Tracking Licensed Assets in VMware Aria Automation

I often find myself fielding questions about how to effectively manage and monitor licensing in VMware Aria Automation. Licensing is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring compliance, optimizing resource usage, and maintaining operational efficiency in your automation environment. Recently, I was asked about tracking licensed assets, and I’m excited to share a practical approach using the powerful vracli command-line interface (CLI), specifically the vracli license usage command. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to leverage this tool to gain visibility into your licensed assets, why it matters, and some actionable insights for managing your Aria Automation deployment.

Why Track Licensed Assets?

Before diving into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” VMware Aria Automation empowers organizations to automate and orchestrate IT services across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Whether you’re provisioning virtual machines, managing cloud templates, or integrating with external systems, your licensing determines the scope of what you can do. Tracking licensed assets ensures you’re:

Staying Compliant: Avoid overstepping your license entitlements, which could lead to unexpected costs or audit headaches.
Optimizing Resources: Understand what’s being used so you can right-size your licensing and avoid paying for unused capacity.
Planning Ahead: Get a clear picture of usage trends to inform future purchases or renewals.

The vracli license usage command is your window into this world, providing a straightforward way to inspect license consumption directly from the Aria Automation appliance.

Getting Started with `vracli license usage`

The vracli CLI is a built-in utility on the Aria Automation appliance, designed to manage and troubleshoot various aspects of the platform. To use it for tracking licensed assets, you’ll need SSH access to your Aria Automation appliance with root credentials. Once you’re logged in, it’s as simple as running a single command—but let’s break it down step-by-step.

Access the Appliance
Use your preferred SSH client (e.g., PuTTY, OpenSSH) to connect to the Aria Automation appliance. Log in as the root user with your password.

   ssh root@<aria-appliance-fqdn>

Run the Command
Once you’re at the command prompt, execute:

   vracli license usage

This command queries the system and returns details about how your Aria Automation license is being utilized.

Interpret the Output
The output will vary depending on your deployment and licensing model, but it typically includes key information such as:

Total Licensed Units: The number of assets (e.g., VMs, hosts) you’re entitled to under your license.
Used Units: How many of those licensed assets are currently in use.
Remaining Units: What’s left of your entitlement. For example, you might see something like this (simplified for illustration):

   License Type: VMware Aria Automation
   Total Units: 100
   Used Units: 75
   Remaining Units: 25

This tells you that 75 out of your 100 licensed units are consumed, leaving 25 available for additional workloads.

Digging Deeper: What’s Being Tracked?

The vracli license usage command focuses on the assets managed by Aria Automation, such as virtual machines provisioned through cloud templates or deployments orchestrated via the platform. Depending on your license (e.g., standalone Aria Automation or part of the broader Aria Suite), the tracked assets might include:

Managed VMs: Virtual machines deployed and governed by Aria Automation.
Orchestrated Resources: Assets tied to workflows in Aria Automation Orchestrator.
Cloud Accounts: Resources linked to integrated cloud providers (e.g., AWS, Azure, vSphere).

If you’re running a clustered deployment, the command aggregates usage across all nodes, giving you a holistic view of your environment.

Pro Tips

A few tricks to make the most of this command:

Automate It: Wrap vracli license usage in a script and schedule it with a cron job to monitor usage over time. Pipe the output to a file or integrate it with a monitoring tool for trending analysis.

   vracli license usage >> /var/log/license-usage-$(date +%F).log

Cross-Check with Aria Operations: For a more graphical and historical perspective, pair this CLI data with VMware Aria Operations, which offers centralized license management and consumption visibility (especially in versions 8.18 and later).
Know Your License Model: Aria Automation licensing can be unit-based (e.g., per VM) or part of a suite entitlement (e.g., VMware Aria Suite). Confirm your model with your VMware account team to ensure you’re interpreting the output correctly.
Troubleshooting: If the output seems off (e.g., usage exceeds entitlement), check for orphaned deployments or misconfigured cloud accounts. You can use vracli service status to ensure all services are healthy.

Beyond the CLI: A Holistic Approach

While vracli license usage is a fantastic starting point, it’s just one tool in your arsenal. For deeper insights, consider:

Aria Suite Lifecycle: Manage and validate licenses across the Aria Suite portfolio.
UI Validation: Log into the Aria Automation console and cross-reference usage under the “Infrastructure” or “Deployments” sections.
Support: If you’re unsure about the data, VMware’s support team (now under Broadcom) can help decode complex scenarios.

Final Thoughts

Tracking licensed assets in VMware Aria Automation doesn’t have to be a mystery. With the vracli license usage command, you’ve got a quick, reliable way to peek under the hood and ensure your environment aligns with your entitlements. I love how this simple CLI tool empowers administrators and architects alike to stay on top of their licensing game—because in the world of automation, visibility is power.