An administrator has licensed vSphere components in Connected mode and then switched to Disconnected mode to meet the company security restrictions, which cannot be violated. What must the…

Question

Options

• ASwitch to Connected mode, validate that VCF Operations has downloaded a new license file from
• BManually exchange a registration and license file between the VCF Operations instance and the
• CNothing. The license is perpetual.
• DProvide an internet connection to VCF Operations, then download a new license file from the VCF

• A
  17% (5)
• B
  72% (21)
• C
  3% (1)
• D
  7% (2)

Explanation

Option B is correct because VMware vSphere Foundation (VCF) licensing requires periodic validation, and when operating in Disconnected mode, that validation cannot happen automatically over the internet. The solution is to manually export a registration file from the VCF Operations instance, submit it to the VMware/Broadcom licensing portal offline (e.g., via a separate machine), and then import the resulting license file back into VCF Operations - keeping the license valid without violating the air-gap requirement.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A requires switching back to Connected mode, which directly violates the security restrictions the question states "cannot be violated."
• C is incorrect because even perpetual licenses in VCF require periodic license file refresh/validation; doing nothing will eventually cause the license to fall out of compliance.
• D also violates the security restriction by requiring an internet connection to VCF Operations - the same problem as A, just slightly reworded.

Memory tip: Think of Disconnected mode as "sneakernet licensing" - what the internet normally does automatically, you must do manually by carrying files between systems. If the environment is air-gapped, the process is always manual file exchange, never "just connect it."

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