Knowledge Base

Virtual Infrastructure 3.5 (VI3.5) supports two different licensing models:

Server-based license model: It is also referred to as Centralized model.
This model allows managing licenses for VI3.5 components from a central server (the VMware License Server, which runs as a service on the Windows host). Typically, License Server is installed on the same Windows host as the VirtualCenter Server, during the VirtualCenter Server installation process. Prior to VirtualCenter Server 2.0.1 Patch 2, server-based licenses for each VI3.5 component that requires a license had to be concatenated in a single file (vmware.lic) for use with the VMware License Server. Beginning with VirtualCenter 2.0.1 Patch 2, the License Server obtains license information from a license directory (rather than the single vmware.lic), so new licenses can be added to the directory. For information about how to modify an existing License Server implementation to benefit from this improvement, see License Server Supports Directories for Simplified License Management (7252734).

Host-based license model: It is also referred to as Single-host model.
Licenses are not managed by a central server. Rather, licenses are uploaded to each ESX Server host from the VI Client.

Server-based licenses and host-based licenses are formatted differently, and cannot be intermixed.

Although you can run both host-based and server-based licenses in the same environment, this is not a typical scenario for most sites.

Switching License Types

VMware allows VI3.5 customers to switch from the host-based model to the server-based model, or vice-versa. You need to regenerate your license key by logging into the VMware store at http://www.vmware.com/cust-fulfill/login?login.conf=loginUser.

Each feature in a license file is indicated by an INCREMENT stanza, followed by 4-5 lines of encoded information. Comments are indicated by the # symbol at the beginning of a line.

Important: The license files by default are in UNIX format, without DOS/Windows newlines at the end. Do not edit license files using Notepad. Use Wordpad or a third-party text editor that supports UNIX newlines.

Server-based licensing

For best results, install the VMware License Server as part of VirtualCenter 2 installation.

During license server installation, you are prompted for the location of a license file to install. The file can be located anywhere, such as the user's desktop. After validating, the file is copied to %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware\VMware License Server\vmware.lic. The original file should be archived and all future license file operations, such as appending new licenses in the future, should be performed on the copy placed at the above indicated location.

Served license files must begin with the following 3 lines:

SERVER this_host ANY 27000

VENDOR VMWARELM port=27010

USE_SERVER

Following the header information above, the served file contains any number of INCREMENT stanzas that specify the licenses available for checkout from the license server. Always restart the License Server service when adding new licenses.

VirtualCenter Management Server à Required for operation of Virtual Center 2.

INCREMENT PROD_VC VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 1 \

            VENDOR_STRING=licenseType=Server ISSUED=27-Mar-2007 \

NOTICE=FulfillmentId=386194 SIGN="1B4D 109D 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            F9AF"  

VirtualCenter Host Agent à One license per CPU of ESX Server hosts managed by Virtual Center.

INCREMENT VC_ESXHOST VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=esxHost;desc=VirtualCenter \

            Agent for ESX Server;capacityType=cpuPackage" \

            ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware \

TS_OK SIGN="15DB C49D 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

7804 8880 3043 A2FC"

VMotion à One license per CPU of ESX Server hosts using VMotion.

INCREMENT VC_VMOTION VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING=licenseType=Server;vmodl=vmotion;desc=VMotion;capacityType=cpuPackage \

            ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware \

TS_OK SIGN="1DFD 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

6F3E"

VMware HA  à One license per ESX Server CPU.

INCREMENT VC_DAS VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=das;desc=VMware \

            HA;capacityType=cpuPackage" ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 \

NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware TS_OK SIGN="1F5E 1DFD 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            725F 616F 6D62 0CD4"

VMware DRS  à One license per ESX Server CPU.

INCREMENT VC_DRS VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=drs;desc=VMware \

            DRS;capacityType=cpuPackage" ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 \

NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware TS_OK SIGN="0031 1DFD 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

5968 3C30 B1C6 C384"

ESX Server Standard  à One license per CPU.

INCREMENT PROD_ESX_FULL VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=esxFull;desc=ESX \

            Server \

            Enterprise;capacityType=cpuPackage;gp=14;exclude=BACKUP" \

            ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware \

TS_OK SIGN=" AD26 DEC7 8BC6 1317 0877 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            E7F0 A73B 38D3 90EE"

ESX Server Foundation à One license per CPU.

INCREMENT PROD_ESX_STARTER VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=esxExpress;desc=ESX \

            Server \

Foundation;capacityType=cpuPackage;gp=14;enable=NAS, VSMP, SAN, \ ISCSI;kv=addon:ESX_FULL \

            ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware \

TS_OK SIGN=" AD26 DEC7 8BC6 1317 0877 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            E7F0 A73B 38D3 90EE"

VMware Consolidated Backup  à One license per ESX Server CPU.

INCREMENT ESX_FULL_BACKUP VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent 2 \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=backup;desc=VMware \

            Consolidated Backup;capacityType=cpuPackage" \

            ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836226;name=VMware \

TS_OK SIGN="0000 9449 67B0 C1F0 F99A DDF4 220E 9C27 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            E036"

Host-based licensing

The host-based file does not have a header like the server-based license file. The host license is uploaded by using VI Client. Each ESX Server host requires a unique license.

Foundation Edition

INCREMENT PROD_ESX_STARTER VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent uncounted \

VENDOR_STRING=”licenseType=Host;vmodl=esxExpress;desc=ESX Server \
Foundation;capacityType=cpuPackage;gp=14;enable=NAS,SAN,ISCSI;count=64;kv=addon:ESX_FULL” \
HOSTID=ANY ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 \
NOTICE=FulfillmentId=1201;name=VMware TS_OK SIGN="1FDB 9C27 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  0000 0000 4C7B 49CC 7714 48FF"

Standard Edition

INCREMENT PROD_ESX_FULL VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent uncounted \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Host;vmodl=esxFull;desc=ESX Server \

            Enterprise;capacityType=cpuPackage;gp=14;exclude=BACKUP;count=2" \

            HOSTID=ANY ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 \

NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836227;name=VMware TS_OK SIGN="1FDB 9C27 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            4C7B 49CC 7714 48FF"

VMware Consolidated Backup

INCREMENT ESX_FULL_BACKUP VMWARELM 2005.05 permanent uncounted \

            VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Host;vmodl=backup;desc=VMware \

            Consolidated Backup;capacityType=cpuPackage;count=2" \

            HOSTID=ANY ISSUED=30-Nov-2007 \

            NOTICE=FulfillmentId=836227;name=VMware TS_OK SIGN="17BD C20E \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 \

            A26A EAE6 13FC 15EB"