Question:

I work for a small company that currently uses two vSphere 6 hosts with vSphere Essential Kit 6 licenses. We are planning to add a new server and turn the old one into a baremetal NAS, leaving us with two virtual hosts again. However, I am confused by the recent changes in VMWare licensing and I don’t know where to buy a new license or if it is worth it. What are the best options for our situation? >
> – Should we stick with our existing perpetual license and run vSphere 6 for another 5 years? How risky is that in terms of security and compatibility? > – Should we switch to ESXi 8 free edition and cope with the 8 vCore/VM limit and the lack of vMotion API for backup? How important is having HA for some critical VMs? > – Should we consider KVM based virtualization (I have some experience with proxmox) and give up on agentless backup solutions? We currently use Acronis Cyber Protect, which does not support KVM without agents. Neither does Veeam. > – Should we invest in Hyper-V and buy two Datacenter licenses, which would cost as much as the new server (around 10k€)? >
> I would appreciate any advice from experts on this matter. Thank you.

Answer:

VMWare Licensing Options for Small Businesses

If you are a small business owner who uses VMWare products for virtualization, you may be wondering what are the best licensing options for your situation. VMWare has recently changed its licensing model and pricing, making it harder for small businesses to access some of the features and benefits of its products. In this article, we will explore some of the possible scenarios and alternatives that you can consider for your virtualization needs.

One option is to stick with your existing vSphere 6 and vSphere Essential Kit 6 licenses, which are perpetual licenses that do not expire. This option has some advantages and disadvantages:

• Advantages:
• You do not need to pay any additional fees or upgrade costs.
• You can continue to use the features and benefits of vSphere 6 and vSphere Essential Kit 6, such as vMotion, HA, vSphere Replication, and vSphere Data Protection.
• You can still get technical support and security updates from VMWare until the end-of-support date, which is November 15, 2027 for vSphere 6.
• Disadvantages:
• You will miss out on the new features and improvements of the latest versions of vSphere and vSphere Essential Kit, such as vSphere 7 and vSphere Essential Kit 7.
• You may face compatibility issues with newer hardware and software that are not supported by vSphere 6.
• You may encounter performance and scalability limitations with vSphere 6, especially if your workload and resource demands increase over time.

Scenario 2: Switch to ESXi 8 free edition

Another option is to switch to ESXi 8 free edition, which is the latest version of VMWare’s hypervisor. This option also has some pros and cons:

• Advantages:
• You do not need to pay any license fees or subscription costs.
• You can benefit from the new features and enhancements of ESXi 8, such as improved security, performance, and management.
• You can run up to 8 vCPUs per VM, which is higher than the previous limit of 4 vCPUs per VM for ESXi free edition.
• Disadvantages:
• You will lose access to some of the features and benefits of vSphere and vSphere Essential Kit, such as vMotion, HA, vSphere Replication, and vSphere Data Protection.
• You will not be able to use any backup solutions that rely on vMotion API, such as Acronis Cyber Protect and Veeam. You will need to use other backup methods, such as snapshots, scripts, or agents.
• You will not be able to manage your ESXi hosts centrally with vCenter Server. You will need to use other tools, such as PowerCLI, ESXi Shell, or web UI.

Scenario 3: Consider KVM based virtualization

A third option is to consider KVM based virtualization, which is an open source alternative to VMWare. KVM stands for Kernel-based Virtual Machine, and it is a Linux-based hypervisor that can run on various platforms. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of this option are:

• Advantages:
• You do not need to pay any license fees or subscription costs.
• You can use any Linux distribution that supports KVM, such as Ubuntu, CentOS, or Debian.
• You can leverage the large and active community of KVM users and developers, who can provide support, documentation, and updates.
• You can use various tools and interfaces to manage your KVM hosts and VMs, such as virt-manager, libvirt, or proxmox.
• You can use some of the features and benefits that are similar to vSphere and vSphere Essential Kit, such as live migration, HA, snapshots, and backup.
• Disadvantages:
• You will need to have some Linux knowledge and skills to install, configure, and maintain your KVM hosts and VMs.
• You will not be able to use any backup solutions that support agentless backup for KVM, such as Acronis Cyber Protect and Veeam. You will need to use other backup methods, such as snapshots, scripts, or agents.
• You may face compatibility issues with some applications and software that are designed for VMWare or Windows environments.

Scenario 4: Invest in Hyper-V and buy two Datacenter licenses

A fourth option is to invest in Hyper-V and buy two Datacenter licenses, which are the most expensive licenses for Microsoft’s hypervisor. Hyper-V is a Windows-based hypervisor that can run on various platforms. Some of the pros and cons of this option are:

• Advantages:
• You can use the features and benefits of Hyper-V and Datacenter licenses, such as live migration, HA, replication, and backup.
• You can use any backup solutions that support agentless backup for Hyper-V, such as Acronis Cyber Protect and Veeam.
• You can manage your Hyper-V hosts and VMs centrally with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM).
• You can run unlimited Windows Server VMs on your Hyper-V hosts with Datacenter licenses.
• Disadvantages:
• You will need to pay a high upfront cost for the Datacenter licenses, which are around 10k€ per host.
• You will need to pay annual fees for the Software Assurance program, which is required to access the latest updates and support from Microsoft.
• You may face performance and scalability limitations with Hyper-V, especially if your workload and resource demands increase over time.

Conclusion

As

you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for your virtualization needs. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you will need to weigh them carefully based on your budget, requirements, and preferences. You may also want to consult with an expert or a vendor who can provide you with more information and guidance on the best option for your situation. We hope this article has helped you understand some of the VMWare licensing options for small businesses and their alternatives. Thank you for reading.