Urgent Help Needed: Stuck in Limbo with VxRail Support Renewal + VMware Licensing

[Fikri Strateq]

Hi everyone,
This is my first thread here so I sorry in advance if this broke any rule or anything.
I am hoping the community can advise on a critical issue we have faced for 6 months with a customer's 3-node VxRail cluster. 
We are stuck in a loop between Broadcom, Dell, and our distributor, leaving the customer without support.
Here is the situation in simple terms:

1. The Setup

   • 3-node VxRail cluster currently located at a customer data center site.

   • Currently as per now it is out of support (no hardware support, no VMware subscription, no latest VMware patches).

   • Customer only needs 1 year of renewal (until Dec 2025).

2. What We Tried

   • Step 1: Contacted our MSP for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) subscription renewal (post-Broadcom takeover). MSP agree to provide VCF subscription.

   • Step 2: Approached distributor for VxRail hardware support renewal.
     → Distributor said: "Dell would not allow MSP software approach to be tie with hardware support renewal" reason being "Broadcom does not allow it due to account number of VCF license is under MSP"

   • Step 3: Went directly to Broadcom for VCF license.
     → Broadcom provided a quote + account number. License purchase process started

   • Step 4: Shared Broadcom account detail with distributor. Distributor forward to Dell for BYOL ("Bring Your Own License") which we use before for VxRail hardware support renewal.
     → Dell said: "BYOL no longer valid." due to Broadcom say so.

   • Step 5: Approach back to Broadcom. They confirmed their license was fine but advised on canceling the purchase. Proceed to cancel.

   • Step 6: Approach back to Distributor for purchasing software + hardware support (VCF with account number under customer name + VxRail support renewal). Dell then said: "VMware purchases on hold". No timeframe given on how long this hold will be 

3. Current Crisis

   • Customer has:

     • ❌ No VMware license (subscription expired).

     • ❌ No hardware support (VxRail nodes uncovered).

     • ❌ No software patches (security/compliance risks).

   • Dell's response: "Wait indefinitely, not our issue as it Broadcom issue."

   • Broadcom response" "not our fault, DELL fault"

We've been pushed between local DELL, Broadcom and Distributor teams for 6+ months with zero resolution.

Question to the Community:

• Has anyone faced similar hurdles renewing VxRail hardware support + VMware licensing post-Broadcom transition?

• Any workarounds to break this deadlock?

• Who at Broadcom/Dell can escalate this?
  
  

Footnote:

- The customer is exposed and frustrated. 
- The customer patient already in razor thin status as 6 months have pass without any clear resolution.
- We cannot approach or swap to other MSP or distributor as Broadcom only pointed 1 MSP and 1 distributor for the whole country (which is the one we approach by the way).

Any advice on how to solve this would be great. 

[Morry Katz]

Your customer needs to speak to Dell directly,  I am told that there is no mechanism in place by which you, as a partner, can facilitate the renewal.   Dell has a process to work with Broadcom when approached by a customer. 

I am sure this is not what you want to hear as a partner, but after contacting many people internal to Broadcom, I am told this is the only way to address the use case you have shared.

[jc296]

Who's your Customer? How old is the Dell kit and VCF?

[Fikri Strateq]

One of the country's sovereign wealth fund organizations.
They currently using a VXrail DELL machine that is over five years old.
The machine is expected in the final stages of its service life, with a technology refresh planned for next year if customer agree with pricing. 

[Viperman]

i was able to renew a VXrail customer.  It did take awhile.  They had an older unit, so they could only get 1 year of support as the said it would be EOL in 1 year.  They kept giving 3 year pricing then coming back, OH yeah you can't use that.  You are correct it was going round and round with Dell, Ingram and Broadcom.

[Fikri Strateq]

DELL manage to provide us the quote. 

[Joffer77]

For my customer, Dell had to apply to Broadcom for a number for cores to be able to give us quotes on new hardware. For support expansion, they also had to get permission from Broadcom (go figure, as it is only for hardware support, as they have BYOL). But it's a time consuming and frustrating process.