VMware Converter and OEM licenses

[mcdouglas]

Hi,

I have a question regarding VMware Converter (P2V). If we were to convert our servers which are running microsoft windows 2003 operation systems, but they are OEM licensed, what would happen? Being OEM they wont run on a different box (at least in theory). If we were to buy OLP licenses (basicly, no hardware limitations) can VM Converter replace the license information too?

Thanks for the info.

[weinstein5]

they will run on a different box but, as I undestand it, you will be in violation of the oem license -

[Ken_Cline]

I have a question regarding VMware Converter (P2V). If we were to convert our servers which are running microsoft windows 2003 operation systems, but they are OEM licensed, what would happen? Being OEM they wont run on a different box (at least in theory). If we were to buy OLP licenses (basicly, no hardware limitations) can VM Converter replace the license information too?

The systems would run following the migration; however, you would have to reactivate the licenses. Also, as weinstein5 noted, you would probably be in violation of the OEM license agreement. You might be OK if the target system is made by the same vendor as the source system (i.e. Dell to Dell, HP to HP, IBM to IBM - but not Dell to HP, etc.)

Please check with your licensing authority for a definitive ruling on VM licensing...

Ken Cline

Technical Director, Virtualization

Wells Landers

VMware Communities User Moderator

[ejward]

You'll get a message to the effect of "Your hardware has changed, you need to reactivate your license, I'm not going to let you login". Go ahead and just TRY to get Microsoft to reactivate a P2V to Vmware. I ended up spending about an hour on the phone. They wanted my first born child. Finally, I built a new VM and re-installed the application. Fortunatly, this was an odd case of a server having an OEM license.

This was before Microsoft was big into virtualization. I'm sure if I said it was on Hyper-V it wouldn't be an issue. Or, maybe their P2V tool accounts for this.

[IamTHEvilONE]

Couple quick notes.

It has been my experience that OEM licenses will always require activation after conversion is done. None of the virtual machines will be able to see host bios or hardware information, so the virtual machine cannot see the OEM licensing information. These are unfortunately paired from the specific server to the OEM install. Most people I have dealt with want to rip the OEM install off a server to put ESX on it, and return the OEM install as a VM on the same hardware set. I also think our converter manual states that it requires/suggests that you only convert volume licensed servers.

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/VMware_Converter_manual303.pdf - See the note on page 11

That's the technical side of it ... as for the legal side ... i agree with Ken ... ask the people who license the software.

However, all is not lost. If you have a Volume License agreement, and the disc to go with it, you can perform a repair install of the entire operating system. This will change the licensing and activation files used in that version of windows, and sometimes save a lot of hastles.

EvilOne

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