What happens if your VMware ESX ( subscription ) expires?

[muzza9999]

Don't intend to run without a current licenced subscription, but keen to know the outcome should this happen for whatever reason.

With our Perpetual Licence the Expiration is Never, so I could run this forever - but get no support or upgrades, but no loss of functionality. Again not something I'd wish to do. But the safety net is it'd keep running,

The ( theoretical ) scenario I'm interested in is that we have now purcahsed a one year subscription, and I don't renew what happens on day 366?

This sceanrio could be a breakdown of bureaucratic proceses - could be a hundred reasons the tranaction could go awry.

What action will Broadcom take? I've asked a few experts but have to date only got "guesses" not concrete answers.

Regards Murray

[PatrickLong]

My understanding of what will happen is this (per https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.esxi.upgrade.doc/GUID-17862A54-C1D4-47A9-88AA-2A1A32602BC6.html ) "For ESXi hosts, license or evaluation period expiry leads to disconnection from vCenter Server. All powered on virtual machines continue to work, but you cannot power on virtual machines after they are powered off. You cannot change the current configuration of the features that are in use. You cannot use the features that remained unused before the license expiration."

So if you use vCenter to manage your hosts, those hosts will disconnect from vCenter - meaning that all API functionality to those hosts via vCenter will ALSO cease to work, as well as any vCenter-dependent services like DRS.. Your backup solution is likely going to be unable to back up or restore vm's on those hosts because they are no longer accessible from vCenter.

Your assumption about the Perpetual License is correct; you could keep using it without loss of functionality other than no support and no upgrades. But once you replace those perpetual licenses and apply subscription licenses to your VMware environment; you will be subject to the above repurcussions since the expiration date is a built-in property of the new license keys.

[Rajaram02]

Hi Patricklog
 vMotion, DRS, HA, or centralized (vCenter) management will be lost 

The virtual machine will still run, but you will not be able to utilize the advance features of managing the host.

It will act as standalone host 

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