IBM licensing in VMware vSphere environments

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of IBM licensing in VMware vSphere environments

    When you integrate the Software Asset Management (SAM) publisher pack for IBM with authorized Software Asset Management providers, the SAM application supports IBM licensing rules specifically for VMware vSphere environments. VMware vSphere virtualizes hardware to run IBM software products on virtual machines (VMs), and the SAM application manages licensing under both full capacity and sub-capacity models for IBM software.

    Show full answer Show less

    Licensing Models

    • Full Capacity Licensing: Requires licensing every physical processor core on the ESXi host running the VM where IBM software is installed. This applies regardless of how many VMs or software instances are running on that host. The total processor cores on the physical host determine the required license rights, calculated according to the license type (Processor Value Unit - PVU, Resource Value Unit - RVU, or Virtual Processor Core - VPC).
    • Sub-Capacity Licensing: Applicable only when a VM manager is configured and specified for the VMs. Licensing is required only for the virtual cores assigned to the VMs running IBM software. The sum of these virtual cores across VMs determines the license rights required. However, if this sum exceeds the total physical cores on the ESXi hosts, the calculation defaults back to the full capacity model. This model enables more precise and potentially cost-saving licensing based on actual VM resource allocation.

    Important Considerations

    • You must license IBM installations separately if software runs on both a VM and its underlying physical ESXi host.
    • Determining the exact number of rights required depends on the licensing type, for which you should refer to IBM-specific PVU, RVU, or VPC license guidelines.

    Practical Impact for ServiceNow Customers

    This integration and support enable ServiceNow customers to accurately track and manage IBM software licenses within VMware vSphere environments, ensuring compliance with IBM’s licensing rules. By leveraging sub-capacity licensing when appropriate, customers can optimize license usage and potentially reduce costs. Ensuring proper configuration of VM managers and understanding the licensing model implications are key steps for effective license management within the ServiceNow SAM application.

    When you integrate the Software Asset Management publisher pack for IBM with Software Asset Management providers that are authorized to participate in the IBM Authorized SAM Provider (IASP) Program, the Software Asset Management application supports IBM licensing rules for VMware vSphere.

    VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform through which you can install and run IBM software products on virtual machines (VMs). The Software Asset Management application supports both full capacity and sub-capacity processor value unit (PVU), resource value unit (RVU), and virtual processor core (VPC) licensing for IBM software products in VMware vSphere environments.
    Table 1. IBM licensing models on VMware vSphere
    Licensing capacity Licensing model
    Full capacity

    When you install and run an IBM software product on a VM, you must license each processor core on the underlying physical ESXi host that is running the VM. If the physical ESXi host is running multiple VMs simultaneously, you must still license each processor core on the host regardless of how many VMs you install and run the IBM software product on.

    Use the total number of processor cores on the underlying physical ESXi host to determine the number of rights that are required for your license, based on the license type. To determine the number of rights that are required for a PVU or RVU license, see IBM processor value unit (PVU) and resource value unit (RVU) licenses. To determine the number of rights that are required for a VPC license, see IBM virtual processor core (VPC) licenses.
    Sub-capacity
    Note:
    You can use sub-capacity licensing only if you configure and specify a VM manager for your VMs. For more information on VM managers, see Specify the virtual machine (VM) managers for which you are tracking IBM licenses.

    You must license only the virtual cores that are assigned to the VMs on which you install and run an IBM software product.

    Use the sum of virtual cores that must be licensed across your VMs to determine the number of rights that are required for your license, based on the license type. To determine the number of rights that are required for a PVU or RVU license, see IBM processor value unit (PVU) and resource value unit (RVU) licenses. To determine the number of rights that are required for a VPC license, see IBM virtual processor core (VPC) licenses.

    Note:
    By default, the number of required rights is calculated using the sum of virtual cores. If the sum of virtual cores exceeds the total number of processor cores on the underlying physical ESXi hosts that are running the VMs, the number of required rights is calculated using the total number of processor cores on the hosts instead.
    Note:
    If you install and run an IBM software product on both a VM and the underlying physical ESXi host that is running the VM, you must also license the installation on the host.