A suite of software licenses is included with a purchase of a VxRail cluster. The software license bundle includes VxRail HCI System Software for system management, operations, and automation. The following VMware software are included:
Additional Dell software includes:
Active management capabilities for cloud-based multi-cluster management requires a fee-based add-on license. In order to enable the functionality for each cluster, cloud-based active multi-cluster management for HCI System Software needs to be purchased for each node in the cluster. The add-on software license is also available to clusters that have already been deployed.
VxRail system allows customers to use any existing eligible vSphere licenses with their VxRail, or the licenses can be purchased with a VxRail. This VxRail vSphere license independent model (also called bring your own or BYO vSphere License model) allows customers to leverage a wide variety of vSphere licenses they may have already purchased.
If vSphere licenses need to be purchased, they should be ordered through Dell, the customer’s preferred VMware channel partner, or from VMware directly. Licenses acquired through VMware ELA, VMware partners, or Dell will receive single-call support from Dell.
When determining the best vSphere license to use with the VxRail system, a key consideration is the effect of VxRail functionality. DRS, a significant vSphere feature, provides the greatest amount of functional variance to VxRail clusters. Customers should consider the degree of automation that DRS provides to determine if the vSphere license they desire includes this functionality.
VxRail supports flexible vSAN licensing options and requires vSAN to be ordered with VxRail or applied via a vSAN ELA from VMware. VxRail supports all license editions of vSAN including Standard, Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus. Customers can upgrade vSAN licensing from one lower license edition to a higher license edition. vSAN ROBO licenses are supported with VxRail but customers would need to acquire the licenses through a VMware ELA.
For details on the differences between the vSAN versions, see the VMware vSAN Comparison Guide.
vSphere and vSAN licenses purchased from Dell expire with the node in which they are deployed, and they are not transferrable.
The vCenter Server license that is included with the VxRail cluster can only be applied to the vCenter Server that is deployed by VxRail Manager as an embedded vCenter. It is not transferrable to any customer-deployed vCenter Server. The customer must use their own vCenter Service license when using an external vCenter configuration.
For more information about VMware software, see Additional resources.