Frequently asked questions.

VIA (Virtual Infrastructure Analyzer) is downloadable software for VMware infrastructure analysis. You import it as an OVA appliance into your own vSphere environment and run it yourself. The analysis runs entirely inside the appliance, inside your own infrastructure. No data from your environment is ever sent automatically; only what you choose to share (support package, contribution) reaches us.

During the private beta, access is granted on request: once your access request is accepted, your domain is enrolled in the mbtools.ca client portal, where you sign in through a link sent by email. From the client portal, you download the OVA appliance and import it into your vCenter or onto a standalone ESXi host (in that case, the access token is set as a VM parameter before first boot: procedure in the documentation). VIA analyzes an environment managed by a vCenter. Up to 100 VMs, VIA is unlocked with no license file. Above that, a license file (.lic), requested and downloaded from the client portal, is imported in the WebUI to activate the higher tiers. Everything runs on infrastructure you control.

Not automatically. VIA runs entirely locally, inside your network: no data is transmitted automatically to MB Tools or any third party. The report is produced and kept on the appliance, inside your network, and you download it. Only what you choose to share (for example a support package, after inspection) reaches us. See the Trust Center →

The risk is low and bounded. VIA reads vCenter and changes no configuration: the service account is built on the Read-Only role; L2 adds VirtualMachine.GuestOperations.Query and L3 VirtualMachine.GuestOperations.Execute, used only for reads. No persistent agent is installed. The L2 guest pass queries the guest without running commands; the optional out-of-band fallback (off by default, L2 or L3) connects over SSH or WinRM over HTTPS and runs a fixed set of read-only commands; the L3 pass runs read-only commands only and writes output files (one per command) in the guest's temporary directory, whose size depends on the VM, left in place (documented in the portal). These passes add a brief, schedulable load. Your deliverables and data stay with you; you keep them or delete them whenever you want.

No, by design. No platform recommended, no commercial partnership or margin on any destination. Read about our neutrality →

Yes. VIA serves teams planning a migration just as much as teams staying and optimizing: infrastructure health, right-sizing, operational risks, application dependencies, lock-in detection. Visibility doesn't depend on your decision.

The product is currently in private beta, and during the beta it is free for every participant, whatever the size of the estate (above 100 VMs per vCenter, with a free beta license requested in the client portal). At version 1.0, it will stay free up to 100 VMs per vCenter; above that, a license will be required, with pricing to be disclosed at commercial launch.

During the beta, yes: request a free beta license in the client portal. At version 1.0, the free tier will cover a vCenter with 100 VMs or fewer (counted across the whole vCenter: the “Virtual Machines” figure of its summary, templates excluded): a separate vCenter of that size (a lab, for example) will let you evaluate VIA for free; the main estate will need a license.

You get the full product, free and with no purchase obligation, throughout the beta (above 100 VMs per vCenter, with a free beta license requested in the client portal), with hands-on support (deployment, first scan, results review) and a real say in the roadmap. In exchange for structured feedback after at least one scan, you get a discount on version 1.0. Note that seats are limited and access is by request.

Yes. VIA is used in client engagements under the client's license, bound to that client's vCenter. A partner program (referral, discount code) is coming at launch for consultants and integrators. Contact us for details. Email info@mbtools.ca →

Once the prerequisites are in place (network access, credentials, approvals), duration ranges from minutes for the vCenter inventory to a few hours for a deep guest scan; it varies with volume, depth (L1/L2/L3), and your environment's performance. The software connects to vCenter with a read-only service account, collects the required data, scores each VM, and generates all deliverables automatically.

On the technical side: a vSphere/vCenter environment, deploying the VIA appliance (OVA) into your vCenter, a read-only vCenter service account (enough for the L1 infrastructure collection), and network access (appliance to vCenter on 443 and, for L2/L3, to the ESXi hosts on 443; your workstation to the appliance on 8443; DNS on 53 when vCenter or the ESXi hosts are addressed by name). The optional in-guest passes (L2 and L3), which reach each VM via VMware Tools (Guest Operations), additionally require guest credentials. The optional out-of-band fallback (off by default, L2 or L3) additionally needs network access from the appliance to the targeted VMs: 22 (SSH) or 5986 (WinRM over HTTPS). On the organizational side: plan for the approvals and credential gathering your environment requires (deploying an appliance, creating the service account and guest access), which precede the run and vary by organization. Full details in the portal Getting Started guide.

VIA informs your decisions: it measures your estate and reports on it, it doesn't decide for you. It measures complexity, not costs: no prices provided and no license or TCO calculation; only a rate per VM and per host is derived from the annual cost you enter (the Excel workbook also includes blank cost sheets for your teams to fill in), and it covers the VMware vSphere environment, not the rest of your estate (physical, other hypervisors, cloud). It doesn't perform migrations, and it doesn't replace a contractual license review or a specialized security audit. It gives you the defensible data to lead those conversations.

Yes, through successive assessments: you re-run an analysis whenever you want (unlimited runs during the license term), and each run produces a complete, reproducible report. VIA delivers point-in-time assessments, not continuous monitoring.

A single appliance can connect to several vCenters. Each one produces its own report: results are separate per vCenter, with no cross-correlation between them. Licensing remains per vCenter. VIA works with Enhanced Linked Mode (verified on vSphere 9.0): run one scan per vCenter in the group.

The interface, the deliverables (report, summary, exports), and the support are available in French and English.

Yes, with a caveat. vCenter inventory (L1) works normally; if the vCenter or DNS sits on a public address (managed or hosted VMware), the interface lets you declare specific egress exceptions to reach it, since by default the appliance only reaches private networks. For in-guest analysis (L2/L3), hosted environments often block the VMware Tools channel (Guest Operations). VIA can then connect directly to the VMs over SSH or WinRM over HTTPS. This option is off by default; you enable it explicitly for an L2 or L3 depth scan, where that network path exists. We check eligibility based on the access actually available. Contact us to confirm your case. Email info@mbtools.ca →

The beta validates VIA on real, varied estates: environment coverage, scoring calibration, workflow usability, and robustness. Known limitations are listed in the portal.

Yes. A complete demonstration report, produced on a synthetic environment, can be reviewed on request, with no collection in your environment. Email info@mbtools.ca →

Through file exports (CSV/JSON, and an Excel workbook ready for ITSM/CMDB) and a local REST API. Native connectors to third-party tools are on the roadmap.