How many total cores run IBM PVU-licensed software?
Total PVU = cores x PVU-per-core value. Higher core counts = higher licensing costs.
Under 50 cores
50-200 cores
200-1,000 cores
1,000+ cores
Significant licensing spend
Question 3 of 7
⚙️
Are you licensing at sub-capacity or full-capacity?
Sub-capacity licensing (with ILMT) lets you licence only the cores allocated to IBM VMs. Full-capacity requires licensing all cores on the physical server.
Sub-capacity — ILMT deployed and compliant
Sub-capacity — but ILMT compliance uncertain
Full-capacity — could qualify for sub-capacity
Potential significant savings opportunity
Not sure — licensing model unknown
Question 4 of 7
💻
What virtualisation platform hosts IBM software?
VMware, PowerVM, Hyper-V, and KVM all have different PVU calculation rules for sub-capacity.
Physical servers only (no virtualisation)
PowerVM with capped LPARs
PVU based on allocated cores
VMware with ILMT tracking vCPU allocation
VMware without ILMT or mixed environments
Full physical server may be in scope
Question 5 of 7
📦
How many different IBM PVU-licensed products do you run?
Each IBM product requires separate PVU licensing. Products like WebSphere, MQ, Db2, and Cognos each carry their own PVU cost.
1-3 products
4-8 products
8-15 products
15+ products or unknown count
Question 6 of 7
🔄
Have you consolidated IBM workloads to minimise the licensing footprint?
Running IBM products on fewer, right-sized servers reduces the total PVU requirement.
Yes — IBM workloads consolidated on dedicated servers
Some consolidation — major products optimised
No consolidation — IBM products spread across many servers
IBM software on shared servers with non-IBM workloads
Entire server may need licensing
Question 7 of 7
📅
When does your IBM Passport Advantage agreement renew?
Renewal timing affects your negotiation leverage and optimisation runway.
More than 12 months away
6-12 months away
3-6 months away
Imminent or in negotiation
Need Expert IBM Licensing Guidance?
Redress Compliance provides independent IBM licensing advisory services to enterprises worldwide. No vendor relationships. No conflicts of interest. Just results.