Informix Virtual Processor Core Licensing

Simplified licensing of CPU cores with Informix 14.10

With the release of Informix 14.10, IBM offers a new licensing option. Except for special licensing models for ASL/ESA resellers, Informix installations are usually licensed by user or processor power.

Many sales partners criticize the licensing according to Processor Value Unit calculation (PVU licensing), as too complicated and too little comparable in their calculations. In software projects, the target platform is often still uncertain in the offer phase. PVU licensing cannot be offered to potential customers because the basis for a calculation is not known at this point.

Here, the new licensing of processor cores now offers a more reasonable alternative, which impresses with its simplicity of evaluation and price advantages over PVU licensing.

Virtual Processor Core Licensing (VPC)

The calculation of the new license metric is based on the processor cores (CPU cores) available for the database.
IBM calculates the number of CPU cores available for a database installation with a fixed price per core.
And, it doesn't matter whether they are CPU cores of a physical or virtual server.

A comparison of the Virtual Processor Core with the PVU licensing, reflects IBM's calculation for the new model.

One Processor Core license corresponds to the licensing of 70 PVUs according to the PVU model.

Customers who are planning to license on processor performance can look forward to using powerful hardware. CPUs whose cores were previously licensed with 100 or 120 PVUs can currently be licensed at the price of 70 PVUs!

Background / Definitions

Excerpt from the Informix 14.10 License Agreement:

Virtual Processor Core

Virtual Processor Core is a unit of measure by which the Program can be licensed. A Physical 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 Physical 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 (commonly called a processor or CPU) 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 in an unpartitioned Physical Server, or a virtual core assigned to a Virtual Server. Licensee must obtain entitlement for each Virtual Processor Core made available to the Program.

Availability

Virtual Processor Core licensing is available for the following Informix editions:

IBM Informix Advanced Enterprise Edition (5725-D14)
IBM Informix Advanced Enterprise Edition CPU Option Virtual Processor Core
License + SW Subscription & Support 12 Months (D229ELL)

IBM Informix Enterprise Edition (5725-A39)
IBM Informix Enterprise Edition CPU Option Virtual Processor Core
License + SW Subscription & Support 12 Months (D229QLL)

IBM Informix Workgroup Edition (5725-A40)
IBM Informix Workgroup Edition CPU Option Virtual Processor Core
License + SW Subscription & Support 12 Months (D229KLL)

IBM Informix Express Edition (5724-Z04)
IBM Informix Express Edition CPU Option Virtual Processor Core
License + SW Subscription & Support 12 Months (D229YLL)