Licensing the guest OS

Though Skytap provides pre-installed operating systems on many VMs in the public templates, Skytap generally doesn’t provide product keys, MSDN keys, volume license keys, or any other licensing keys. There are several ways that you can license your guest operating system in your Skytap environment.

Create a VM in Skytap and then install a license key – After you’ve installed a VM from a public template, you can obtain a license from the OS vendor, and then install the key on your virtual machine. For example, to license a Windows VM, enter the license key for the version of Windows that you’re using. You can work directly with Microsoft to obtain a license or MSDN subscription.
Import your own VM with your own license installed – For more information, see Importing VMs and vApps into Skytap.
Add Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) licenses to your account – Skytap can provide SPLA licensing for some operating systems and software products. Contact Skytap Support for assistance with SPLA licenses.
Use a trial license – Some operating systems allow you to use the software in a trial or evaluation mode without a key. The length of the trial mode varies by vendor and OS. If you only need the VM for a limited period of time, the trial mode may suite your needs.

Which guest operating systems require a license?

Generally, the following operating systems require a license for use beyond a trial period, or for enterprise use:

Windows
Solaris
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
SUSE Enterprise Linux Server
Ubuntu Linux
Notes
- Skytap includes licensing for AIX with your subscription for Power VMs.
- SPLA licensing is not available for Windows desktop editions