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Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview
ServerVMotionandStorageVMotion–Tomigrateapowered‐onvirtual
machinebetweenhosts,eachESX ServerprocessorinvolvedmusthaveaVMotion
licensekey.For example,ifyouuseVMotionfromadual‐processorESX Server
hosttoanotherdual‐processorhost,youmusthavefourVMotionlicenses.
See BasicSystemAdministration.
VMware HA–TorestartvirtualmachineswhoseESX Serverhosthasfailed,the
VirtualCenter ServermusthaveanHAlicensekeyforeachESX Serverprocessor
intheHAcluster.See theResourceManagementGuide.
VMwareDRSandDPM–Toprovideloadbalancingofvirtualmachinesamong
hostsanddistributedpowermanagement,theVirtualCenter Servermusthavea
DRSlicensekeyforeachESX ServerprocessorintheDRScluster.See theResource
ManagementGuide.Asaprerequisite,DRSrequiresappropriateVMotionlicense
keysforallhosts
intheDRScluster.
Per-Instance Licensing
Featuresthatarelicensedonaper‐instancebasisrequireonlyonelicensekeyper
featureinstance,regardlessofthenumberofprocessorsused.TheVirtualCenter Server
iscurrentlytheonlyfeaturelicensedonaper‐instancebasis.
ForinformationondifferenteditionsofVirtualCenter,see“VirtualCenter Server
Editions”onpage 30.
License Expiration Considerations
WhentheFLEXnetlicenseserverexpiresalicense,theVIClientdoesnotimmediately
displayamessageinformingyouthatthelicenseisexpiring.Themessagecanappear
anytimeinthe24hoursaftertheFLEXnetlicenseserverexpiresthelicense.
Ifyouchangethelicenseserversystemtimewhilethe
VI Clientisrunning,the
VI Clientmightnotreportthelicenseexpiration.
License Server Availability
VMwareprovidesthefollowingmechanismsthathelppreventthelicenseserverfrom
beingasinglepointoffailure.Thelicenseserveractsprimarilyasalicensedistribution
mechanism.Ifyourlicenseserverbecomesunavailable,youcannotissueanynew
licensestoenablenewhostsornewfeatures.
