IBM Db2 Workgroup replaced by Db2 Standard Edition V11.5

IBM announces important changes in the Db2 portfolio with Announcement  ZP19-0261 and  ZP19-081 of June 4, 2019

IBM will offer the Db2 database system only over three editions:

• Db2 Community Edition
• Db2 Standard Edition
• Db2 Advanced Edition

The Db2 Standard and Db2 Advanced Edition will be licensed only through the Virtual Processor Core Metric (VPC)
(or for non-productive systems by Authorized Users). For existing licensing, conversions to VPCs will be provided.

The Db2 Workgroup Edition is currently in conversion. No new licenses will be offered for it and from 1.11.2019 no maintenance extensions will be offered. There will be a conversion to the Db2 Standard Edition and VPC licensing.

Customers using Db2 Workgroup Edition now have to check their current and future licensing.
After a conversion to VPC licensing, they may be significantly underlicensed!

The following replacements are planned for the Db2 Workgroup Edition:

For a conversion of their licenses, Db2 customers are requested to contact their IBM reseller.

Notes on Virtual Processor Core Licensing

Especially customers switching from user-based licensing have to consider the basics of VPC licensing. For small installations, there is a risk that customers will be underlicensed with the number of exchanged VPCs.

The VPC metric counts all processor cores that are basically available for the program.

• If the program is installed directly on a server (not in a virtualization), all cores of the processors installed on the server must be licensed.
• If the program is installed within a virtualization, all cores that are made available to the program via the virtualization must be licensed.
• If several virtualizations with this program are installed on a physical server and the sum of all available virtual cores exceeds the number of physical cores of the server, the number of physical cores is the upper limit to be licensed.

VPC - Virtual Processor Core - Excerpt from the IBM License Agreement for Db2 V11.5

Virtual Processor Core is a unit of measure by which the Program can be licensed. A Server is a physical computer that is comprised of processing units, memory, and input/output capabilities and that executes requested procedures, commands, or applications for one or more users or client devices. Where racks, blade enclosures, or other similar equipment is being employed, each separable physical device (for example, a blade or a rack-mounted device) that has the required components is considered itself a separate Server. A Virtual Server is either a virtual computer created by partitioning the resources available to a physical Server or an unpartitioned physical Server. A Processor Core is a functional unit within a computing device that interprets and executes instructions. A Processor Core consists of at least an instruction control unit and one or more arithmetic or logic unit. A Virtual Processor Core is a Processor Core on a Virtual Server created by partitioning the resources available to a physical Server or an unpartitioned physical Server. Licensee must obtain entitlement for each Virtual Processor Core made available to the Program.

For each physical Server, Licensee must have sufficient entitlements for the lesser of 1) the sum of all available Virtual Processor Cores on all Virtual Servers or 2) all available Processor Cores on the physical Server.