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SCO OPENSERVER 5 Product is not licensed error when running on VMWARE ESXi physical servers work fine

I have virtualized SCO OPENSERVER 5 onto VMWARE ESXi host using an HP DL380 Gen8 and Gen9 server

One server is running SCO OPENSERVER 5.0.5  the other is running SCO OPENSERVER 5.0.4

Both server when booted up with a  date past APPROXIMATELY August 2015 (I do not know the exact date on which it does this.) it says all the licenses are expired.  
LOGIN: Product is not licensed
All licenses are already in use. To purchase additional licenses ...

When you look at the license manager it says they are EXPIRED.

when you use tcl in conjuction with fmtclock the license is NOT expired it says it expired in 2038  ( I plan on being retired by then!!!!!!!!!!)

If I set the time back in maintenance mode to anytime before around Aug or July 2015 it works fine.

A physical old server running SCO OPENSERVER in native mode does not have this issue.

I do not know if this is an HP Issue with CMOS?  VMWARE Issue with emulation

My guess is this is a VMWARE problem

Someone PLEASE help me

Thanks
Joseph Duczman
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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do you have VMware Tools installed, time is correct on the VM ?

Is this Guest OS on the support OS list ?
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jduczman

ASKER

Thanks Andrew for the comment

Can't install VMTOOLS on SCO Openserver as far as I know.

Actually the only way to get the VM to bootup is to set the time back before the date sometime in July or August as mentioned or it won't boot. (Due to the license showing expired)  so no the time is not correct on the VM on purpose.
We are quite far from 2038 for licence to expire...
v5.0.6 and 5.0.7 are supported (but you ned to follow install guide to the letter)
v5.0.5 adds unlimited user licence (that was soooo loong ago)
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
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With broken disk you already lost the data, and will lose more using it. The faster you make full image the less loss.

VM is still a better option than to keep machine from rotting away using 2nd hand hardware...

Given original disk is damaged I think best option is to make disk clone into image file and measure various virtualisation/emulation solutions - vmware, virtualbox, hyperv, kvm, qemu, bochs.
First that works is good to go.

Another option is to replace disks in old machine by industrial SSD drives (that ride ATA/100 or UW SCSI at full interface speed)

Other things worth trying - Solaris , FreeBSD, and Linux all can read the files from that image file
All of them have much longer lifeline ahead (I understand you have customers with SCO, but I think their wallet will appreciate moving to Linux ;) )

Tell which option you are ready to try.
Or update licence to virtual: http://www.sco.com/support/update/download/product.php?pfid=16&prid=25
In my opinion this is an issue with the VMWARE product in how it handles the dates..


Since a physical server running the EXACT SAME OS SCO Openserver 5.0.5  does not have the issue and only the VMWARE virtualized version does VMWARE just needs to look at the date handling and determine what they are doing differently from the physical CMOS /BIOS or whatever mechanism they use.

Anyway I will hope a related  issue occurs in a supported OS and when  VMWARE fixes that OS it will fix mine

Thanks for all your help everyone!

Joe
VMware is unlikely to fix the issue, due to the fact  that Vendor Support has ended for 5.0.5, 5.0.6 and 5.0.7.
Xinous Inc. At web address www.sco.com continues support for SCO products. They have designated OpenServer 5.0.7 for vmware that they support (not vmware)
Why C grade? Did you find a way to run SCO 5.0.4 on your vmware?
I've requested that this question be deleted for the following reason:

The answers do not get me anywhere and no point in leaving a question without a solution

Solution text:
"SCO Openserver 5.0.4 does not run on vmware"
If you dont like the answer NO it does not mean you should revenge on messengers.
No one is revenging

The close process asked my why am I closing it and I answered honestly

next time I won't leave a response.
You just need to challenge answers technically.
It is expensive: http://www.dupaco.nl/assets/Prijslijsten/Prijslijst_SCO.pdf, but this is how capitalist world works, but it is only option (not counting minor code refactoring to run it on PC Solaris, or bigger overhaul to run on Linux)
You just need to challenge answers technically.
It is expensive: http://www.dupaco.nl/assets/Prijslijsten/Prijslijst_SCO.pdf, but this is how capitalist world works and still a valid option.
First I want to thank all the Experts for their information... I do appreciate all the effort and love how Expert Exchange cares about the contributors,.  Thanks


I have tried to delete the question in the past and then someone objected

Before I spend time doing this again I want to know if I in fact CAN delete the question.

There is no answer that I feel I can Accept.  Sorry.

I have 3 successful installs of SCO Open Server on VMWARE that simply have this loss of license after a certain date in 2015 issue cited in this Case.  The software works fine as long as you boot it with an old date.  

If I can kindly delete the question I would prefer that most of all.

Thanks again
joe
We cannot help you with violating licence restrictions, even they are unfair.

For the rest i agree with andrew.