There’s some disinformation out there about the new VMware licensing. Let’s break through the madness and make some easy sense of the new VMware licensing model. We’ll split it in three categories: What Changed?, Maybe This Matters and Don’t Freak Out.

What Changed?

If you have a virtual server to physical server ratio of less than 10:1 (that’s 10 virtual servers for each host; I.e. if you have 3 physical host servers, but have 30 or less virtual machines) – then you don’t have to care. Nothing changes for you at all. Continue buying VMware licensing just like you always have and enjoy the bliss of leaving the drama to your momma.

Maybe This Matters

If you have a virtual server to physical server ratio between 10:1 and 15:1, call your friendly Zumasys Account Manager so we can crunch some numbers for you. It all depends on how much vRAM you’re allocating to each virtual server. We’ll take a look and help you decide whether it matters…or not.

Don’t Freak Out

So…turns out you’re one of those guys. You know who you are. You’ve got host servers rockin’ 128GB of RAM; you’re killin’ it with 50+ VMs per box. Yeah…this might have an impact on you. VMware took a look at their largest customers, and discovered an amazing thing…that we buy 2 CPU-based licenses and then over-allocate memory like RAM-hungry zombies. So they made the same move any of us would have made if vSphere were our product; they started charging us for the way we’re using it. So if this is you, then yeah…it is a change. But don’t freak out.

Give us a call, we’ll help demystify the madness, identify exactly how it’s going to impact your business…and everything will be just fine.

Don’t sweat…we’re here to help.

Rock on,
Dave McCary
Your Friendly #GeekTranslator

PS – In case this wasn’t quite nerdy enough for you…here’s a matrix outlining the vRAM entitlement limits per license in the new model.   Cheers.

Still not nerdy enough?   Alight then…don’t get rowdy…here you go.

While vacationing in Yosemite last week, I read an interesting article about corporate earnings, specifically for our nation’s retailers. The author made the point that low-end retailers (think TJ Maxx) are seeing their growth decline while high-end providers like Nordstrom are kicking butt. What struck me was the notion that 75% of the population is still in a deep recession while 25% of us are enjoying much better times.

As I proxy this against another 500-point drop in the stock market today, I think of the tremendous rally we are seeing in technology spending, specifically on Cloud Computing. When observing our customers who are spread out across North America, you can see a clear renaissance happening around IT initiatives which had been previously postponed or stalled. And if you’ve been in IT for a while, you know that you can defer spending for a period of time, but those problems never go away.  It’s time to address the Gartner estimated $500B “IT Debt” and it appears that corporations of all sizes are finally getting the message.

There also seems to be a willingness to look at new solutions to old problems which is exciting for companies like Zumasys.  For example, the concept of renting time on an outsourced data center platform (i.e. Cloud Computing) vs. purchasing servers and storage, is in full swing. CFOs and CEOs no longer want to burden their balance sheets with costly IT investments–Cloud Computing is solving this problem (and others) and is fueling tremendous growth for boutique Cloud providers like Zumasys as well as larger players like Amazon.

What lessons can we learn from this? For me, it’s the fact that strong corporate earnings are driving this investment. There are vibrant, growing companies out there — that 25% of the population — you just need to know where to look. When you find those precious relationships – whether it’s with your clients or your vendors —  the message is hold on with both hands and forget about the Dow Jones Industrial Average (for now).

Paul Giobbi
President
Zumasys, Inc.

“VMware could certainly change the pricing scheme to appease grumpy customers, but that’s probably not going to happen. The company is more likely to drive a hard sell for the new product based on its technical advances and unmatched feature set. For some, there’s simply no substitute for the best of the best, which VMware remains with or without boneheaded pricing plans.”

To read more – Click Here

If you haven’t heard yet, VMware has changed how licensing for vSphere products works for the upcoming version 5 release. The differnet editions (Standard, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus) no longer limit CPU core or physical RAM amounts. Instead, each CPU license comes with a certain amount of vRAM entitlement. This entitlement is counted by how much RAM is assigned to the VM guest. The vRAM allocations are globally pooled when using vCenter, meaning the vRAM is not strictly bound to any physical CPU but shared amongst all licensed hosts. The table below shows each edition’s entitlement: 

• Standard vRAM Entitlement = 24GB
• Enterprise vRAM Entitlement = 32GB
• Enterprise+ vRAM Entitlement = 48GB

So, using Enterprise as en example, 2 CPU licenses would allow for up to 64GB of virtual RAM (vRAM) to be assigned to guests. It is not required to have hosts built at the same physical RAM (pRAM) counts as you are licensed. Also, this model does not change current 4.x license agreements and capacities current customers already have. 

This change means we are shifting our license model from being bound to physical hardware configuration to the virtual guest configuration.

The Essentials packs are still available and come with 24G-vRAM per CPU entitlements.

The free ESXi hypervisor is still available and comes with 8GB of vRAM allocation.

Those interested in how their current allocation might change their license requirements can run an unofficial PowerCLI script from PeetersOnline: http://bit.ly/qCPvoB

All around them, the couple saw negative portrayals of technology in the media – how kids are warned about the dangers of the web, how parents should limit kids’ technology usage, and how mobile phones may damage personal interactions.

Meanwhile, the world felt different in their own “nerd family,” where they used computers, websites, mobile phones and video games to grow closer to one another, spend time together, and build stronger relationships.

Luke and Ginger realized that families need help learning how to use the latest gadgets to grow closer, especially as technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous. They envisioned helping families use technology for good – and creating technologies that serve families better.

This vision became reality after they lost half of their family – Luke and sons Nick, Nate and Noah – to a plane crash in October 2010. During this difficult time, Ginger saw once again how technologies helped draw people together, support her family, and connect her community. The Bucklin Family Foundation (BFF) was born.

As it grows, the BFF will support families by providing online resources, offering grants, and stimulating community dialogue. It will also fund development of tools like family-centric mobile apps.

Together, we can make positive change in the lives of families, using the power that technology offers to grow stronger together.

Learn more at http://www.bucklinfamilyfoundation.org/

Zumasys announced that it is the first provider to achieve both VMware vCloud Power status and the NetApp Gold Service Provider designation. Specializing in migrating custom software applications to the Cloud, Zumasys also announced that it is now live with production workload at the 407,000 sq. ft. SuperNAP Data Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This latest platform utilizes NetApp Flash Cache to deliver maximum performance and Cisco Nexus Datacenter Switches providing 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. Built on VMware’s revolutionary vCloud Director architecture, Zumasys unveiled a brand new resource pool-based pricing model which is expected to provide a more flexible and affordable path to the Cloud for businesses running custom applications.

Customers are now benefiting from:

• Resource Pool Pricing – Pay a set price for a pool of memory, CPU and disk resources with the ability to spin up as many virtual machines as is required
• Self Provisioning – Deploy virtual machines and operating system images with the click of a button
• Self-Service Portal – Gain access to virtual infrastructure through a user-friendly Web portal

 Click here to read the full article

We’ve learned a lot about mobility since the early days of this decade when businesses and consumers alike got their first taste of 3G networks. The shift from 2G voice-centric networks to 3G data-driven networks has made it clear that the real “killer apps” are mobile applications – transforming mobile devices into extensions of ourselves and our day-to-day lives.

Consumers and enterprise alike are starting to see the incredible potential for combining mobile applications with the power of cloud computing.

The options in the Cloud space are evolving quickly and can be confusing. However, Zumasys is here to help you make the right decision for your company including a review of Zumasys Cloud Solution which uses Microsoft Rental Licensing. Contact sales@zumasys.com for more information.