Installation
Jul 09, 2019 When you activate ESXi with free ESXi license you will not be able to add ESXi server to vCenter. There are also limitations like maximum 2 physical CPUs can be used and 8 vCPU per VM. However, the good thing is the free version of ESXi supports unlimited cores per CPU and unlimited physical memory. At Snel.com we offer the free version of VMware vSphere 6.x (which is called VMware Hypervisor) because the Free version is identical to the paid VMware vSphere 6.x version. This means that you will get the exact same ISO image at free charge. However, the Free VMware vSphere 6.x version only stays unlocked for 60 days. Restriction 3 – VMs hosted on free ESXi cannot be backed up via the vSphere API. To test the final restriction, I used the Altaro Backup software to backup a VM hosted on free ESXi. Result: Surely enough, the product detects that ESXi is running a free license and fails, or rather aborts, to connect as shown next.
Easily install vSphere Hypervisor on your own or with some guided help. If you’re looking for a do-it-yourself approach, just download the installer, accept the end-user license agreement, and select which local drive you want to install it on.
Creating Virtual Machines
Once you’ve installed vSphere Hypervisor, there are three ways to create virtual machines:
- Use VMware vCenter Converter to transfer existing servers into virtual machines or import existing VMware and third-party virtual machine images.
- Create virtual machines from scratch by specifying the number of CPUs, the amount of memory, and the disks and network interfaces you need. Then load the operating system from ISO images or a boot disk.
- Import a virtual appliance. There are hundreds to choose from on the VMware Solution Exchange.
Configuration
Once you’ve installed or imported your virtual machines, you’ll need to configure them. Refer to the installation and configuration video within resources to get started.
- Need support? You can now purchase Per Incident Support for VMware vSphere Hypervisor.
Upgrading to VMware vSphere
Moving up to a paid vSphere lets you further optimize your IT infrastructure. You'll be able to:
- Pool computing and storage resources across multiple physical hosts.
- Have centralized management of multiple hosts through VMware vCenter Server.
- Deliver improved service levels and operational efficiency.
- Perform live migration of virtual machines.
- Take advantage of automatic load balancing, business continuity, and advanced backup and restore capabilities for your virtual machines.
Active2 years, 8 months ago
I came to know that VMware ESXi 6 are providing free license with some limited features. I also explored it. Those features are sufficient for our organisation. I am little bit confused whether it can be used in our organisation or not!!! Can anyone of you please confirm me whether we can use VMware ESXi 6 free version in our organisation without any license issue?
Thanks,
Sourav Maity
Sourav Maity
SouravSourav
1 Answer
This question is hard to answer unless we really know what your organization is doing. Generally you can use the free license with the noted limitations (see link 1) and commercial use is fine. However, there is a limitation on commercializing the VMs as product, potentially including the offering of root VM servers (see link 2, especially post 7).
The links:
Please note that I am not a lawyer and therefore my answer should be taken as interpretation of the license information available to me at this point in time.
Vmware 6 Free License Limitations
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