Questions
- Can KEPServerEX be licensed on a Virtual Machine?
- How do I license the KEPServerEX in the Cloud?
- Are multiple licenses required for licensing KEPServerEX on a Cluster?
Answer
- Yes! KEPServerEX 5.20.396.0 and greater can be installed and licensed.
Licensing on VMWare ESXi
- Verify that the address Type is set to static for the VM
- If the address type is dynamic, a new MAC ID will be assigned during certain events such as copying or migration or maybe even after a reboot
- To set a static MAC ID, following the below steps:
- Power down the virtual machine.
- Locate the virtual machine in the vSphere Web Client by selecting Related Objects | Virtual Machines.
- On the Manage tab, select Settings | VM Hardware.
- Click Edit.
- On the Virtual Hardware tab, expand the network adapter section.
- In the MAC Address section, select Manual from the drop-down menu.
- Type a static MAC address.
- Click OK.
More information can be found here (https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/com.vmware.vsphere.networking.doc/GUID-F9243FED-F081-498F-B4A9-EF950292AF77.html)
Licensing on VMWare Workstation
- Power down the VM and locate the VM's vmx file.
- View in a text editor and make the below changes
Add:
ethernet0.checkMACAddress = "false"
ethernet0.addressType = "static"
ethernet0.address = "11:22:33:aa:bb:cc"
Remove:
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.generatedAddress = "11:22:33:aa:bb:cc"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"
Licensing on Microsoft HyperV
- HyperV defaults to "Dynamic MAC Address Regeneration" which will cause a break after migration
- Setting MAC Address Regeneration to Static solves this problem.
Migrations or Moves
- Moving or migrating a virtual machine running a licensed instance of KEPServerEX is supported as long as the virtual machine's MAC ID, VM UUID, or VM GenerationID does not change
- MAC IDs can change under a wide variety of circumstances, depending on the specific software and action taken
- Setting a Static MAC ID in a virtual machine with migrating hosts can limit MAC ID changes
- If the virtual machine prompts for I moved versus I copied, choosing I moved can lessen the likelihood of a MAC ID change
Snapshots
- Reverting to a snapshot will break the license, but the license can be reactivate or repaired using the License Utility.
Clones/Copies
- Cloning or copying a virtual machine will result in a broken license that cannot be repaired
- This is in violation of the User Licensing Agreement (ULA)
Licensing in the Cloud
- Some cloud environments (Azure and possibly Amazon EC2 and Google Compute) are only supported in v6.0 and greater
- Licensing will break after every reboot on older versions
- AWS EC2
Licensing on Clusters
- On a cluster where multiple computers are acting as one without a virtual environment, a separate license is needed for each computer in the cluster