Details
Solution
This capability lets administrators restrict access to specific hosts, restrict the number of licenses granted, and restrict the features allowed for certain users.
By creating and installing an options file and setting up specific parameters, administrators can:
- Allow only a defined set of hosts to check out licenses and exclude others.
- Reserve a number of licenses for a specified group of hosts.
- Deny specified hosts certain licenses.
- Limit the number of licenses available to a specified group of hosts.
Create an Options File
- Use a text editor, such as Notepad, to create an options file with a file name vmwarelm.opt.
- Place the options file in C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware License Server\License Directory
Supported Use Cases and Examples
INCLUDE
Includes a host or predefined group of hosts in the list of who is allowed to use licenses for the feature. Anyone not in the include list is not allowed to use that feature.
Syntax:
Term | Description |
feature | Name of the feature or package being affected |
Keyword=value | Feature name modifier to denote a group of licenses |
type | One of Host, Display, Internet, project, Group or Host_group |
name | Name of an item of type type for which license usage is included |
Group_name | Name of the group for which license usage is included |
Example:
- INCLUDE PROD_ESX_FULL INTERNET 192.16.135.99
EXCLUDE
Exclude predefined group of users from the list of who is allowed to use the feature
EXCLUDE feature[:keyword=value] type{name | group_name}
Term | Description |
Feature | Name of the feature being affected |
Keyword= value | Feature name modifier to denote a group of licenses. |
type | One of Host, Display, Internet, project, Group or Host_group |
Name | Name of an item type for which license usage is excluded |
Group_name | Name of the group to exclude
|
Example:
- EXCLUDE PROD_ESX_FULL HOST_GROUP finance
Will not allow host group named finance to access ESX Server Standard edition.
When a conflict arises between the Exclude list and the Include list, Exclude takes precedence.
HOST_GROUP
Define a group of hosts to check out licenses or a group that will be denied checking out licenses.
Term | Description |
Group_name | Name of the group being defined. |
Host_list | List of host names in that group. |
- HOST_GROUP Pacific tokyo12.eng.vmware.com, seattle14.support.vmware.com, auckland22.ps.vmware.com
Allow only a defined number of hosts in a group to check out licenses
Term | Description |
Num_lic | Usage limit for this group |
feature | Feature or package this limit applies to |
Keyword=value | Feature name modifier to denote a group of licenses. |
type | One of Host, Display, Internet, Project, Group or Host_group |
name | Name of an item of type type for which usage is limited |
Group_name | Name of the group to limit |
Example:
MAX 12 PROD_ESX_BASIC INTERNET 192.255.15.*
Reserve a number of licenses for a specified group of hosts or individual hosts.
RESERVE num_lic feature[:keyword=value] type { name | group_name}
Term | Description |
Num_lic | Number of licenses to reserve for this user or group |
feature | Feature or package this reservation applies to |
Keyword=value | Feature name modifier to denote a group of licenses. |
type | One of Host, Display, Internet, Project, Group or Host_group |
name | Name of an item of type type for which usage is limited |
Group_name | Name of the group for which license usage is reserved |
HOST_GROUP finance ap.corp.com ar.corp.com p11.corp.com
RESERVE 12 PROD_ESX_BASIC HOST_GROUP finance
Specific number of licenses can be reserved for hosts within a group or individual hosts.
Example:
RESERVE 4 PROD_ESX_FULL HOST ap1-dev-corp.com
Once the license is reserved even if the host is not actively using the license, it is unavailable to other hosts. To reserve a license for each of several groups, you must use a separate RESERVE command for each group.
Usage Scenarios
To allow only specified hosts to check out ESX_FULL and VCB licenses while excluding everybody else.
INCLUDE PRD_ESX_FULL INTERNET 192.255.16*
INCLUDE ESX_FULL_BACKUP INTERNET 192.255.16.*
To deny particular hosts o subnets ESX_FULL and VCB licenses
EXCLUDE PROD_ESX_FULL INTERNET 192.255.15.*
EXCLUDE ESX_FULL_BACKUP INTERNET 192.255.15.*
Limit the number of ESX and VCB licenses available to the hosts on subnet
MAX 8 PROD_ESX_FULL INTERNET 192.255.15.*
MAX 8 ESX_FULL_BACKUP INTERNET 192.255.15.*
To allow ESX and VCB licenses for sales hosts
HOST_GROUP sales np.corp.com 192.255.17.*
MAX 4 PROD_ESX_FULL HOST_GROUP sales
MAX 4 ESX_FULL_BACKUP HOST_GROUP sales
To deny ESX_FULL and VCB licenses for sales hosts.
HOST_GROUP sales np.corp.com 192.255.17.*
EXCLUDE_ESX_FULL HOST GROUP sales
EXCLUDE ESX_FULL_BACKUP HOST_GROUP sales
Note: Only IP address can contain wildcard characters. Host names with wildcard characters are not supported.
If a license file has two ESX server type licenses such as the Starter and Standard, you have to allocate the Standard license to the hosts by using the INCLUDE keyword; by default, hosts in the list are allocated with starter license keys.
Example:
INCLUDE PROD_ESX_FULL INTERNET 192.255.16.3 (to allocate standard license to the host.)
EXCLUDE PROD_ESX_STARTER INTERNET 192.255.16.3 (not to allocate starter license to the same host.)
Note: You have to use the EXCLUDE option to exclude hosts from the Starter license list.
The following table provides a mapping of feature names with the Virtual Infrastructure licensing names:
Feature Names | VI3 Licensing Names |
PROD_ESX_FULL | ESX SERVER Standard |
ESX_FULL_BACKUP | VMware Consolidated Bakup |
PROD_ESX_STARTER | ESX Server Starter |
Please be aware of the following when using the options file. If a particular host is denied license due to options file setting on the license server, the user will be greeted with a generic license error message. The error message will not mention this is due to options file setting. This will be fixed in the future.
Based on VMware KB 1000955
