ESX Server 3 and VirtualCenter Installation Guide
56 VMware, Inc.
Changing from Centralized to Single-Host Licensing
YoucanchangeyourESX Serverhostsfromthecentralizedlicensetypetothe
single‐hostlicensetype.TheVirtualCenter Serverandadditionalfeaturessuchas
VMotion,VMwareDRS,andVMware HAmustremainincentralizedmode.Tochange
thelicensetypeforyourESX Serverhosts,generatenewlicensefilesforeachhostand
configurethehoststousethenewlicensetype.
To change ESX Server hosts from a centralized license to a single-host license
1UsetheVMwarelicenseactivationportaltogenerateanddownloadnew
single‐hostlicensefilesforeachESX Serverhost.
Thelicenseactivationportalletsyougeneratebothsingle‐hostandcentralized
licensefilesfromthesamelicenseactivationcode.Forsingle
‐hostlicensing,you
needonelicensefileforeachindividualESX Serverhost.
2IfyouareusingtheVirtualCenter Server,changeyourVirtualCenter Server
settingssothattheVirtualCenter Serverdoesnotoverridehostlicensesettings,as
describedin“Single‐HostandCentralizedLicensingintheSameEnvironment”on
page 54.
3ConfigureyourESX Serverhost
asdescribedin“ConfiguringanESX Server
MachineforSingle‐HostLicensing”onpage 53.
License File Contents
Licensefilesaretextfilescontainingtwotypesofinformation:licensetypeandlicense
keys.
Licensetype–SpecifiestheTCP/IPportsthelicenseserverusestocommunicatewith
ESX Serverhosts.VMwarerecommendsthatyounotmodifythesedefaultports.Ifyou
doneedtoedittheports,useanASCII
texteditorandvalidateyoureditedlicenseat
http://www.vmware.com/checklicense/.
Alicensetypeheaderlookssimilartothefollowing:
SERVER this_host ANY 27000
VENDOR VMWARELM port=27010
USE SERVER
Thissectionappearsonlyinalicenseserverfileandindicatesthatlicensekeysshould
beservedonalicenseserver.Thereisnomodesectioninsingle‐hostlicensefiles.
