ScaleIO license removal

Hello osaddict,

I know that is a completely different type of product because is based on monthly basis payments but for example Microsoft SPLA permits customer evaluation:

- it permits to fully license a product for up to 60 days to provide software services to prospective customers.

That is extracted from the SPLA datasheet.

In the past I realized a virtual infrastructure to permit a customer to evaluate it. At the first SPLA report I had already the contract signed so I reported that licenses immediately because the contract in this scenario mark the switching in production.

I could understand that talking about storage is different but, I think, that the evaluation period from the point of view of the final customer is important. ScaleIO is used also from cloud infrastructure provider that deliver services to final customers.

That is only my opinion, obviously EMC can decide how it's software can be used and all the customer have to respect these decisions. Maybe EMC can evaluate if the depicted scenarios could be covered by the contract (in some way).

Kind Regards,

Davide

Hello osaddict,

as explained yesterday to Pawel I'm working with a commecial licensed version of ScaleIO (TIER1).

I understood why triggs88 is asking this feature. Think about this scenario: I'd like to try to import some data for a new project because I have to demonstrate to a customer that my cloud infrastructure is suitable to host his services on my cloud infrastructure and I need temporarly some extra space to let him check the services (before contract stipulation). I know that the ScaleIO storage is in production for the storage space already licensed but I have also some space used for evaluation (temporarly). If the hypothetical customer is satisfied he will sign the contract then I can license the extra ScaleIO space.

I don't have problems to license more space with a signed contract but often I have to demonstrate that the VMs of a customer work well on our infrastructure in advance.

Switching back to trial can be useful in that scenario.

For example when I contacted ScaleIO presales I asked if the size limit was really locked. Our company for example sometimes need to extend capacity on request (immediately) and it takes a bit to license the extra space because we have to:

- contact the EMC sales team

- wait for an offer

- confirm it

- wait for license release

Our company is small so buy a bigger license in advance can be a problem. The EMC presales team (when we bought ScaleIO) replied me that the the limit is only administrative (written on paper) and that I could go temporarly over the limit (because the size is not really locked) and then acquire contact them to license the additional space. They said that the only drawback is that support is suspended until our full “RAW storage space” is officially licensed. We are in production from 19 days with ScaleIO and I understood that this is a wrong statement when I read the post of triggs88. I have all the emails of presales support stating what I’m saying.

A little bit of flexibility from this point of view can help little companies that can't license in advance bigger amount of storage space without really overcome the license.

That's why I think that the request of triggs88 make sense.

Kind regards,

Davide

Hi osaddict,

Davide, hit the nail on the head really.  Sometimes we struggle to show the customers what ScaleIO can really do if we don't have the flexibility of evaluation license.

If we really did upgrade the license to allow more storage and then the customer decides to not purchase the product then we lost the money, so you can see the chicken and egg situation that alot of providers/resellers are struggling with.

Thanks,

John