Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.3:
Overview of VMware vSphere product editions
(continued)
Essentials
Plus
Enterprise
Plus
Essentials
Standard
Enterprise
Big Data
Extensions
X
X
Reliable
Memory
X
X
Distributed
Switch
X
I/O Controls
(Network and
Storage) and
SR-IOV
X
Host Profi les
X
Auto Deploy
X
Policy-driven
storage
X
Storage DRS
X
Flash Read
Cache
X
App HA
X
Source: “VMware vSphere 5.0 Licensing, Pricing and Packaging” white paper published by VMware, available at
It's important to note that all editions of VMware vSphere 5.5 include support for thin pro-
visioning, vSphere Update Manager, and the vSphere Storage APIs for Data Protection. We did
not include them in Table 1.3 because these features are supported in all editions. Because prices
change and vary depending on partner, region, and other factors, we have not included any
pricing information here.
We did not include VSAN in Table 1.3 because it is licensed separately from vSphere.
On all editions of vSphere, VMware requires at least one year of Support and Subscription
(SnS). The only exception is the Essential Kits, as we'll explain in a moment.
In addition to the different editions described previously, VMware offers some bundles,
referred to as kits. VMware offers Essentials Kits as well as Acceleration Kits.
Essentials Kits are all-in-one solutions for small environments, supporting up to three vSphere
hosts with two CPUs each. To support three hosts with two CPUs each, the Essentials Kits come
with six licenses. All these limits are product-enforced. There are three Essentials Kits available:
VMware vSphere Essentials
◆
