I hope that someone from VMWARE with answer this complaint. Currently VMWARE support has not been very helpful/useful.
1st. Referencing http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-View45-Pricing-Licensing-Support-FAQ.pdf
Vmware advertises that VIEW is licensed by concurrent connections ... so far so good.
Vmware also advertises/states that vSphere for desktops is licensed by concurrent conections ... THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!
2nd. VIEW 3.x included a bundled License for ESX3.x which has worked well for us .. no problems with VIEW3.x
3rd. During our first VIEW4 (4.0.1) installation/setup at another facility we used the new vSphere for desktops license.
We ran into a massive problem and was issued a temp unlimited ESX server license that expired in September 2010.
During September we were informed that the license issue has been resolved with VIEW 4.5
Currently (this week) I have implemented a new main campus install of VIEW4.5 and am observing the same vSphere for Desktops licensing/counting issues that plagued us with the earlier 4.01 VIEW install. We have a 100 concurrent user license and with a desktop pool of 55 "turned-on" XP VMs, another pool of 8 desktops for testing, and three connection broker servers the vSphere vCenter license manager reports 66 VMs used out of the 100 VM licensed. This is without any user actually connected to any of the VMs. I will soon deploy a 50 VM pool and observe what happens. If it is anything like the earlier VIEW 4.0.1 system things stop working. There the vCenter server stopped working!!!
The problem for us is we have planned on multiple different pools of VMs for individual labs. For example a 20 seat programming class may have a persistent pool of 20 VMs assigned to the lab. We also have a non persistent pool of generic VMS available for that lab for usage by other classes. Thus a 20 seat lab would have at least two groups of 20 VMs available for it's usage.
Obviously a VIEW system licensed for 30 concurrent connections should work well for this example lab. However, with at least 40 and probably a few more actual VMs, the vSphere for desktop part of the license bundle would be exceeded. I am using a single lab of 20 seats with a larger than necessary VIEW 30 user license for this smaller specific example and discussion.
We actually have this setup with a 30 seat VIEW3 system dedicated for our Techolgy's Dept use. No problems with that first system at all. However, when we implemented a 70 seat VIEW4 system for a different multiuse facility we ran into the vSphere for desktop licening problem which remains unresolved to this day.
Has anyone had any successful resolution of this or similar problem(s) from VMWARE.
Do we need to get our lawyers involved with this?
-Patrick-
