When deploying management components, VMware Cloud Foundation requires access to valid license keys, which are either keyed or keyless. You add keyed license keys to the SDDC Manager inventory so that they can be consumed at deployment time, but they are not synchronized between SDDC Manager and the underlying components.

In the deployment parameter workbook that you completed before bring-up, you entered license keys for the following components:
  • VMware vSphere
  • VMware vSAN
  • VMware NSX-T Data Center
  • VMware vCenter Server
Note:

A combination of keyed and keyless licenses can now be used within the same VCF instance. The licensing within a given workload domain needs to be homogeneous (no mixing of keyed and keyless licensing within a workload domain).

After bring-up, these license keys appear in the Licensing screen of the SDDC Manager UI.

You must have adequate license units available before you create a VI workload domain, add a host to a vSphere cluster, or add a vSphere cluster to a workload domain. Add license keys as appropriate before you begin any of these tasks.

Note: There are no license keys to enter if you are using VMware Cloud Foundation+ (VCF+) subscription services.