However, using these keys today comes with significant caveats: End of Life: ESXi 5.5 reached its End of General Support
If your hardware supports it, upgrading to a newer version of vSphere ensures your environment remains patched against modern threats. Keep in mind that Broadcom has shifted VMware licensing away from perpetual keys to a subscription-based model (vSphere Foundation and VMware Cloud Foundation). Steps to Properly License or Upgrade ESXi 5.5
VMware ESXi 5.5, released in 2013, represented a pivotal moment in the virtualization industry. It introduced significant enhancements to the vSphere suite, including doubled limits for host CPUs and RAM, and the introduction of the . In the modern landscape, this version is long past its End of General Support (EOGS) , which occurred in September 2018. The Significance of the "14k" Identifier
: Broadcom (which acquired VMware) conducts strict compliance audits. Utilizing unauthorized keys can result in heavy financial penalties and legal liability. vmware esxi 55 license key 14k
While searching for a "14k" specific license key for VMware ESXi 5.5, it is important to note that this software is significantly outdated. General support for ESXi 5.5 ended on , and technical guidance concluded on September 19, 2020 . Broadcom, which acquired VMware, has also discontinued the "free" hypervisor edition as of February 2024.
Newer server hardware and storage arrays are not certified to run with version 5.5. 2. The Broadcom Shift
– VMware officially ended support for ESXi 5.5 on September 19, 2018. Using it today poses significant security and compatibility risks. However, using these keys today comes with significant
Proper configuration of Pluggable Storage Architecture (PSA) policies.
The currently running ESXi 5.5
: Do not use shared keys like the one in the example above. A legitimate license key is unique to your VMware account. After you assign the key, your evaluation period ends, and your host enters the perpetual "Free" mode, though with significantly reduced features. It introduced significant enhancements to the vSphere suite,
I understand you're looking for an article related to "VMware ESXi 5.5 license key 14k." However, I must pause here to provide some crucial context before proceeding.
Two months earlier, his small non‑profit had been gifted an old but serviceable datacenter array: eight servers, a SAN, and a note from the benefactor—“Handles virtualization like a charm.” The benefactor hadn’t mentioned the caveat: the array’s management console demanded a license tied to an ancient key format. Searching the vendor site, Amir found murmurs in forums, broken links, and a single cryptic reference: “ESXi 5.5 — 14k key.” It sounded like a myth told by system administrators to scare new hires.
Check the VMware Compatibility Guide (VCG) to ensure your physical servers can support newer ESXi versions.
While Broadcom has recently updated the availability of free ESXi versions, historical methods for obtaining keys for 5.5 often involved the VMware My VMware portal. 1. Obtaining the Key