IBM DB2 License – Understanding Your Options

Introduction to IBM DB2 License

This article provides a comprehensive understanding of IBM DB2 Licensing, a crucial aspect for businesses using this widely used enterprise database. The key takeaways include:

• DB2 Licensing Options: DB2 Connect and DB2 database products are available for purchase per processor (priced by Processor Value Unit (PVU)) or per user.
• DB2 Editions: DB2 database products are available in multiple editions, each offering a unique combination of functionality and add-on offerings.
• Potential Compliance Risks: Customers can become non-compliant with IBM DB2 licenses in several ways, such as under-licensing, over-licensing, unsupported configurations, failure to renew, and mergers and acquisitions.

IBM DB2 Licensing: Understanding Your Options

Welcome to this blog about IBM DB2 license topics! With over 20 years of experience as an IBM licensing expert, I have seen the evolution of DB2 licensing and pricing models. DB2 is one of the most widely used enterprise databases, and it is critical to clearly understand the licensing options available for this powerful software.

In this blog, I will share my knowledge and insights into the various DB2 licensing options, pricing models, and entitlements to help you make informed decisions when purchasing and managing your DB2 licenses. Whether you are a seasoned DBA or new to DB2, I hope this blog will be a valuable resource for you. Let’s dive in!

Purchasing DB2 Licenses: Processer, User, or Concurrent User.

DB2 Connect and DB2 database products are available for purchase per processor (priced by Processor Value Unit (PVU)) or per user. You can purchase licenses in the following ways:

• Per processor (priced by PVU).
  If you purchase your DB2 database product license per processor, you will see License Type: “CPU Option” in the License Center or the output from the command db2licm -l.
  
• Per authorized user.
  If an authorized user purchases your DB2 database product license, the License Center and db2licm -l command will show the following output License type: “Authorized User Option.”
• Per concurrent user (only available for DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition).
  Suppose you purchase a DB2 Connect Enterprise Edition product license from the concurrent user. In that case, the License Center and db2licm -l command will show the License type: “User,” and Concurrent connect user policy: “Enabled”.

Authorized and concurrent users cannot be shared among servers. A user license is for a single server and cannot be shared across servers concurrently or sequentially. If you choose to purchase licenses per user, there is a minimum number of users required:

• DB2 Express Edition and DB2 Workgroup Server Edition each require a minimum of five authorized users for each server.
  
• DB2 Enterprise Server Edition requires a minimum of 25 authorized users per 100 PVUs (rounded up to the nearest 100 PVUs) that apply to the processors on which the DB2 database product is installed.
  
• DB2 Connect has an effective minimum of 25 authorized or concurrent users because DB2 Connect users are sold only in blocks of 25. You cannot purchase individual DB2 Connect user license entitlements.
  

If you don’t want to keep track of users, your best option is to buy a processor license that allows unlimited users.

For administrative, maintenance, and management scripts, one authorized user is required for each database or systems administrator connecting to the system. Even if that user initiates multiple automated management scripts, only one authorized user license is required. If you are licensed per concurrent user, you require only enough concurrent users to support the highest number of users simultaneously accessing the program. Therefore, you must include users running automated or scheduled scripts in this count.

If you purchase DB2 features, they must use the same charge metric that the underlying DB2 database product uses. Two DB2 features can be purchased only by PVU and only if the underlying data server is licensed with the PVU charge metric:

• DB2 Storage Optimization Feature.
  
• IBM Homogeneous Replication Feature for DB2 Enterprise Server Edition.

Note that DB2 Connect and DB2 database products require only a user entitlement (a minimum number of users), not both a user and server entitlement. Also note that the information in this text does not apply to DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System I or DB2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System Z, which have unique licensing options. For further information, refer to the software licensing agreements for those products.

What DB2 Editions are available? A Feature Comparison

• Db2 database products are available in multiple editions, each offering a unique combination of functionality and add-on offerings.
  
• To understand your entitlements, rights, and obligations, refer to the license agreement for your product or offer.
  
• For details about the functionality included in each Db2 product edition, refer to the “Functionality in Db2 product editions and Db2 offerings” document.
  
• All editions of Db2 share the same code base.
  
• The only differences among editions are advanced features, tool sets, and resource limitations.
  
• This common core design allows for easy movement of applications written for any Db2 edition to any other edition on any supported operating system platform.
  
• This also applies to database administrators (DBAs), who can be immediately productive on any other Db2 edition if they have skills in one edition.
  

Product: Db2 Workgroup Server Edition

Ideal for:

• Departmental, workgroup, or medium-sized business environments.
  
• Efficiently processing transactional workloads.
  
• Medium-sized workloads, such as those found in a department.
  

Functionality:

• Includes all necessary functionality for efficient transaction processing.

Limitations:

• Places limits on processor and memory, making it ideal for medium-sized workloads.
  
• Restricted to a stand-alone physical server with a specified maximum number of Processor Value Units based on the total number and type of processor cores.

Deployment:

• It can be deployed in Linux®, UNIX, and Windows server environments.
  
• Uses up to 16 cores and 128 GB of memory.

Licensing options:

• Available on Processor Value Unit, per Authorized User Single Install, or Virtual Server pricing model.
• A separate user license is required for each Authorized User with a minimum purchase of 5 users per server.
• If using the Processor Value Unit pricing model, you must purchase the total number of Processor Value Units associated with the server or virtualization session where it is installed.

Add-on offerings:

• The IBM Db2 Performance Management Offering can be added to Db2 Workgroup Server Edition.
  
• It can be activated by registering the associated license certificate file (in addition to registering the license certificate file).

Product: Db2 Enterprise Server Edition

Suitable for:

• Transactional and mixed workloads.
  
• Any size of workload, as it has no processor, memory, or database size limits.

Functionality:

• Includes all functions found in Db2 Workgroup Server Edition.
  
• Includes materialized query tables.

Deployment:

• It can be deployed in Linux®, UNIX, and Windows server environments.

Licensing options:

• Available on Processor Value Unit or per Authorized User Single Install pricing model.
  
• A separate user license is required for each Authorized User with a minimum purchase of 25 users per 100 Processor Value Units.
  
• If using the Processor Value Unit pricing model, purchase the total number of Processor Value Units associated with the server or virtualization session where Db2 Enterprise Server Edition is installed.
  
  

Add-on offerings:

• IBM Db2 Performance Management Offering can be added to Db2 Enterprise Server Edition.
  
• It can be activated by registering the associated license certificate file (in addition to registering the Db2 Enterprise Server Edition license certificate file).
  

Product: Db2 Advanced Workgroup Server Edition.

Similar to:

• Db2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition.

Suitable for:

• Deployment in a departmental, workgroup, or medium-sized business environment.

Functionality:

• Places limit on processor and memory.

Deployment:

• It can be deployed in Linux, UNIX, and Windows server environments.
  
• Uses up to 16 cores and 128 GB of memory.

Licensing options:

• Available on Processor Value Unit, per Authorized User Single Install, or Terabyte pricing model.
  
• A separate user license is required for each Authorized User, with a minimum purchase of 20 users per socket available to the server.
  
• If using the Processor Value Unit pricing model, you must purchase the total number of Processor Value Units associated with the server or virtualization session where Db2 Advanced Workgroup Server Edition is installed.
  
• Under the Terabyte pricing model, one must acquire sufficient Terabyte entitlements to cover the Terabytes of user data used (rounded up to the nearest terabyte).
  
• Several required entitlements must be calculated separately for each database.
  
• Pricing model intended for use with predominantly warehouse workloads.
  
• Required to use either database partitioning with a minimum of two active database partitions or maintain at least 75% of user data in column-organized tables.
  
• Server environments under this pricing model are bound to a 4-socket limit.
  
• Db2 pureScale® is not available with the Terabyte pricing model, but HADR capabilities are available.
  
  

Product: Db2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition

Suitable for:

• Transactional, warehouse, and mixed workloads.
  
• Any size of workload, as it has no processor, memory, or database size limits.

Functionality:

• Includes all functions found in Db2 Enterprise Server Edition.
  
• Includes column-organized tables, in-memory database, data compression, workload management, replication, and distributed partitioning capability.
  
• Comes with a full complement of warehouse tools and Data Server Manager Enterprise.
  
• Only installs Db2 server; included tools must be installed separately.

Licensing options:

• Available on Processor Value Unit, per Authorized User Single Install, or Terabyte pricing model.
  
• A separate user license is required for each Authorized User with a minimum purchase of 25 users per 100 Processor Value Units.
  
• If using the Processor Value Unit pricing model, purchase the total number of Processor Value Units associated with the server or virtualization session where Db2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition is installed.
  
• Under the Terabyte pricing model, one must acquire sufficient Terabyte entitlements to cover the Terabytes of user data used (rounded up to the nearest terabyte).
  
• Several required entitlements must be calculated separately for each database.
  
• Pricing model intended for use with predominantly warehouse workloads.
  
• Required to use either database partitioning with a minimum of two active database partitions or maintain at least 75% of user data in column-organized tables.
  
• Db2 pureScale is not available with the Terabyte pricing model, but HADR capabilities are available.
  

Add-on offerings:

• The functionality provided by IBM Db2 Performance Management Offering is included by default with Db2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition.
  
• Output for db2licm -l command will still show the “IBM Db2 Performance Management Offering” as “Not licensed.”
  
• Embedded features for IBM Db2 Performance Management Offering in Advanced Enterprise Server Edition are available to the user. This output is for DSM’s use to allow certain features.

Product: Db2 Direct Advanced Edition

Provides:

• Comprehensive database solution for the enterprise.
  
• Licensing metric to facilitate hybrid cloud deployment.

Similar to:

• Db2 Advanced Enterprise Server Edition.
  
• Offers data warehousing, transactional, and analytics capabilities in one package.

Functionality:

• Advanced features for storage optimization, in-memory computing, reliable system availability, and workload management tools.
  
• Ensures high performance, actionable insight, continuous availability, and reliability at a lower cost.

Licensing options:

• Introduces simplified license metric, Virtual Processor Core (VPC), sold as a monthly licensing charge.
  
• Flexible deployment options for on-premises or on-cloud.

Features and benefits:

• Improves application performance and analytics for faster decisions.
  
• Delivers high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
  
• Provides a secure, flexible environment.
  
• Interfaces with a variety of data more efficiently.
  
• Improves productivity and reduces administration efforts.

Deployment:

• It can be deployed on Linux, UNIX, or Windows servers of any size, from one processor to hundreds of processors, and on physical and virtual servers.

Program charges:

• Available on per Virtual Processor Core (VPC) charge metric as a monthly license charge.

Product: Db2 Direct Standard Edition

Suitable for:

• Small or mid-size businesses.
  
• Licensing options for hybrid cloud deployments.

Functionality:

• Includes all Db2 Workgroup Server Edition features.
  
• Provides robust data management, high availability, autonomic functions, and security features.
  
• Ensures greater runtime performance, reliability, and lower total cost of ownership.

Licensing options:

• Introduces simplified license metric, Virtual Processor Core (VPC), sold as a monthly licensing charge.
  
• Flexible deployment options for on-premises or on-cloud.
  

Features and benefits:

• Improves application performance and analytics for faster decisions.
  
• Delivers high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.
  
• Provides a secure, flexible environment.
  
• Interfaces with a variety of data more efficiently.
  
• Improves productivity and reduces administration efforts.

Deployment:

• Restricted to 16 virtual processor cores and 128 GB of instance memory per physical or virtual server.
  
• Restrictions apply to the entire cluster in a pureScale or DPF cluster.

Program charges:

• Available on a Virtual CPU charge metric.

Product: IBM Db2 Performance Management Offering

Functionality:

• Helps improve database and application performance and reduce costs.
  
• Provides DBAs and IT staff with proactive performance management information.
  
• Supports monitoring of all aspects of the database, including column-organized tables and their shadow table implementations.
  
• It helps identify emergent problems and receive notification of degrading performance or emerging resource bottlenecks.
  
• Diagnoses the root cause of problems and isolates problematic components across applications, networks, and databases.
  
• Helps prevent performance problems by defining and using a more predictable database server execution environment.
  
• Provides actionable tuning recommendations to help solve performance problems.

Add-on offering:

• It can be added to Db2 Enterprise Server Edition or Db2 Workgroup Server Edition.
  
  

IBM DB2 License: Potential Compliance Risks

Customers can become non-compliant with IBM DB2 licenses in several ways. Here are some common scenarios:

1. Under-licensing.
   This occurs when customers use more software than they have licensed. For example, a customer may purchase licenses for a certain number of users or processors but then deploy the software to more users or processors than they have licensed.
   
2. Over-licensing.
   This occurs when customers purchase more licenses than they need. While this may not seem like a compliance issue, over-licensing can result in unnecessary expenses for the customer.
   
3. Unsupported configurations.
   This occurs when customers deploy the software in a way that is not covered by their license agreement. For example, a customer may deploy the software on an unsupported platform or use a feature not covered by their license.
   
4. Failure to renew.
   Customers may become non-compliant by failing to renew their licenses before they expire. This can result in the software being used without a valid license, a compliance violation.
   
5. Mergers and acquisitions.
   Customers who go through mergers or acquisitions may find their license agreements invalid. This can happen if the licenses are specific to a certain company or entity, and the new entity does not have the right to use the software.
   

It is important for customers to stay up to date on their license agreements and to ensure that they are using the software in compliance with those agreements. Failure to do so can result in financial penalties and other consequences.

IBM DB2 Frequently Asked Questions

Redress Compliance Services

Redress Compliance offers a range of services to help your company navigate the complexities of IBM DB2 Licensing:

• IBM Licensing Advice: We advise on the number of PVUs or users needed without losing performance and functionality.
• IBM Licensing Compliance: We ensure your company remains compliant with IBM licensing terms, minimizing the risk of legal action or fines.
• Risk Mitigation: We help you avoid common scenarios that can lead to non-compliance, such as under-licensing, over-licensing, unsupported configurations, and failure to renew.

Call to Action

Are you considering IBM DB2 Licensing or concerned about potential compliance risks? Let Redress Compliance guide you through the complexities.

Our expert team is ready to provide advice and guidance tailored to your needs. Contact us today to ensure your company remains compliant with IBM licensing terms and conditions and to minimize the risk of legal action or fines.