License key for the free edition of VMware ESXi 8.0U3e

[shouichi yokosawa]

Could you please advise? I have downloaded VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0U3e-24677879.x86_64.iso from https://support.broadcom.com under [VMware Cloud Foundation] - [My Downloads] - [Free Software Downloads available HERE]. I recall that there was an evaluation license key for version 7.0.3. How can I obtain an evaluation license key for version 8.0U3e? Is an evaluation license key unnecessary (already embedded) for version 8.0U3e?

[Syed Salman Hafiz]

 It will already be populated with a free version key and will not start in evaluation mode.

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[shouichi yokosawa]

Thank you for your response. I understand.

[Adrian Sieger]

Hi Syed,

while I like the hypervisor being available for download again, I need the OEM images / profile for dell to update my homelab. Sadly I cannot find these. 

It was real easy to download these in the old VMWare, so this is actually a bit frustrating. Is there a way to get these or am I stuck?

Thanks for your time!

[Adrian Sieger]

Hi Syed,

last week the hypervisor category didn't exist anymore. While I appreciate it being available again, I need the custom dell oem version.

I also still have a hypervisor license for my homelab and would like to update, but I cannot find the downloads anywhere :(

Is there any way to get them? It was really easy on the old VMware pages, but honestly I'm a bit frustrated as of now :(

Any help would be very much appreciated!

[Network Admins]

Same here,

I'm not able to find the Dell OEM versions, which used to be freely available.

Now they are hidden behind an entitlement.

On the Dell website I can find the ESXi 8.0U3c version, but not the d and e.

Could you make the OEM versions available again? Thank you

[bb2bb2]

the OEM builds often lag the vmware release, or a skipped.  It's up to the OEM to repackage and release the OEM build.  reach out to Dell. 

[Adrian Sieger]

I already reached out to them. They say there is nothing they can do and only way is to download via Broadcom - I would, if I had a few thousands to spare - and no, sadly I know nobody with a VMware subscription. They all use HyperV, proxmox etc. Thus being said I would like to download via Broadcom. Why does it have to be so goddamn annoying? 

[Network Admins]

Both Dell and Broadcom have support articles which refer to the Broadcom site as the download location for these OEM images.

https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article?articleNumber=372545

https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/nl-be/vmware-esxi-7.x/vmware_7.0_icg_pub/download-dell-emc-customized-esxi-image-file-from-broadcom-portal?guid=guid-d0af0871-4ea2-476e-a945-d6baa827db25&lang=en-us

Please make them available again like stated and like it was

[Anthony Smith]

Hello,

I just upgraded my 6.7U3 free version to the 8.0U3e free version but when it started it says it is in evaluation mode. There is no free key.

How do I get a free key for 8.0U3e?

Many thanks

[Michael Howard]

Yes, do not do an upgrade but an install, you will then get two options, from install, preserved datastore. This will in effect wipe the OS section including any root password and networking information. Upon boot, login and view your data store, the VM should still be there and you can do a create and from there "register an existing VM. I upgrade an old DELL R630 from ESXi7 to ESX8, normal upgrades which I had the old licensing data. The final 8.0U3e "install" works like a charm. Many thanks to Broadcom for allowing folks to use this to learn on their home labs...

[Anthony Smith]

I just upgraded my 6.7U3 free version to teh 8.0U3e free version but it starts in evaluation mode.

How do I get a free key for 8.0U3e?

Many thanks

[Edward Mittelstaedt]

"It will already be populated with a free version key and will not start in evaluation mode."

I was wondering about that.  However, I am suspicious of this.  The prior versions you registered and Vmware sent you a key you would enter in that would take ESXi out of Eval mode and put it in Free mode.   The posts here in this community indicate that in the latest ESXi it still retains the Eval vs Free mode.  So, the only way it could "already be populated with a free version key" is if the latest version of ESXI reaches out over the Internet to Broadcom and activates itself with Free mode.  If that's how it works - then that means Broadcom could withdraw the free ISO download and activation at any time - and then future installs of ESXI 8 would not be possible under Free mode.  Broadcom already broke trust with the community on this issue and it's going to take a long time I think before they get it back.  To regain trust means they have to start by being transparent - making an official announcement, explaining why they withdrew it in the first place, etc.

" I need the OEM images / profile for dell to update my homelab"

My understanding is that the OEM version is nothing more than the Broadcom ISO with the OEM VIBs added.  Dell seems to have many of it's ESXi hardware drivers available for download in VIB format for example:

Dell iDRAC Service Module (VIB) for ESXi 8.0 U3 v5.3.1.0 | Driver Details | Dell US

So, just install the latest version in free mode then install the VIBs needed.  Or, if you need an array driver then create a bootable ISO using imagebuilder and install that, or boot it off a USB stick.

[ggathagan]

Edward has the right of it.

The short answer to this:
Do NOT attempt an upgrade.
The free version is a throw-away for Broadcom, but comes with absolutely no support aside from these forums.
It's pretty clear that Broadcom has no interest in retaining the SMB customers for VMware.
That might change in the future, but that's the current reality.
The best you could probably hope for is that one of the many VM backup solutions would allow you to back up a VM on your current version and restore it on a different host running 8.

The best case scenario would involve backing up all your VM's, restoring them temporarily to a different host running version 8 to check compatibility, then destroying the installation on the original host, installing 8 on it and restoring the VMs to that host.

Or you could move to a different hypervisor...

[Anthony Smith]

Hmmm. Seriously annoying as it upgraded the Datastore and VM compatibility. A lot of work! If it's free, simply post a key here or more usefully on the free download page and let people use it for labs, etc. 

[Jef Schoors]

Great, i have upgraded from 7.0.3 to 8.0.3 and i'm in trial mode now to. This is something they could atleast give a popup for or something. By the way after i read this i tested this on a laptop with a clean install and its allso in trial mode, no 'free' licence applied

[bb2bb2]

looks like installing fresh someplace, then extracting the key works...then use it in your upgraded system.  not an elegant solution, but works.  they are only doing the minimum.   
In my case my system does show 0000....for my key but shows no expiration date. not sure the difference in your system. 

"

Evaluation Mode

"The key 00000-00000-00000-00000-00000 is used for VMware ESXi evaluation mode, which has no expiration date. This means you can use the free ESXi version as long as you want. If you need to apply a commercial license, you can do so at any time."

[bb2bb2]

have you tried it?  if a key is all you need, maybe try fresh installing it someplace and then inspect it for the free key...now copy/use that key in the upgraded system.  assuming you are upgrading from free version 7 or free version 6... 

[Jef Schoors]

The key is all 0's on the upgraded system. Ill probably migrate to proxmox if theres no proper solution for this...

[bb2bb2]

Try seeing if you can get the key from a fresh install…then use that key on your upgraded system.

Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

[bb2bb2]

does that mean you can install it fresh...then inspect it for a key.  then copy that key for use in another system that perhaps was upgraded using the same ISO?  Where said upgraded system is stuck in eval mode...

[Jef Schoors]

I can confirm that installing a clean install and using that key in an updated system from the clean install to the updated esxi works.

Thanks for the tip.

In my case i deployed a virtual esxi on my home esxi and used that key, in case that it is hardware based. I do not know that this works when using the key from seperate hardware

[KevinScc]

I tried going from 7 free hypervisor to 803 free hypervisor as an upgrade, and you end up in Evaluation mode which expires, and the license key is all 0000.

The only way to get the FREE license key is to install 803 fresh/new.  Then log into the HTTPS management console for it and go to licenses and you'll see your 'embedded' key there.  Copy and paste that key into the Hypervisor you upgraded that has 0000's as its key and it'll work fine, it'll change to 'free hypervisor' mode.

Just tested this today after going round and round with support and getting nowhere.

[ggathagan]

Yep, it's working as designed.
Remember that VMware discontinued the free version of ESXi when 8 came out.
So Broadcom can say that they're actually making things better without actually servicing the SMB segment of their market with affordable licensing.

We are a research institution that is part of a state university, yet we are not allowed to purchase Vmware vSphere Standard or even VMware vSphere Foundation. We'll have to buy VMware Cloud Foundation
Even out parent university couldn't purchase Vmware vSphere Standard.
They had to buy VMware vSphere Foundation.
It's appalling.