IBM licensing in IBM LPAR infrastructures

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of IBM licensing in IBM LPAR infrastructures

    When integrating the Software Asset Management (SAM) publisher pack for IBM with authorized Software Asset Management providers, ServiceNow supports IBM licensing rules for logical partitions (LPARs) in IBM LPAR infrastructures. An LPAR is a subset of processor hardware functioning as an independent system within IBM mainframe hardware. Multiple LPARs can exist on a single system.

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    Discovery of LPARs and their resources relies on ServiceNow Discovery patterns for the IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC), which manages LPAR configurations. These patterns require installing the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store. Discovered LPAR data is stored in specific CMDB tables and requires the CMDB CI Class Models application for proper class definitions related to IBM HMC.

    Key Features

    • Discovery and Data Storage: Uses IBM HMC discovery patterns to gather LPAR and resource data, populating CMDB tables such as cmdbciibmframe, cmdbcilparinstance, and others.
    • Licensing Types Supported: Supports IBM full capacity and sub-capacity licensing models including processor value unit (PVU), resource value unit (RVU), and virtual processor core (VPC) licenses.
    • Full Capacity Licensing: Requires licensing every processor core on the underlying hardware running the LPARs with IBM software.
    • Sub-Capacity Licensing: Requires licensing only the processor cores assigned to LPARs where IBM software is installed and operated, considering dedicated and shared processor pools.

    Licensing Details and Practical Considerations

    • Dedicated Processor Pools: License all dedicated cores assigned to LPARs running IBM software.
    • Shared Processor Pools: License cores shared across micro-partitions with IBM software, distinguished by LPAR type:
      • Capped LPARs: Limited to the maximum entitled CPU capacity assigned.
      • Uncapped LPARs: Can use more CPU than the entitled capacity, up to assigned virtual cores or available cores in the pool.
    • License Rights Calculation: Rights required for PVU, RVU, or VPC licenses are based on the total processor cores determined by either full capacity or sub-capacity rules, aligned with IBM licensing documentation.

    What This Enables ServiceNow Customers to Do

    By leveraging ServiceNow’s integration with IBM SAM providers and discovery capabilities, customers can accurately identify and manage IBM LPAR resources within their CMDB. This allows for precise compliance with IBM licensing rules, ensuring proper license allocation whether using full capacity or sub-capacity models. Customers can optimize license usage, reduce compliance risks, and maintain visibility into IBM hardware and software assets within their LPAR infrastructures.

    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 IBM logical partitions.

    A logical partition (LPAR) is a defined subset of processor hardware that supports the operating system. An LPAR contains resources, such as processors, memory, and input or output devices, that operate as an independent system. You can have multiple LPARs within each mainframe hardware system.

    Discovering the LPARs and LPAR resources within your IBM LPAR infrastructure requires ServiceNow Discovery patterns for the IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC), which is the hardware appliance that enables you to manage and configure your LPARs. To access these discovery patterns, you must request and install the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store. For more information on how to configure a discovery on your LPARs, see IBM Virtualization and Hardware Management Console discovery.

    Note:
    The lparstat command pulls a report of LPAR-related information and usage. For more information, see the IBM Knowledge Center.
    When you run a discovery, your discovered LPAR data is populated and stored in the following Configuration Management Database (CMDB) tables on your ServiceNow instance:
    • cmdb_ci_ibm_frame
    • cmdb_ci_aix_server
    • cmdb_ci_lpar_instance
    • cmdb_ci_lpar_resource
    • cmdb_rel_ci
    • cmdb_sam_sw_install
    To populate and store this data, you must request and install the CMDB CI Class Models application from the ServiceNow Store. This application adds or updates CMDB classes for the IBM HMC. For more information on IBM HMC CMDB classes, see IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) extension classes.

    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 IBM LPAR infrastructures.

    IBM licensing rules in IBM LPAR infrastructures

    Full capacity licensing

    When you use full capacity licensing, you must license each processor core on the underlying hardware system that is running the LPARs on which you have installed and run an IBM software product.

    Using the total number of processor cores on the underlying hardware system, you can 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 licensing

    When you use sub-capacity licensing, you must license only the processor cores that are assigned to the LPARs on which you install and run an IBM software product.

    You can determine the number of rights that are required for a sub-capacity license based on the type of processor pool and license that you are using for your IBM software product.

    IBM LPARs support both dedicated and shared processor pools. If you are using a dedicated processor pool, in which processor cores are assigned to only one dedicated LPAR, you must license each dedicated processor core that is assigned to the LPAR on which you install or run an IBM software product. If you are using a shared processor pool, in which processor cores are shared across micro-partitions, you must license the processor cores that are shared across the micro-partitions on which you install or run an IBM software product. You can determine the number of processor cores that must be licensed across your micro-partitions based on the LPAR type:
    • Capped LPAR: A capped LPAR is a logical partition that is assigned a maximum entitled capacity, which is the number of CPU resources that the LPAR is entitled to receive. Capped LPARs cannot use more processor power than the assigned entitled capacity.
    • Uncapped LPAR: An uncapped LPAR is a logical partition that can use more processor power than the assigned entitled capacity. Processor power usage is limited by the number of virtual processor cores that are assigned to the LPAR or by the maximum number of processor cores that are available to the shared processor pool.
    For more details, see Sub-capacity (Virtualization) License Counting Rules.

    Using the sum of processor cores that must be licensed across your processor pools, you can 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.