine on the unlicensed host.

Regards

Mohammed Emaad

[bgctnv]

Thanks Mohammed.  Would my existing vSphere 5.5 Enterprise environment managed by vCenter Foundation be able to replicate to standalone vSphere 5.5 Standard hosts that are not managed by any version of vCenter?

[memaad]

Hi,

Host are not managed by vCenter server, then VM from those host cannot be replicated using the vSphere replication, Since data is pulled using vCenter inventory.

Regards

Mohammed Emaad

[bgctnv]

I have vCenter Server Foundation at the protected (source) site.  The VMware vSphere Replication 5.5 Overview document states the following:

With vSphere Replication 5.5, users can choose to replicate to a number of different locations: to another site with both a vCenter Server system and a vSphere Replication appliance; to another site with only a vSphere Replication server, within a datacenter to another location on disk; or to any combination they choose.

I understood that to mean that as long as I am licensed for vSphere Replication on the target (replica) side, such as with a single vSphere Standard license, and a vSphere Replication server was deployed at that side, I would be able to use it as a destination/target/replica.  Is that not the case?

[mmarinov]

Hi,

The actual license check is actually performed on the primary host in order to start the replication process for your virtual machines. So, you need vSphere essentials Plus license on your primary host in order to user vSphere Replication.

[bgctnv]

Hi Martin,

When you say primary host, are you referring to the source as opposed to the destination host?

I apologize in advance for my ignorance here.  I'll describe my environment a little better and see if you can help me determine my new licensing needs:

Current site to act as vSphere Replication host/source:

• vSphere Enterprise 5.5 Acceleration Kit licensing
• 3 physical hosts, 2 CPUs each
• 1 cluster
• 1 vCenter Server Foundation instance

All of my licensed entitlements are in use at the current site and I cannot add additional hosts to the vCenter Server Foundation instance.

Future WAN remote site to act as vSphere Replication target/destination/replica:

• 1 physical host, 1 CPU
• 1 cluster
• unknown licensing

Thanks for the assistance!

[Biliana]

Hi,

In order to replicate offsite to another location you would need vCenter Server and vSphere Replication Appliance installed on the target site as well. If you are replicating within a site between various clusters managed by a single vCenter Server, then you would need only one vSphere Replication appliance and one vCenter Server.

[bgctnv]

Is it possible to add the new single, standalone offiste vSphere host to my onsite vCenter Server and manage it alongside my existing local cluster with three hosts currently managed by vCenter Server locally?  If so, I assume I will need to upgrade to vCenter Server Standard to get past the three host limit, and what licensing would I need for the offsite host itself -- at least vSphere Standard?

[Biliana]

Hi,

vSphere Replication is available with vSphere Essential Plus and above licenses. Having a single vCenter Server server managing different hosts/clusters is a supported scenario and you can configure replication between various hosts managed by that single vCenter Server.