The VMware licenses required for your Cloud Foundation on VxRail instance depend on your final planned configuration and the licensing option you select. The section ‘Compare VMware Cloud Foundation Editions’ on the VMware Cloud Foundation Product Site outlines the license types and license editions that are applicable to Cloud Foundation on VxRail.
A perpetual license does not expire. A key is provided with the license purchase that is applied to the Cloud Foundation on VxRail instance to activate all functionality.
A subscription-based license has an expiration date, and can be purchased for periods of one to three years. When the expiration period is reached, you must reactivate the subscription to maintain the full functionality of the Cloud Foundation on VxRail instance.
For the connected subscription option, referred to as ‘VCF+’, there is no key entry into the Cloud Foundation on VxRail instance. For this option, connectivity to the VMware Cloud for metering and tracking purposes is required. This is accomplished through the vCenter Cloud Gateway virtual appliance that is deployed on the Cloud Foundation on VxRail instance.
The disconnected subscription option, referred to as ‘VCF-S’, uses keys for activation. Also, the disconnected subscription option does not require connectivity to the VMware Cloud for metering and tracking purposes. Unlike the other keyed option, perpetual licenses, these types of licenses are only good for a subscribed period of time. These licenses, also referred to as ‘term’ licenses, must be renewed by the end of the subscription period.
The license editions that VMware offers for Cloud Foundation are: Starter, Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise. For Cloud Foundation on VxRail deployments with perpetual licenses, only Advanced Edition and Enterprise Edition are supported. For Cloud Foundation on VxRail deployments with a subscription license, Starter Edition is not supported, and the Standard Edition does not include subscriptions for vRealize. Select the edition that offers the product mix and features that best aligns with the business requirements planned for Cloud Foundation on VxRail.