I have three retail Server 2022 Datacenter product activation keys and am wondering how to activate the resulting VMs in a Scale Computing HC3 environment with three hosts. The VMs are running Server 2019 due to current compatibility and support issues. AVMA keys will not work because this is not a Hyper-V environment. I have found a couple posting around the web with no definitive answers. I appreciate any advice that can be provided and am having a hard time tracking down a MS support contact for this.
If you don't run DataCenter for the host then that's correct you cannot use AVMA keys plus this limits you to only standing up 2022 DataCenter guest virtual machines. Simply use the same host product key to activate guests.
Thanks, @Dave Patrick. Do you know if it is possible to activate Server 2019 Datacenter VMs using slui -4? I understand this would be a little painful given the manual nature of this, but I want to make sure I understand all of my options. Server 2022 isn't formally supported by the Scale guest tools yet so I have a tiny bit of hesitation going all-in on 2022.
best response confirmed by
JCottrill (Copper Contributor)
but you'll need to come up with a valid product key for activation. The Server 2022 DataCenter license will be no help unless you can get hold of a downgrade product key from seller.
Speaking to our software vendor, they are adamant retail licenses for Datacenter cannot be used in non-Hyper-V setups. They are stating we must have SA to be able to license/activate Datacenter on an ESXi/Scale/KVM host. They are not a small vendor but I am struggling to find anything to back this up. They are suggesting at best I'd get one activation per Datacenter license purchased. I have three hosts, so I'd get three VMs and that is it. Why would MS do this to themselves?
I haven't tried yet as I wanted the option to return these licenses if they aren't going to work but I feel like I am at the point I just need to risk it and attempt the activation and see how many VMs I can get going.
The problem is a DataCenter host provides for an unlimited number of virtual machines. Reusing the DataCenter product key over and over on the vmware hypervisor guests is going to eventually trigger a "product key in use" error, then the other problem of being able to talk to anyone to raise the limit will be next to impossible to do. Better option may be to install a DataCenter host and move on.
I would love to just use Hyper-V but my predecessor fast tracked a Scale Computing solution with our MSP on his way out. I inherited a $60k (pre OS licensing) problem that I am trying to make the best of. This is a large mistake that will be difficult for a company of our size to swallow.
What is really funny is our MSP was going to try and license this 3 node cluster with a single, 16 core Datacenter license, and that the solution was approved/recommended by a MS rep.
Ok, well back to original it seems you'll need to downgrade the 2022 DataCenter keys to 2019 DataCenter, then activate the guests (hope they're running DataCenter edition?) using these downgrade keys. You didn't say how many on each host but if its more than a half dozen or so you may run into problems.
but you'll need to come up with a valid product key for activation. The Server 2022 DataCenter license will be no help unless you can get hold of a downgrade product key from seller.
