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Creating a Single Host and Centralized License file in the VI3 License Portal (1005132)

Purpose

This article provides steps for creating a Single Host and Centralized License files in the VI3 License Portal.

Resolution

You need to obtain and install license files that activate the features appropriate for the edition of the software you purchased. There are two types of License files: centralized and single‐host.

In single‐host licensing, the license files are stored on individual ESX hosts. In centralized licensing, a license file is stored centrally on a license server, which makes these licenses available to one or more hosts.

Creating a Centralized License File

To create Centralized license file:
  1. Log in to My VMware.
  2. Select License Keys in the Quick Links menu.
  3. Click Launch VI3 License Portal.
  4. Click Generate New License File.

    Note: If you have activated all of your available product licenses, Generate New License File does not appear.
  5. Choose to create Centralized license file and click Next.
  6. Enter the number of licenses to activate your VMware Infrastructure 3 licenses and one VirtualCenter license.
  7. Click Next.

    Notes: 
    • One VMware Infrastructure 3 license supports two physical CPUs on the ESX host. Use this to calculate how many VMware Infrastructure 3 licenses need to be activated to manage the total number of CPUs in the environment. You purchase licenses on a per processor basis, which means that you need to indicate the total number of processors, not hosts, that run the products. You can deploy and redeploy the purchased processor capacity, sold in increments of two processors, on any combination of hosts.
       
    • Ensure to activate Component Feature licenses along with VMware Infrastructure 3 licenses. For example, activate equal amounts of VMware Infrastructure 3 Consolidated Backup and VMware Infrastructure 3 High Availability while activating VMware Infrastructure 3 Standard Edition licenses.


  9. Enter a comment to differentiate this license file from the others that may exist in your account.
  10. Review your license selections and click Finish. When complete, download the license file or email it to your email address.
  11. Save the license file on the License Server hard drive. Typically License Server is installed on the same machine as the VirtualCenter. 
Creating a Single Host License File

To create a Single-host license file:
  1. Log in to My VMware.
  2. Select License Keys in the Quick Links menu.
  3. Click Launch VI3 License Portal.
  4. Click Generate New License File.

    Note: If you have activated all of your available product licenses, Generate New License File does not appear.

  5. Choose to create a Single-host license file and click Next.
  6. Activate one VMware Infrastructure 3 license (one license supports two physical CPUs) and click Next.
  7. Enter a comment to differentiate this license file from the others that may exist in your account.
  8. Click Finish. When complete, download the license file or email it to your email address.
  9. Save the license file on the network where the ESX host can access it.

For information on how to upload the license file, see Installing ESX Server Licenses (1001383).

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