Perpetual license upgrade after SNS expiration

[Hartmut Anders]

Hello,

I am a bit confused about Broadcom's statement regarding the installation and use of VMware versions without SNS, but which were released during the period of a valid SNS. 

Background:
We purchased perpetual CPU licences for VMware 6 in 2015.
We always had a valid SNS until 12/08/2024.
However, as we still have a few older servers in use as hosts, we could only use VMware Release 6. I had therefore not upgraded the licences to Release 7 or 8 in the past.
However, when I wanted to do this now in the new portal after the SNS expired, the function is no longer available to me. ( Yes, I should have done it earlier, but somehow the issue completely passed us by )

When I asked our distributor, I was told that Broadcam stated, that we are no longer authorised to upgrade to version 7 or 8, as we don't currently have a valid SNS. They even claimed that I was no longer allowed to run a VM without a valid supscription, even though I had originally purchased perpetual licences.

Until now, I was always the opinion that I was authorised to use all new versions that were released during the period of my valid SNS.
 (see: https://community.broadcom.com/vmware-cloud-foundation/discussion/about-subscription-expiration).

Is that not the case? Am I wrong?
What is your opinion on this?

[Nathan Watts]

Hi Hartmut,

It has always been my understanding and experience that you require a valid SnS to upgrade your license keys. You needed to have made the upgrade prior to SnS expiry.

How many CPU sockets/Hosts do you have?

As licensing is now moved to subscription depending on your usage you will need to be looking at Foundation, VVF or VCF, VCF is designed around large-scale deployments with vSAN, all are now core based subscription licensing.

Minimum core count per socket is 16, so if you have 12 cores you need to purchase and assign 16 cores to the socket.

With your perpetual keys, you still own those keys, so you can still run that version but there is no support and unlikely to be any updates for vSphere 6, this went end of life a while back.

6.0 03-2020

6.5/6.7 10-2022

[Hartmut Anders]

Hello Nathan,

Thank you for your reply.

Basically, I agree with you. But the point is that if I had done the upgrade on 12.08., I would be allowed to use VMware Release 8 as perpetual CPU licence forever, even without a future support contract and move to the new subscription model. As part of the old SNS contract that we have signed. Of course, this only applies to the latest release 8, which was published during the SNS.
Why should this right now end with the expiry of the old contract just because we did not upgrade and download the keys in the past?
In the new subscription model, you have to renew the contract every year to continue using VMware. But I am referring to our old contract.

Only if an upgrade, within the old SNS contract, does not lead to a permanent licence for the releases, I would agree.
But that's the question. 

I'm particularly annoyed that we had already requested an extension on 16 July before the old contract expired, but it took until 20 August for clarification by our distributor. I have not realised that I would lose my upgrade rights under the old contract terms and conditions.
And I really think that is not ok.

[Nathan Watts]

Hi Hartmut,

I understand your situation and do sympathise, I am not in a position to verify any specifics on the terms of the license agreements etc. Nor am I able to do anything on the keys for you.

When I was a customer, I had a situation under the old VMware where we could not upgrade keys (no SnS), we not only had to obtain the SnS but also pay for the SnS over the time it had lapsed and a reestablishment fee at the time.

We too did have SnS when the new versions were released.