VMware vSphere For Small and Midsize Business
For Small and Midsize Business

Overview:

Designed for IT environments with fewer than 20 server workloads, the VMware® vSphere® Essentials and Essentials Plus Kits deliver enterprise-class IT management with cost-effective server consolidation and business continuity for small organizations—with minimal investment. Use vSphere Essentials Plus with vSphere Storage Appliance software to get business continuity without shared storage hardware

View vSphere Demo

Key Benefits

• Ensure business continuity and always-available IT.
• Simplify your IT environment.
• Reduce IT hardware and operating costs.
• Improve service levels and application quality.
• Strengthen security and data protection.

What is VMware vSphere?

VMware vSphere is the industry's leading and most reliable virtualization platform. vSphere simplifies IT by separating applications and operating systems from the underlying hardware. Your existing applications see dedicated resources, but your servers can be managed as a pool of resources. The result is your business running on a simplified yet resilient IT environment.

What are vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus?

vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus are designed especially for small organizations just getting started with virtualization. Both provide virtualization and centralized management for up to three server hosts. vSphere Essentials provides server consolidation to help you get the most out of your hardware. Essentials Plus adds features such as vSphere Data Recovery for agent-less backup of your data and virtual machines. It also includes business-continuity features such as vSphere High Availability—for automatic restart of your applications when server failures are detected—and vSphere vMotion, to completely eliminate planned downtime for server maintenance. The result is an always-available IT environment that is more cost-effective, resilient and responsive to changing business needs. For scalable solutions with more-advanced capabilities, upgrade to vSphere Acceleration Kits.

Shared Storage Hardware Not Required

Introducing the vSphere Storage Appliance: The advanced features in vSphere Essentials Plus require shared storage capabilities. This used to mean having shared storage hardware in your environment—but no longer. Now you can turn your servers into shared storage. vSphere Storage Appliance is revolutionary software that delivers shared storage capabilities without the cost and complexity of shared storage hardware. You install it with a few mouse clicks and manage it with vCenter Server—perfect for any small or midsized business. Keep your keep IT simple while using the high-availability and automation features of vSphere.

How are vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus Used?

• Eliminate downtime and protect data – Achieve always available IT with live migration for virtual machines and high availability for applications in virtual-machine clusters
• Consolidate and optimize IT investments – Achieve consolidation ratios of 10:1 or higher, and improve hardware utilization from 5–15 percent to as much as 80 percent or more, without sacrificing application performance.
• Maximize application availability and protect information assets – Ensure always available continuity of IT operations with the rock-solid reliability of vSphere and integrated backup, recovery and failover features.
• Simplify management and enhance productivity – Provision new applications in minutes instead of days or weeks, monitor virtual machine performance, and automate patch and update management.
• Streamline software development – Safely test complex multitier configurations in a secure, isolated sandbox environment while allowing test and development teams to share server, network and storage infrastructure.

VMware vSphere Essentials enable you to virtualize and consolidate many application
workloads onto three physical servers running vSphere and centrally manage them with
VMware vCenter™ Server for Essentials.

Key Features:

VMware vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus include the following key features and components:

• VMware ESXi hypervisor architecture provides a robust, production-proven, high-performance virtualization layer that allows multiple virtual machines to share hardware resources with performance that can match and in some cases exceed native throughput.
• VMware vCenter Server for Essentials provides centralized management and performance monitoring for all virtual machines and vSphere hosts with built-in physical-to-virtual (P2V) machine conversion and rapid provisioning, using virtual-machine templates.
• vSphere Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) enables the use of ultra-powerful virtual machines that possess up to four virtual CPUs.
• vSphere vStorage Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) allows virtual machines to access shared storage devices (Fibre Channel, iSCSI, etc.), and is a key enabling technology for other vSphere components such as Storage vMotion.
• vSphere vStorage Thin Provisioning provides dynamic allocation of shared storage capacity, allowing IT organizations to implement a tiered storage strategy while reducing storage spending by up to 50 percent.
• vSphere vStorage APIs provide integration with supported third-party data protection.
• vCenter Update Manager automates tracking, patching and updating for vSphere hosts as well as applications and operating systems running in VMware virtual machines
• vCenter Converter allows IT administrators to rapidly convert physical servers and third-party virtual machines into VMware virtual machines.
• vSphere VMsafe APIs enable the use of security products that work in conjunction with the virtualization layer to provide higher levels of security to virtual machines than are possible even with physical servers.
• Hardware compatibility is possible with the broadest range of 32- and 64-bit servers and operating systems, storage and networking equipment, and enterprise management tools.

In addition, VMware vSphere Essentials Plus includes the following business-continuity features and components for always available IT:

• vSphere vMotion enables live migration of virtual machines across servers with no disruption to users or loss of service, eliminating the need to schedule application downtime for server maintenance.
• vSphere High Availability provides cost-effective, automated restart within minutes for all applications in the event of hardware or operating system failures.
• vSphere Data Recovery provides simple, cost-effective, agentless backup and recovery for virtual machines, in smaller environments.

Benefits	VMware Essentials	VMware Essentials Plus
Make better use of existing infrastructure
Save time in managing infrastructure with vCenter central management
Improve application availability with vMotion (no planned downtime) High Availability (Business continuity)
Protect business data with VMware Data Recovery

What's New in VMware vSphere 5?:

VMware® vSphere® is the industry-leading virtualization platform for building cloud infrastructures. It enables users to run business-critical applications with confidence and respond to business needs faster. vSphere accelerates the shift to cloud computing for existing datacenters and underpins compatible public cloud offerings, forming the foundation for the industry's only hybrid cloud model.

Infrastructure Services (Compute, Storage, and Network)

Compute

• vSphere ESXi convergence - vSphere 5 is converging on the ESXi hypervisor architecture. ESXi—the gold standard in hypervisors— enables vSphere users to leverage a thinner architecture, a more secure footprint, and a streamlined patching and setup model.
• vSphere Audo Deploy - Auto Deploy is a new deployment and patching model for new vSphere hosts running the ESXi hypervisor. Deploy more vSphere hosts in minutes and update them more e!ciently than ever before.
• New virtual-machine format (Version 8) - The new virtualmachine format in vSphere 5 has several new features, including support for
  • 3D graphics for Windows Aero
  • USB 3.0 devices
• Support for Apple products - vSphere 5 supports Apple Xserve servers running OS X Server 10.6 (Snow Leopard) as a guest operating system.

Storage

• vSphere Storage DRS - Improve management and enable more-e!cient use of storage resources through grouping, placement and balancing.
• Profile-Driven Storage - Identify the appropriate storage to use for a given virtual machine depending on service level. The result is a streamlined approach to selecting the correct storage and ensuring its delivery.
• vSphere File System - Leverage enhanced scalability and performance through a non-disruptive upgrade to the platform's latest clustered file system version.
• vSphere Storage I/O Control - Improve management and enforcement of service-level agreements (SLAs) through extension of limits and shares in Network File System (NFS) datastores.

Application Services (Availability, Security, and Scalability)

Availability

• vSphere High Availability - New architecture enables superior guarantees, simplified setup and configuration, and expanded scalability.
• VSphere vMotion- Migration of virtual machines over higherlatency network links is now supported.

Security

• ESXi Firewall - New service-oriented and stateless firewall engine restricts access to specific services by IP address or subnet. This is particularly useful for third-party components that require network access.

Scalability

• Larger virtual machines - Virtual machines can now grow four times larger than in any previous release to support even the largest applications. Virtual machines can now have up to 32 virtual CPUs and 1TB of RAM.

Management Services

Core Management

• vSphere Web Client - Access vSphere from any Web browser anywhere in the world.
• VMware VCenter Server Appliance - Run vCenter Server as a Linux-based virtual appliance.

How To Buy:

*NOTE – The vSphere Essentials kit is the only offering that contains the option of per incident support and requirement of subscription for one year. All other kits and editions listed below have support and subscription requirements (SnS) for one year.

Prices listed for licenses only, Production and Basic Subscription and Support (SnS), and Incident Support (for vSphere Essentials Kit) are sold separately. All vSphere offerings below can also be upgraded to a higher vSphere kit or edition at any time.

VMware vSphere Essentials Kit - Subscription is required. VMware vSphere Essentials includes vCenter Server Essentials and ESXi for 3 hosts, plus the following features: vCenter agents, 8-way vSMP, and Update Manager. vSphere Essentials is limited for use on up to 3 hosts and on servers with up to two processors only. 192 GB total VRAM entitlement. The server hosts must be managed by the vCenter Server Essentials edition that is provided with this bundle, and that same vCenter Server Essentials edition cannot be used to manage other server hosts not included with this edition.

VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit - SnS is required. VMware vSphere Essentials Plus includes vCenter Server Essentials and ESXi for 3 hosts, plus the following features: vCenter agents, 8-way vSMP, Update Manager, Data Recovery and High Availability. vSphere Essentials Plus is limited for use on up to 3 hosts and on servers with up to two processors only. 192 GB total VRAM entitlement.The server hosts must be managed by the vCenter Server Essentials edition that is provided with this bundle, and that same vCenter Server Essentials edition cannot be used to manage other server hosts not included with this edition.

VMware vSphere 5 Essentials Plus with vSphere Storage Appliance Bundle PROMO- SnS is required and sold separately. Renewals will be based on the Bundle SnS prices instead of the individual components in the kit. Promo good from 8/5/11 thru 12/31/11.

VMware vSphere 5 Essentials to vSphere 5 Essentials Plus Kit for 3 hosts (Max 2 processors per host) Upgrade - vSphere 5 Essentials Plus SnS is required and sold separately. Renewals will be based on the Bundle SnS prices instead of the individual components in the kit.

VMware vSphere 5 Essentials to vSphere 5 Standard Acceleration Kit for 8 processors Upgrade - One purchase per customer site. Each VS5 Standard AK contains 8 VS5 Standard edition license, each of which contributes 1 CPU and 32 GB of vRAM (256 GB of VRAM total) entitlement towards total available vRAM pool. SnS is required. Renewals will be based on then current list SnS prices of the component products in the kit.

VMware vSphere 5 Essentials to vSphere 5 Enterprise Acceleration Kit for 6 processors Upgrade - One purchase per customer site. Each VS5 Enterprise AK contains 6 VS5 Enterprise edition license, each of which contributes 1 CPU and 64 GB of vRAM (384 GB of VRAM total) entitlement towards total available vRAM pool. SnS is required. Renewals will be based on then current list SnS prices of the component products in the kit. (Includes vSphere 5 Enterprise for 6 Processors, 1 vCenter Server 5 Standard)

VMware vSphere 5 Essentials to vSphere 5 Enterprise Plus Acceleration Kit for 6 processors Upgrade - One purchase per customer site. Each VS5 Enterprise Plus AK contains 6 VS5 Enterprise Plus edition license, each of which contributes 1 CPU and 96 GB of vRAM (384 GB of VRAM total) entitlement towards total available vRAM pool. SnS is required. Renewals will be based on then current list SnS prices of the component products in the kit. (Includes vSphere 5 Enterprise Plus for 6 Processors, 1 vCenter Server 5 Standard)

VMware vSphere 5 Essentials Plus to vSphere 5 Enterprise Acceleration Kit for 6 processors Upgrade - One purchase per customer site. Each VS5 Enterprise AK contains 6 VS5 Enterprise edition license, each of which contributes 1 CPU and 64 GB of vRAM (384 GB of VRAM total) entitlement towards total available vRAM pool. SnS is required. Renewals will be based on then current list SnS prices of the component products in the kit. (Includes vSphere 5 Enterprise for 6 Processors, 1 vCenter Server 5 Standard)

Support:

Per incident support available. Please contact us.

VMware Production Support & Subscription

Technical Support, 24 Hour Sev 1 Support -- 7 days a week.

Focused, 24-Hour Support For Production Environments

• Global, 24x7 support for Severity 1 issues
• Fast response times for critical issues
• Unlimited number of support requests
• Remote Support
• Online access to documentation and technical resources, knowledge base, discussion forums
• Product updates and upgrades

Overview

VMware Production Support is designed with your production environments in mind. Our global support centers are staffed around the clock to provide you access to our industry-leading expertise in virtualization and years of experience supporting virtual infrastructure products in real-world customer environments. We are committed to delivering enterprise-class, worldwide support with a single objective in mind: your success.

VMware Basic Support & Subscription Service

Technical Support, 12 Hours/Day, per published Business Hours, Mon. thru Fri.

Weekday Support for Test, Dev and Non-Critical Deployments

• Global, 12x5 access to support
• Unlimited number of support requests
• Remote Support
• Online access to documentation and technical resources, knowledge base, discussion forums
• Product updates and upgrades

Overview

VMware Basic Support is designed for non-critical applications and platforms that require support during normal business hours. Our global support centers have been strategically placed to provide you with fast and efficient access to the support center in your region. Each center is staffed with engineers that can provide industry-leading expertise in virtualization and years of experience supporting virtual infrastructure products in real-world customer environments. We are committed to delivering enterprise-class, worldwide support with a single objective in mind: your success.

Feature	Production Support	Basic Support
Hours of Operation	24 Hrs/Day 7 Days/Wk 365 Days/Yr 1	12 Hrs/Day Mon–Fri 1
Length of Service	1 or 3 Years	1 or 3 Years
Product Updates	Yes	Yes
Product Upgrades	Yes	Yes
Products Supported	All Products (excluding VMware Fusion and Player)	All Products (excluding VMware Fusion and Player)
Method of Access	Telephone/ Web	Telephone/ Web
Response Method	Telephone/ Email	Telephone/ Email
Remote Support	Yes	Yes
Access to VMware Web site	Yes	Yes
Access to VMware Discussion Forums and Knowledge Base	Yes	Yes
Max Number of Support Admins per Contract	6	4
Number of Support Requests	Unlimited	Unlimited
Target Response Times Critical (Severity 1 Major (Severity 2) Minor (Severity 3) Cosmetic (Severity 4)	30 minutes or less: 24x7 4 business hours 8 business hours 12 business hours	4 business hours 8 business hours 12 business hours 12 business hours
Business Hours North America and Latin America Alaska, Hawaii South America (NASA) Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA Asia, Pacific Rim, Japan (APJ) Australia/New Zealand	Monday - Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time zone) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST/PDT) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST/EDT) 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (GMT/GMT+1) 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Singapore Time) 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Sydney AET)	Monday - Friday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time zone) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST/PDT) 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST/EDT) 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (GMT/GMT+1) 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Singapore Time) 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Sydney AET)

1Hours of operation for Gemstone are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PST/PDT) globally.
1Hours of operation for VMware Go Pro and vCenter Protect products are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CST/CDT), except holidays.
1Hours of operation for VMware IT Business Management and IT Financial Management are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST/EDT/GMT) except holidays.
1Hours of operation for Socialcast are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PST/PDT).

Documentation:

Download the VMware vSphere Essentials and Essentials Plus Kits Datasheet (PDF).

Download the What's New in VMware vSphere 5? (PDF).