VMware – Download and Install the License
by Michael T. Durham
VMware provides several great programs that allow us to run more than one operating system on a single physical box at one time or to run another operating system under a Windows or Mac operating system. This allows us to take advantage of today’s high performance computers and saves us money from buying lots of hardware. If you want to use your current computer system such as a Windows or Mac box, you need to purchase VMware Workstation. But, if you have a spare computer laying around or purchase one (some of our Voice/Collaboration Lab Kits include a server), WMware offers a totally free version of their software called VMware ESXi.
There are two code releases, 32 bit and 64 bit. VMware no longer offers the 32 bit version but you can still find it on the Internet and our download server for our customers. The 64 bit release can be found at the VMware web site.
As of this writing VMware ESXi is 6.0 and it can be found at https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi6
If you have a copy of ESXi 5.5, you can still get a license at: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=free-esxi5.
The first thing you need to do is to create an account on the VMware site and login. Next, agree to the license agreement and download the software to your computer and print out your license number. Once you have your download, make a bootable CD with the downloaded software.
Once you have loaded VMware onto your server (this procedure is covered in another one of our Labs), you need to apply your license number otherwise your VMware copy will expire in 60 days.
To apply your license number once VMware has been installed. Open the VMware client and log on.
Click on the Configuration tab.
Next, click on the License Features link and the Edit feature.
A window will pop up. Click the button to Assign a new License Key to this host then click the Enter Key button.
Another new window will pop up, enter your license key and press the OK button.
Once you click the OK button VMware may inform you that you will lose a feature or two and need you to accept that, go ahead, the feature(s) that you may lose will NOT affect your Lab at all. Once you accept the licensed features change, your license information will appear as below:
You are now all set to start installing your operating systems under VMware ESXi and learning Cisco server based products.
After you have setup and tested this lab, please blog your experience below.
Thank You,
