SnS Estimator a Hidden Jewel
Few things are more frustrating than surprise software maintenance costs, much less trying to get a handle on what these costs will be. The VMware Support and Subscription (SnS) offering is no exception, and many would say it's a clumsy experience compared to other software management offerings.
Did you know that on the VMware Website for your account, there is a tool that can give you an estimate of the costs of renewing the SnS offering? The estimator tool will calculate the SnS extension cost for a particular serial number, start date, service level and even specify the currency. It's located in the VMware customer account portal.
The SnS estimator tool can be critical for administrators to provide a good estimate for budgeting process, and more importantly can be a more direct process. Too many times, administrators are bogged down with working with resellers and VARs who have to access VMware for some assistance. I'm sure each of us had some sort of issue with any serial numbers that were upgraded from VI3 as well, which can complicate SnS renewals.
The estimator is focused on base vSphere product licenses, and doesn't appear to have options for the newly announced pay-per-VM options for certain workloads.
Managing the SnS process is unfortunately one of the not-so-glorious aspects of virtualization administration, but it needs to be done. This will ensure the environment is correctly licensed, supported and ready for upgrades from VMware. I can't say if SnS management is easier through the reseller channel or directly with VMware, as I've heard complaints on both ends from big and small organizations.
What are some of the tricks you employ for managing your VMware SnS account? Share your comments here.
Posted by Rick Vanover on 09/07/2010 at 12:47 PM