After Broadcom acquired VMware, understanding the cost implications of licensing became crucial, especially after so many changes in the product line, licensing structure and other requirements surrounding licensing. To help myself, I created an indicative VMware licensing calculator based on the guidelines provided in the VMware Knowledge Base article 95927 and VMware’s latest product guide, which can be found here.
Here in this article, I am sharing the Calculator with you all, including the details of the key aspects considered in the calculator and explaining the logic behind it.
The VMware Knowledge Base article provides detailed guidelines on counting cores for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF), and TiBs for vSAN. Here are the key points:
Core Licensing Requirements
- VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF), and VMware vSphere Standard environments are licensed by physical core.
- A minimum of 16 core licenses is required for each CPU.
- All physical cores on all CPUs must be licensed, with a minimum of 16 cores licenses per physical CPU.
vSAN Capacity Entitlement
- VCF: Entitled to 1 TiB of vSAN capacity for each VCF core license.
- VVF: Entitled to 100 GiB of vSAN trial capacity for each VVF core deployed in a vSAN cluster.
Additional Requirements
- Customers are entitled to VMware vCenter Standard exclusively for management of the environment covered by the subscriptions.
- VCF can only be deployed on public cloud services certified for VCF.
- VVF and vSphere Standard cannot be deployed on public cloud services.
Key Aspects Incorporated in the Calculator
- Product Selection: The calculator allows users to select between VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF), and VMware vSphere Standard.
- Host Configuration: Users can input the number of hosts, CPUs per host, and cores per CPU. This information is vital as VMware licensing models for VCF, VVF, and vSphere Standard are core-based.
- Subscription Pricing: The calculator includes fields for the price per core per year, which updates automatically based on the selected product but remains editable for user customization.
- Core Licensing Requirements: Ensures each CPU has at least 16 core licenses, as stipulated by VMware.
- vSAN Capacity Entitlement: Calculates vSAN capacity based on core licenses, providing different entitlements for VCF and VVF.
The Calculator Logic
The first step in using the calculator is to select the product, choosing between VMware Cloud Foundation, VMware vSphere Foundation, or VMware vSphere Standard. Default prices per core per year are set but can be changed. Next, the user needs to enter the host configuration by inputting the number of hosts, CPUs per host, and cores per CPU. These inputs determine the total number of cores that need to be licensed. The calculator then ensures that each CPU has at least 16 core licenses by comparing the total cores with the minimum required cores (16 per CPU).
Subscription costs are calculated by multiplying the required core subscriptions by the price per core per year and determining the costs for different durations: 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. Finally, the vSAN capacity entitlement is determined based on the product; for VCF, the entitlement is 1 TiB per core license, while for VVF, the entitlement is 100 GiB per core license.
Caution
I have designed this calculator for general guidance and informational purposes only. It may not cover all specific circumstances. For detailed licensing information and personalized advice, please consult with a VMware representative or your VMware reseller.
I hope this calculator serves as a useful resource in your VMware licensing planning.
VMware Licensing Calculator .container { max-width: 600px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 20px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; } .form-group { margin-bottom: 15px; } .form-group label { display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; } .form-group input, .form-group select { width: 100%; padding: 8px; box-sizing: border-box; } .results { margin-top: 20px; } .results p { margin: 5px 0; }
VMware Licensing Calculator
Product VMware Cloud Foundation VMware vSphere Foundation VMware vSphere Standard # of Hosts CPUs per Host Cores per CPU Price per Core per Year
Calculate
function updatePrice() { var product = document.getElementById(“product”).value; var priceField = document.getElementById(“price”); if (product === “vcf”) { priceField.value = 300; } else if (product === “vvf”) { priceField.value = 150; } else if (product === “vvs”) { priceField.value = 45; } } function calculate() { var product = document.getElementById(“product”).value; var hosts = document.getElementById(“hosts”).value; var cpus = document.getElementById(“cpus”).value; var cores = document.getElementById(“cores”).value; var price = document.getElementById(“price”).value; var totalCores = hosts * cpus * cores; var coreSubscriptions = Math.max(totalCores, hosts * cpus * 16); // Ensuring at least 16 core licenses per CPU var cost1Year = coreSubscriptions * price; var cost3Years = cost1Year * 3; var cost5Years = cost1Year * 5; var vsanCapacity = 0; if (product === “vcf”) { vsanCapacity = coreSubscriptions; // 1 TiB per VCF core license } else if (product === “vvf”) { vsanCapacity = coreSubscriptions * 0.1; // 100 GiB per VVF core license } document.getElementById(“results”).innerHTML = `
Total Cores to be Licensed: ${totalCores}
Required Core Subscriptions: ${coreSubscriptions}
Subscription Cost (1 Year): $${cost1Year.toLocaleString()}
Subscription Cost (3 Years): $${cost3Years.toLocaleString()}
Subscription Cost (5 Years): $${cost5Years.toLocaleString()}
vSAN Capacity Entitlement: ${vsanCapacity.toFixed(2)} ${product === “vcf” ? “TiB” : “GiB”}
`; } // Initialize the default price updatePrice();
https://cloudclan.net/2024/06/23/vmware-calculator-core-licensing-and-vsan-capacity-for-vcf-and-vvf/
#LicensingCalculator #VCF #Virtualization #VMware #VMwareCalculator #VMwareCost #VMwareLicensing #vmwareCloudFoundation #vsphere #VVF
