Product FAQs
Q. What is VMware vSphere Desktop?
A. VMware vSphere Desktop is a new edition of vSphere for deploying desktop virtualization. It provides the full range of features and functionalities of the vSphere Enterprise Plus edition allowing you to achieve scalability, high availability and optimal performance for all of your desktop workloads. Also, vSphere Desktop comes with unlimited vRAM entitlement.
The vSphere Desktop edition is intended for customers who want to purchase only vSphere licenses to deploy desktop virtualization. In addition to the vSphere Desktop edition, VMware also sells a comprehensive end-to-end desktop and application virtualization solution, VMware View. vSphere Desktop is already included in the View Bundle. This offer gives customers the option to purchase vSphere Desktop as a stand-alone vSphere edition outside of the View Bundle.
vSphere Desktop is licensed based on the total number of Powered On Desktop Virtual Machines. It is available in a pack size of 100 desktop VMs at a license list price of $6,500.00USD.
vSphere Desktop can be used only for hosting a VDI environment.
Q. What is my cost saving by using vSphere Desktop for hosting desktop virtualization?
A. vSphere Desktop is the cost effective vSphere SKU for deploying desktop virtualization. Depending on the consolidation ratio and the memory requirement for desktop VMs, customers can choose between vSphere Desktop or any other vSphere edition for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployment.
Example:
Customer deploying 1,000 desktops
Assumptions:
Memory per VM = 1 GB
vSphere Enterprise Plus: List Price: $3,495.00USD per CPU with vRAM entitlement of 96GB
vSphere Desktop: List Price $65.00USD per VM, Unlimited vRAM entitlement for desktop VMs
# of vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses required =
(Total pooled vRAM required for all desktop VMs / MIN (vRAM used per processor, vRAM entitlement per processor))
= (1,000 desktop VM * 1GB / MIN (vRAM entitlement used, 96GB))
# of vSphere Desktop licenses required = # of desktop VMs
| Consolidation Ratio
(# of desktop VMs) per processor |
vRAM needed per processor | # of vSphere lic required with 96GB vRAM | Total cost with vSphere Enterprise Plus | Total cost with vSphere Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 36GB | 28 | $3,495 * 28 = $97,860 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
| 42 | 42GB | 24 | $3,495 * 24 = $83,880 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
| 54 | 54GB | 19 | $3,495 * 19 = $66,405 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
| 66 | 66GB | 16 | $3,495 * 16 = $55,920 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
| 72 | 72GB | 14 | $3,495 * 14 = $48,930 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
| 84 | 84GB | 12 | $3,495 * 12 = $41,940 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
| 96 | 96GB 1 | 11 | $3,495 * 11 = $38,445 | $65 * 1000 = $65,000 |
1 vRAM entitlement with 1 CPU
Q. What are the benefits of vSphere Desktop?
A. vSphere Desktop comes with unlimited vRAM entitlement. Also, it provides the full range of features and functionalities of vSphere Enterprise Plus, offering reliability, scalability and optimal performance for all your enterprise desktop workloads. vSphere Desktop is already included as part of all VMware View bundle SKUs and comes with unlimited vRAM entitlement.
Q. Which customers are eligible for vSphere Desktop?
A. vSphere Desktop is available to all commercial, academic, and government customers who want to purchase new licenses of vSphere to host desktop virtualization. Customers who purchase the VMware View bundles get vSphere Desktop with unlimited vRAM entitlement. Customers who purchased licenses for vSphere 4.x (or previous versions) to host desktop virtualization, and hold current SnS agreements, may upgrade to vSphere 5.0 while retaining their current licensing metric and thus have access to unlimited vRAM entitlement. vSphere Desktop extends only to the purchases of new vSphere licenses for desktop virtualization.
Q. How can vSphere Desktop be purchased?
A. Purchases may be made through a VMware authorized reselling partner, OEM partner or directly with VMware.
Q. When can I purchase vSphere Desktop?
A. vSphere Desktop is available for purchase when vSphere 5 becomes generally available.
Q. Is there a detailed SKU list associated with vSphere Desktop?
A. This offer extends to the following SKUs:
VS5-DT100VM-C
VS5-DT100VM-A
VS5-DT100VM-F
Q: What is included in the vSphere Desktop edition?
A. vSphere Desktop delivers the full range of vSphere 5 Enterprise Plus features for desktop workloads. vSphere 5 Enterprise Plus includes features such as High Availability, Data Recovery, vMotion, Virtual Serial Port Connector, Hot Add, vShield Zones, Fault Tolerance, Storage APIs for Array Integration, Multi-pathing, Storage vMotion, Distributed Resource Scheduler and Distributed Switch, IO controls (Network and Storage), Host Profiles and Auto Deploy, Policy Driven Storage and Storage DRS.
Q. Are there any restrictions with vSphere Desktop?
A. vSphere Desktop can be used only to host a desktop virtualization environment or desktop management and monitoring tools. You can use vSphere Desktop for desktop management and monitoring tools in a VDI environment only. Desktop licenses covered by this provision, however, may not be managed by the same instance of vCenter which is being used to manage non-desktop OS virtual machines.
Q. I have spare vSphere Enterprise Plus licenses. Can I use them for desktop virtualization?
A. Yes, customers with spare vSphere licenses from past purchases can use it to host a VDI environment. Customers who purchased licenses for vSphere 4.x (or previous versions) prior to September 30, 2011 to host desktop virtualization, and hold current SnS agreements, may upgrade to vSphere 5.0 while retaining access to unlimited vRAM entitlement. Desktop licenses covered by this provision, however, may not be managed by the same instance of vCenter which is being used to manage non-desktop OS virtual machines.
Q. I am currently using vSphere Enterprise Plus to deploy a third party desktop virtualization solution. Can I continue to do so?
A. Yes. Customers currently using vSphere as backend for a 3rd party VDI deployment can continue to do so. Customers who purchased licenses for vSphere 4.x (or previous versions) prior to September 30, 2011 to host desktop virtualization, and hold current SnS agreements, may upgrade to vSphere 5.0 while retaining access to unlimited vRAM entitlement. Desktop licenses covered by this provision, however, may not be managed by the same instance of vCenter which is being used to manage non-desktop OS virtual machines.
Q. Can I downgrade to vSphere 4 desktop until my 3rd party vendor supports vSphere 5?
A. Yes, vSphere 5 Desktop can be downgraded to vSphere 4 Desktop and upgraded to vSphere 5 Desktop later.
Q. Do I need a separate vCenter Server for my VDI hosts?
A. Yes, like VMware View Deployments on vSphere 4.x you will need a separate vCenter Server for your VDI hosts.
Q. Can vSphere Desktop be used to run 3rd party desktop management and infrastructure tools or 3rd party server products for desktops?
A. As per the vSphere 5 EULA, vSphere Desktop standalone can be used for hosting virtual desktop machines or desktop management and monitoring tools. You can use vSphere Desktop for desktop management and monitoring tools in a VDI environment only.
Q. What is the impact to View bundles or View add-on SKUs?
A. There is no change to the price of the View bundles. View Enterprise Add-on and View Premier Add-on SKU prices have increased. We encourage customers to consider View bundles for all their new desktop virtualization deployments. The bundles are designed to be the cost effective solution for large scale desktop deployments. Any vSphere 5 licenses purchased separately to run View Enterprise Add-on and View Premier Add-on will be subject to the per processor pooled vRAM entitlement licensing.
| vRAM needed per processor | # of vSphere lic required with 96GB vRAM | Total cost with vSphere Enterprise Plus | View Premier Add-on | View Premier Upgrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vSphere for Desktop |
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| vCenter Server Standard for Desktop |
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| View Manager |
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| View Composer |
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| Local Mode |
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| vShield Endpoint |
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ThinApp
(Client + Packager) |
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Pricing
(Per concurrent connection) |
$150
(no change) |
$90 |
$250
(no change) |
$190
|
$100
(no change) |
Support FAQs
Q. What Support and Subscription (SnS) is included as part of this offer?
A. VMware requires Basic (12x5) and Production (24x7) Support for vSphere Desktop. In addition, customers can purchase Business Critical Support to complement Production Support. VMware’s Business Critical Support offers access to a dedicated account team who will build and maintain a profile of your installation and provide regular account reviews. VMware’s Professional Services Organization is also available for consultations or to deploy vSphere Desktop in your organization. For more information, please visit the vSphere support site.
Q. Who can I contact if I have questions?
A. Please contact your VMware authorized reselling partner or VMware account representative if you have any questions.
