VMware Virtual MAchines and licensing question

[EKKC]

Do you need a separate Windows / OS license for each OS that you test?

Unrelated: can VMware machines be 'ghosted' into a physical machine?

 

[Savarak]

1. yes

2. vmware machines can possibly be ghosted to a physical machine with a BX440 mobo, possibly others, but prepare for lots of trouble

 

[Seeruk]

1. Depends on the license you hold. If it is a MSDN license and just for test/dev then no. If it is a technetplus license and for evaluation only then no... if it is a single XP home license then yes. To be sure you would need to check with each company I think but at the end of the day they are a.n.other computer

2. I actually have done this without too much of a problem. The meulated hardware within VMWare is very generic so you shouldnt get any nasty driver issues. But still you have to plan well what you are doing and what you are trying to achieve

 

[EKKC]

thx guys :beer:

 

[BT7990]

Not sure about VMWorkstation, but on GSX and ESX, MS has changed the OS license policy

http://download.microsoft.com/download/...f8f23e14/virtualization_whitepaper.doc

They also have a P2V product used for enterprise level migrations, which will move most images to a VM regardless of hardware = $$$. Not really geared for VMworkstation users. You could run sysprep it then image, and and should stick to the VM.

We have used it (P2V) on about 10 prod servers migrated to ESX - 3 ESX boxs running about 30 vm's - 10:1 per ESX. Not a bad savings. Planning on adding 4 more ESX serevers in Q1 2006.

 

[Czar]

BT7990,
is it right of me to understand that with this new licensing from microsoft is that you pay one lisence to have the OS on the host machine and get one vm machine free?

 

[BT7990]

Not exactly sure, but it may be in the area of one lic per five VM - something like that. I also think that it is for enterprise lic agreements.

I would recheck the doc or contact them.