Contents
Key takeawaysHow Db2 is licensedPVU for Db2VPC for Db2UVU and Authorized UserSub capacity rulesWorked exampleCloud Pak conversionWhat we see in reviewsAnswering IBM's claimsContainers and OpenShiftChecking your positionWhat to do nextFAQIBM Db2 is licensed by PVU, VPC or user metrics, and sub capacity pricing holds only while ILMT reports prove it. Map every deployment to the right metric before IBM does the count.
- Three metric families, three audit triggers. PVU, VPC and the user metrics each have their own measurement rules.
- PVU sub capacity needs ILMT. Without ILMT installed and reporting, IBM defaults to full capacity on every core in the server.
- VPC is now the default for new Db2. The Cloud Pak model moved most new deployments to VPC, which still needs ILMT for sub capacity.
- User metrics follow people. UVU and Authorized User counts reach the business users behind a reporting tool's service account.
- Quarterly reports are the evidence. Signed ILMT output, archived for two years, is what IBM accepts in an audit.
- A Cloud Pak conversion can cut or raise the bill. The outcome depends on the ratio and on sizing the pool against real Db2 use.
- Audit settlements compound on ILMT gaps. Missing reports trigger a full capacity reassessment, with back support charged on the difference.
For the wider IBM picture, start at the IBM knowledge hub. If an audit letter has already arrived, read the IBM audit defense playbook or see our IBM license audit defense service.
How is IBM Db2 licensed?
IBM Db2 is licensed under three metric families. Processor Value Units (PVU) rate each processor core by chip type, Virtual Processor Cores (VPC) count the virtual cores a workload can use, and user metrics (Authorized User and User Value Unit) count the people who access the program.
The metric on your Proof of Entitlement decides what IBM counts in an audit, so it fixes your license footprint for the term. Map each Db2 deployment to its metric first, then apply the sub capacity and ILMT rules. Buyers who accept IBM's proposed metric and reverse engineer the count later pay for idle capacity.
Which Db2 edition are you running?
The edition caps the hardware Db2 may use, and the paid editions share the same metrics. IBM's current Db2 product pages list three editions of Db2 12.1, now marketed as Db2 AI Community, Db2 AI Standard and Db2 AI Advanced.
| Edition | Resource limit | Metrics on new purchases | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community | 4 cores, 16 GB memory | Free, community support only | No HADR, partitioning or backup and restore, so it rarely suits production |
| Standard | 16 cores, 128 GB memory | VPC for production and non production; Authorized User for non production only | Includes HADR, database partitioning and federation; sold as perpetual or subscription parts, or as a Cloud Pak for Data cartridge |
| Advanced | No resource limit | Same as Standard | Advanced entitlements bought under the older editions are often still on PVU, so check the metric on each part number |
Standard and Advanced differ mainly in the resource caps. If a workload needs more than 16 cores or 128 GB, either size the VM inside the caps or buy Advanced. Our note on Db2 Community Edition limits covers the free tier.
How does PVU licensing work for Db2?
PVU stands for Processor Value Unit. IBM rates each processor core according to the chip family and the maximum number of sockets on the server, then publishes the ratings in its PVU table for customers. Your requirement is the rating multiplied by the cores available to Db2.
| Processor | PVU per core | Typical Db2 use | Audit note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Xeon, servers with up to 2 sockets | 70 | x86 server deployments | The most common Db2 footprint |
| Intel Xeon, 4 sockets or more than 4 | 100 or 120 | Large scale up x86 hosts | The rate follows the server model, even for a small VM on it |
| AMD EPYC | 70 | x86 servers and cloud instances | Same rate as 2 socket Xeon |
| IBM Power9 and Power10 | 70 to 120 by model | Power LPAR deployments | 70 on scale out models such as the S1022, 100 on the E950 and E1050, 120 on the E980 and E1080 |
| IBM Z and LinuxONE | 100 or 120 by model | Db2 for Linux on IFL cores | Db2 for z/OS is priced on MSU consumption instead |
| Arm processors (Neoverse and similar) | No published value | Cloud native deployments | Arm is absent from IBM's table, so get IBM's position in writing first |
IBM revises the table as new chips ship. We track the current values in our IBM PVU table guide.
The most common PVU mistake
A database team deploys Db2 in a small VM on a 16 core x86 host and never configures ILMT for it. The sub capacity report is never produced. When IBM's auditors arrive, they apply full capacity at 70 PVU per core, and the requirement balloons against the entitled count. The sub capacity section below shows how large that jump is.
How does VPC licensing work for Db2?
VPC stands for Virtual Processor Core. IBM defines it as a processor core in an unpartitioned physical server, or a virtual core assigned to a virtual server. There is no chip rating, so each virtual core counts as one VPC whatever the hardware underneath.
The metric suits virtualized and cloud deployments where the PVU table maps poorly. It also removes the socket penalty. A VM on a 4 socket Xeon host needs 100 PVU per core under PVU, and one VPC per virtual core under VPC.
When does VPC make sense for Db2?
- Cloud native workloads. Containerized Db2 on Kubernetes or Red Hat OpenShift typically licenses under VPC inside a Cloud Pak.
- Virtualized x86 servers. A VMware or Hyper-V deployment can elect VPC to simplify sub capacity counting, since the socket count of each host stops mattering.
- New deployments after 2018. IBM has moved most new Db2 deployments to VPC under the Cloud Pak model, so new part numbers are usually VPC by default.
The most common VPC mistake
A migration team converts PVU entitlements to VPC without modeling consumption inside the Cloud Pak. Db2 then uses more Cloud Pak entitlement than the converted PVU count provided, and the renewal lands at a higher Cloud Pak commitment than the original perpetual bill.
A second error is assuming VPC escapes ILMT. IBM's sub capacity terms require ILMT, or another approved tool, for VPC programs too, with a deadline of January 1, 2023 for existing customers. Our guide to the PVU to VPC transition works through the conversion in detail.
When do UVU and Authorized User metrics apply to Db2?
User metrics apply to a narrower set of Db2 entitlements. UVU stands for User Value Unit, and IBM sizes UVU entitlements by the number and type of users, converted through a table specific to each program. An Authorized User is a unique person given access, and each person needs a dedicated entitlement that cannot be shared.
Check the part numbers on your Proof of Entitlement and the License Information document behind them. The same product name can carry different metrics depending on when it was bought.
- Warehouse Advanced Edition. Db2 Warehouse Advanced Edition entitlements can price on UVU, and the count then covers every unique consumer of the warehouse. Current Db2 Warehouse parts are usually VPC, so check which you hold.
- Analytics workloads. Certain analytics SKUs price per Authorized User at a published list rate.
- Reporting tools. Cognos and similar tools that read from Db2 can carry their own user metrics in parallel, so one person may need two entitlements.
- Indirect users. External applications that pass data through to Db2 can create indirect user exposure under the Authorized User metric.
The most common UVU mistake
An analytics team opens Db2 to a broad business community through a reporting tool, which sends every query through one service account. The team counts one user. IBM's auditors read the underlying business user list instead and bill every unique consumer of the warehouse.
What are the sub capacity rules for Db2?
Sub capacity licensing allows you to license the virtual capacity allocated to Db2 instead of the full physical server. IBM grants it only under the conditions in its Passport Advantage sub capacity terms. If any condition fails, IBM charges full capacity for every physical core in the server.
| Requirement | Detail | Audit consequence | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILMT installed | Active on every server running PVU or VPC programs, within 90 days of the first sub capacity deployment | Missing ILMT defaults to full capacity | Treat it as a condition of the license |
| ILMT reporting | Reports generated at least quarterly and archived for two years | Missing reports trigger reassessment | Put the quarterly run in the operations calendar |
| Partitioning | Hard partitions where possible | Soft partitions can be challenged | Document the architecture |
| Virtualization technology | IBM's eligible hypervisor list only | An unlisted hypervisor loses sub capacity | Check the list every year |
Small companies used to get an exception from the ILMT requirement if they had fewer than 1,000 employees and contractors and less than 1,000 PVU of capacity. IBM stopped accepting those exceptions on May 1, 2023, so company size no longer changes the rule. Our sub capacity compliance guide covers each condition.
Why the ILMT archive decides most Db2 audits
A missing report turns a sub capacity entitlement into a full capacity exposure. Take the 16 core host from the PVU example with a 4 core Db2 VM: with a clean report it needs 280 PVU (4 × 70), and without one it needs 1,120 PVU (16 × 70). License fees and back support rise in the same proportion.
IBM's sub capacity FAQ treats a quarter as the longest period allowed before you analyze, reconcile and sign the reports, and many customers run them monthly. Name an owner for the signature and store the signed files outside the ILMT server.
The IBM License Metric Tool documentation describes how to produce the audit snapshot, and our ILMT deployment guide covers setup.
Should you install ILMT after the purchase order?
Resellers often describe ILMT as a compliance formality to handle once the order is signed. We think that advice is wrong for Db2. In roughly 1 in 3 Db2 environments we reviewed, late or missing ILMT reporting had already converted sub capacity rights back to full capacity, doubling the core count IBM could bill.
Stand up ILMT and start archiving before you sign. Evidence gathered after an audit notice carries far less weight than a clean two year reporting trail.
What does a Db2 PVU count look like on real hardware?
On three ordinary servers, the same Db2 workload can need 1,440 PVU with valid sub capacity reports or 10,040 PVU without them. Say a company runs Db2 on the three servers below, all licensed under PVU. The table counts both positions.
| Server | Physical cores | Cores given to Db2 | PVU per core | Sub capacity PVU | Full capacity PVU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 socket Xeon VMware host | 32 | 8 | 70 | 560 | 2,240 |
| Power10 S1022, one LPAR | 20 | 4 | 70 | 280 | 1,400 |
| 4 socket Xeon host | 64 | 6 | 100 | 600 | 6,400 |
| Total | 116 | 18 | 1,440 | 10,040 |
The difference is 8,600 PVU. At an illustrative net price of $300 per PVU (an assumption for this example, not an IBM list price), that is $432,000 of license against $3,012,000 before support. A missing report or the wrong metric is how a buyer ends up with a five to seven figure swing across a three year audit cycle.
Would VPC be cheaper for the same servers?
Under VPC the same deployment counts as 18 virtual cores. Whether that costs less depends on the price per VPC IBM quotes against your price per PVU, so ask for both in the same proposal and compare per core. The 4 socket host is where VPC usually helps most, because its rating of 100 PVU per core no longer applies.
How does a Cloud Pak for Data conversion work for Db2?
IBM Cloud Pak for Data wraps Db2 inside a credit pool shared with other data services. The pool is counted in Cloud Pak VPCs, and each service draws on it at its own ratio. Perpetual Db2 entitlements convert in at a defined ratio, and a carefully sized conversion can collapse the support stream and the audit exposure.
- Credit pool sizing. Model what the current Db2 workload will consume before signing the conversion.
- Multi product trade. The pool spans Db2, DataStage, Watson Knowledge Catalog (now sold as IBM Knowledge Catalog) and other Cloud Pak for Data components, so other teams will draw on it.
- Conversion ratio. The published ratio sets the entitled credit count against your perpetual PVU holdings.
- Support stream. The Cloud Pak rolls support into the subscription, so the perpetual support stream can be retired.
- Audit exposure shift. The Cloud Pak metric replaces PVU for converted workloads, and IBM's auditors read the Cloud Pak telemetry.
- Exit assistance. Negotiate the right to revert to perpetual PVU at renewal if the pool proves under sized.
Our Cloud Pak for Data licensing guide covers the other services in the pool.
Contract terms to ask for before converting
- The ratio in the order document. A ratio that sits only in a presentation can change at renewal.
- A signed entitlement baseline. Agree in writing the PVU and VPC counts you trade in, so a later audit cannot reopen them.
- A reversion right. If consumption runs short or over, you need the option to return to perpetual PVU at renewal.
- Audit notice and scope. Fix a notice period and limit how far back IBM can look. Our note on IBM audit clause redlines has sample wording.
What have we seen in recent IBM Db2 reviews?
Across roughly 30 to 40 Db2 environments we reviewed in 2024 and 2025, buyers had over counted their PVU requirement by a wide margin. The median over count we removed was 37 percent. Three patterns came up again and again.
- Full capacity by default. Sub capacity had fallen back to full capacity on 25 to 40 percent of Db2 cores, because ILMT was missing or its reports were never archived.
- Unused Cloud Pak value. Cloud Pak for Data conversions were quoted at list, leaving 15 to 30 percent of credit value unused at the first anniversary.
- Mixed user metrics. Authorized User and UVU entitlements were mixed on the same warehouse, inflating the entitlement count by 10 to 20 percent.
Buyers who bring the PVU table, the ILMT archive and a Cloud Pak consumption model to the first meeting see Db2 prices fall 20 to 40 percent.
How should you answer IBM's usual Db2 licensing claims?
Answer with the entitlement terms and your own records. IBM account teams and audit partners tend to repeat a small set of claims, and each has a precise reply.
| IBM says | What to say back |
|---|---|
| "Your ILMT data has gaps, so full capacity applies." | Ask IBM to name the servers and quarters affected. Hand over the signed reports you hold and limit full capacity to the hosts and periods with no evidence. |
| "Cloud Pak for Data will simplify licensing and cut your support bill." | Ask for the conversion ratio, the VPC count and a consumption model of your current Db2 workload in writing before any discount discussion. |
| "Everyone behind the reporting tool is an Authorized User." | Ask which clause in the License Information document for your part number supports that count, then compare it with your access logs. |
| "Your hypervisor is not eligible for sub capacity." | Check IBM's eligible list for the version you ran in that period. IBM removes technologies on a published schedule, so eligibility on the date of use decides it. |
How is Db2 licensed in containers and on OpenShift?
Containerized Db2 is licensed under VPC and measured by IBM License Service, which IBM names as the only accepted tool for container licensing, so ILMT reports do not count there. License Service polls available vCPU capacity every 30 minutes or less and records the daily maximum.
License Service ships inside each Cloud Pak, but it still has to be deployed and configured on each cluster. Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes nodes running Db2 without it default to the full physical capacity of each host. Keep its reports on the same quarterly archive cycle as ILMT.
How can you check your own Db2 license position?
Four sources, read together, show what you own and what IBM would count. Pull all four before your next IBM meeting.
- ILMT audit snapshot. The signed quarterly reports are the evidence IBM accepts for PVU and VPC sub capacity.
- The db2licm command. Running db2licm -l on each instance shows the edition and license installed, which you can compare with the host's cores and memory and with your entitlements.
- Passport Advantage Online. Your entitlement records list the part numbers, metrics and quantities you actually own.
- Hypervisor and HMC inventory. vCenter cluster maps and the Power Hardware Management Console show which host each VM or LPAR ran on and how many cores it had, so you can test the ILMT peak before IBM does.
What to do next
- Inventory every Db2 deployment. Record the metric, version, edition, host and workload type for each instance.
- Confirm ILMT or License Service coverage. Every sub capacity host needs ILMT installed and reporting, and every container cluster needs IBM License Service.
- Archive the reports every quarter. Sign them and keep at least two years of output.
- Map the metric to the workload. Confirm PVU, VPC or a user metric for each Db2 instance, and flag any warehouse that mixes Authorized User and UVU.
- Model the Cloud Pak before you discuss price. If Cloud Pak for Data is on the table, size the pool against current Db2 consumption and ask for the contract terms above.
- Build the audit file. Keep the ILMT reports, the deployment inventory and the metric mapping together, ready to hand over.
- Get an independent review. IBM led reviews tilt toward IBM's commercial position. Our IBM licensing assessment checks the count, and we run Db2 work inside the Vendor Shield subscription, the Renewal Program, the Benchmark Program and the Software Spend Assessment. See how our benchmarking works, read about us and our locations, or contact the IBM practice lead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PVU and VPC for Db2?
PVU weights each core by processor family, from 70 to 120 per core, while VPC counts one unit per virtual core whatever the chip. VPC is more common in cloud and containerized deployments under the Cloud Pak model. The gap between the two is widest on 4 socket x86 hosts and large Power servers.
Does Db2 sub capacity require ILMT?
Yes. IBM requires the IBM License Metric Tool, or another approved tool such as BigFix Inventory, on every server running Db2 under sub capacity. IBM has also certified Flexera One for this reporting. Missing ILMT or missing quarterly reports sends the requirement back to full capacity at the processor PVU rate.
What is the Cloud Pak conversion path for Db2?
You trade perpetual Db2 entitlements into Cloud Pak for Data at a published ratio, into a pool other data services also draw on. Run License Service on a pilot cluster for a full quarter before signing, because an under sized pool triggers overage at the next renewal.
How does UVU apply to Db2 Warehouse?
UVU counts every unique consumer of Db2 Warehouse Advanced Edition, and a service account in front of the database does not reduce that number. Keep a register that maps each service account to the named people it serves, so your count matches the list IBM's auditors will request.
What audit triggers apply to Db2?
Missing or incomplete ILMT reports, an ineligible virtualization technology, soft partitioning that fails IBM's sub capacity rules, growth in user counts under UVU, and an under sized Cloud Pak pool. Expect a request for your ILMT archive history, and expect IBM to check any Standard install against the 16 core and 128 GB caps.
How does Redress engage on Db2 licensing?
We map each Db2 deployment to its metric, check ILMT coverage and the report archive, model any Cloud Pak conversion and support the renewal or audit negotiation. We work only for the buyer and take no payment from IBM.
Can I run Db2 sub capacity without ILMT in a container platform?
Yes, but only with IBM License Service, which IBM accepts as the only tool for container licensing. It must run on every OpenShift or Kubernetes cluster hosting Db2. Without it the entitlement defaults to the full physical capacity of each host.
How is Db2 priced on AWS or Azure?
Db2 on an eligible public cloud uses the same PVU or VPC metrics as on premises, but IBM's cloud policy applies a flat rate in which 1 vCPU counts as 1 VPC or 70 PVU, whatever the processor. Amazon RDS for Db2 accepts your own Standard or Advanced licenses, which usually beats the marketplace hourly rate above a few hundred hours per month.