VMware Usage Meter 3.5 End of General Support
VMware Usage Meter 3.5 has set end of general support (EoGS) for March 31, 2019. Users of Usage Meter 3.5, or earlier, will be required to upgrade to version 3.6.1. This update needs to be completed prior to March 31 to ensure the new appliance is reporting for the month of April. Upgrading ensures continued support and brings new features and fixes including support for all recent product versions. Providers who chose not to update not only lose support for their version of Usage Meter but are also subject to a compliance review.
Other benefits of upgrading…
One of the biggest benefits of migrating to 3.6.1 is VMware Usage Insight. VMware Usage Insight is a centralized service that automatically aggregates data from all Usage Meter instances in an organization. Aggregated data is then populated in the business portal. An added benefit of Usage Insight is a centralize repository for historical records and reporting. For users who are migrating from 3.5 and aren’t ready for a fully automated system, Usage Insight offers a trial mode. Trial Mode still allows for the aggregation of the Usage Meter instances but does not populate the information in the business portal. Check out this blog post for additional information on trial mode.
Another feature of 3.6.1 is notifications. It is important to be notified when there are failures in collections. Timely notifications are important to be able to rectify the root cause so that metering may resume. Check out the blog on Usage Meter requirements for SMTP.
Conclusion
Usage Meter 3.6.1 will require a new appliance to be deployed. During the deployment, users will have the opportunity to migrate the data from their existing Usage Meter appliance to the new appliance. If you choose not to migrate the data during the deployment, it will be necessary to keep the existing appliance for three years to ensure compliance.
For additional information on Usage Meter and Usage Insight, please review the following resources:
Usage Meter/Usage Insight Product page
Migration Guide
