We are looking to scale up our automated testing infrastructure for macOS development. Ideally, we want to create a large-scale testing farm capable of running parallel integration tests across multiple OS versions and configurations.
However, we are running into a major roadblock with the Software License Agreement (SLA) limitation, which restricts the concurrent execution of macOS within virtualized environments to a maximum of two (2) instances per physical host.
This restriction creates a massive bottleneck for high-end hardware. Investing in powerful machines like the Mac Studio or Mac Pro feels entirely inefficient for this use case; their massive core counts and memory capacities are effectively wasted if the host is legally throttled to just two concurrent VMs.
Given this friction, we have a few questions for the community and any Apple engineers tuning in: are there any known plans, official updates, or historical precedents suggesting Apple might revise or remove this 2-VM limit for enterprise testing workflows?
Any insights, policy updates, or architectural recommendations on building large-scale, compliant macOS test farms without underutilizing high-end hardware would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Sorry I didn’t respond to you last week. WWDC keeps me busy.
You’re not the first person to request a change here. Unfortunately, I’m can’t offer any guidance. WWDC did not bring any announcements about this, and I’m only able to discuss what’s been announced (see tip 3 in Quinn’s Top Ten DevForums Tips).
Normally I’d suggest that you submit your feedback officially via Feedback Assistant, but in this case that’s not necessary. The relevant folks are very aware of the general demand for this. However, if you have any specific or unusual requirements, please do put them in an enhancement request.
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Quinn “The Eskimo!” @ Developer Technical Support @ Apple
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