By: Ken Williams, Tech Support Specialist, N. America Solution Center
First of all, what is virtualization?
Virtualization lets you run your applications on fewer physical devices. Each app is isolated within the device, so that fewer devices are needed, and other computer resources can be pooled together.
For IT managers and administrators, this means saving time and lowering costs without sacrificing high performance. Thus, it comes as no surprise that increasingly more organizations are choosing virtualization to give their employees increased time to focus on other responsibilities.
So, can I virtualize my Autodesk software?
The short answer is… it depends. Autodesk updated their Terms of Use to reflect the information below – read on to see if you qualify.
If you have a subscription with single-user access or an Enterprise Business Agreement, the answer is yes! Go ahead and virtualize your software. We allow virtualization since IT managers can deploy the software to multiple devices, but only the individual user can access the software at any given time – so you can stay compliant.
If you have a subscription with multi-user access, you are unable to virtualize your software to use on desktop workstations at this time. Although we would like to provide virtualization for all subscriptions, the lack of identified users means we cannot verify user access for license compliance.
If you have a maintenance plan, you are also unable to virtualize your software at this time. We are only able to offer virtualization as a benefit for purchase plans that authorize software usage for individual users.
As a reminder, for subscriptions with multi-user access or maintenance plans for network licenses, if you only want to virtualize your network license server and not your actual workstations, you are able to do so.
Does Autodesk provide technical support for virtualization?
Technical support is where it gets a little tricky. To avoid issues, you should be following documented System Requirements for your product, to see if there is a recommended set up for virtual environments.
In the case that you face difficulties with our software while running it in virtualized environments, we will need to check if it is indeed an Autodesk software issue to help get it resolved. To do this, our tech support experts will ask you to replicate the problem in a physical environment. If the problem persists, we are happy to fix it for you! However, if it cannot be replicated, we recommend you contact your virtualization provider, so they can help you best.
Okay, I’m ready to virtualize. What should I do now?
• Confirm you're permitted to virtualized, based on our Terms of Use
• Check the Autodesk Knowledge Network for your applicable System Requirements and Virtual Installation Guidelines
• Per Autodesk- Customer Success- Autodesk
What to do if you’re interested in virtualization
1. Check Terms of Use, Admin Community, or AKN (Autodesk Knowledge Network) to see if you are permitted
2. If permitted, follow System Requirements on AKN (Autodesk Knowledge Network)
3. If you run into an issue, replicate the problem in a physical environment before contacting support
4. If it’s an issue unique to your virtual environment, contact your virtualization provider for support
5. Per Autodesk- Best Practices Virtualizing your Autodesk software
Links sourced from: Setting the Record Straight: Can I Virtualize My Autodesk Software? By Chris Kayser, Director of Offering Management, Autodesk. November 01, 2018.
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