Critics point to the 60-day limit as a downside. Savvy engineers see it as a feature. Because the trial expires, it forces architectural discipline. You cannot set it and forget it. You must document your configuration, automate your teardown, and practice your migration strategy. Furthermore, Broadcom allows you to the evaluation or convert it to a paid license without reinstalling. This means your proof-of-concept can seamlessly transition into a production node.
For 1,440 hours, you have the keys to a Ferrari. vsphere trial
Your environment is unique. You have legacy NICs, quirky storage arrays, and specific backup agents. The trial is the only ethical way to validate the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). Install ESXi on your pizza-box servers. Connect your iSCSI SAN. If a driver crashes or a storage controller acts up, you discover that friction before you write the check, not after. Critics point to the 60-day limit as a downside