Reduce cores on ESXi host to save Licensing Cost

Hello kplmdn,

Not sure if you saw this article from Broadcom about downgrading license. https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/281797/upgrade-and-downgrade-vmware-license-key.html

As a general rule when another company owns the rights we follow there guidelines unless we work with them to create new guidelines. Here are also a couple of links that may be of assistance.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000202503

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000020729

@DELL-Sam L​ Thanks for your reply.

We dont need to downgrade VMWare license. My ask is to downgrade number of cores from BIOS on VXRail Node from 20 cores to 16 cores.

We are running vSphere version 7.0. As vSphere 7.0 will be end of life in October 2025, its better to upgrade 8.0.

Each VXrail node in cluster is running 1 CPU and 20 cores each CPU.

We will have buy license of 20 Cores, however our cluster utilization is 10% only so can i disable 4 cores from BIOS on VXRail node and only buy license for 16 Cores?

VXRail node is provided by Dell, hence Dell must know if this can be achieved.

The 2 KB links you shared, they don't open for me with error - Page Not Found

I do not see a way to disable cores. 

@DELL-Josh Cr:

Please check this screenshot from ​VXRailP570F.

I have changed the number of cores per processor from all to 16 cores.

At vCenter level as well It now shows 16 cores, however iDRAC still shows 20 cores.

If Vcenter only shows 16 that should be enough for the license.