The IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) is:

• A free tool provided by IBM for clients with Passport Advantage Agreements.
• Helps manage and report IBM software inventory.
• Required for sub-capacity (virtualized environment) licensing.
• Offers usage reports to ensure compliance with IBM licensing.
• Identifies over- or under-usage of software, aiding in cost management.
• Automates collection of usage data for various IBM products.

What is ILMT?

IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) is designed to manage IBM software licenses in virtualized environments.

Key benefits and reasons for its necessity include:

• Compliance Assurance: Ensures compliance with IBM’s sub-capacity licensing, avoiding potential non-compliance penalties.
• Cost Optimization: Helps identify and reduce unnecessary software expenditures by accurate license tracking.
• Usage Insights: Provides detailed insights into software deployment and usage patterns.
• Audit Readiness: Keeps organizations prepared for IBM audits with up-to-date usage reports.

ILMT is crucial for businesses using IBM software to manage licenses and effectively reduce financial risks associated with non-compliance.

IBM ILMT and Software Inventory

One of IBM ILMT’s critical functions is maintaining an up-to-date software inventory. It does this by regularly scanning the organization’s infrastructure to identify IBM software products that are installed and in use.

This includes physical and virtual systems, providing a comprehensive view of the organization’s software landscape.

The software inventory provided by IBM ILMT is a critical component of effective license management. It provides the data needed to understand software usage patterns, identify opportunities for cost savings, and ensure compliance with licensing agreements.

Full Capacity vs Sub-Capacity Licensing

Regarding IBM software licensing, two key concepts are Full Capacity and Sub-Capacity licensing.

• Full Capacity Licensing: This refers to a licensing model in which the total physical capacity of the server (all cores and processors) is licensed, regardless of how much the IBM software is used.
• Sub-Capacity Licensing: In contrast, Sub-Capacity licensing only requires licensing for the capacity used by the IBM software. This can be particularly beneficial in virtualized environments, where the software may not use the full capacity of the physical server.

IBM ILMT plays a crucial role in managing these licensing models. The tool provides detailed reports on the usage of IBM software, allowing organizations to accurately determine whether they are operating under Full Capacity or Sub-Capacity licensing.

IBM ILMT and BigFix

IBM ILMT and BigFix are closely related tools that enhance software asset management.

• BigFix is an IBM systems-management software product that provides patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, and remote control functionalities.
• IBM ILMT: On the other hand, focuses specifically on tracking and managing IBM software licenses.

The relationship between IBM ILMT and BigFix is symbiotic. BigFix provides the infrastructure scanning capabilities that IBM ILMT relies on to track software usage.

In return, IBM ILMT enhances the functionality of BigFix by adding detailed software license tracking and management capabilities.

Understanding Processor Value Units (PVU)

IBM uses the Processor Value Unit (PVU) to calculate the licensing cost of its software. Each processor (or core) on a server is assigned a PVU value, which is then used to determine the total cost of the software license.

• PVU Calculation: A processor’s PVU value is determined by its type and speed. More powerful processors have higher PVU values.

IBM ILMT helps view and manage PVU by providing detailed reports on the PVU values of the processors in an organization’s infrastructure.

This allows organizations to accurately calculate their licensing costs and ensure they comply with their licensing agreements.

It also provides the data needed to optimize software deployment and reduce costs by identifying opportunities to move the software to less powerful (and, therefore, less expensive) processors.

Is the IBM ILMt Free?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. IBM ILMt is free to download and use, but some costs are associated with its deployment and ongoing maintenance.

The costs associated with deploying and maintaining IBM ILMt can vary depending on the size and complexity of an organization’s IT infrastructure.

Some costs associated with using ILMt include:

• Hardware costs.
  ILMt requires hardware resources to run, which may require additional investments.
• Software costs.
  ILMt may require additional software licenses, such as a database management system.
• Consulting fees.
  Organizations may need to hire consultants to help with the deployment and configuration of ILMt.
• Ongoing maintenance costs.
  There may be ongoing costs associated with maintaining and upgrading ILMt.

IBM ILMT and Passport Advantage

IBM Passport Advantage is an extensive program that allows businesses to acquire IBM software licenses, Software Subscription and Support, IBM Appliances, IBM SaaS subscriptions, and IBM Bluemix® services under a standard set of Agreements, processes, and tools.

IBM ILMT can be ordered and downloaded through the Passport Advantage program. The process is as follows:

1. Ordering: You can order IBM ILMT through the Passport Advantage Online website. Once logged in, you can search for IBM ILMT and add it to your shopping cart.
2. Downloading: After processing the order, you can download IBM ILMT directly from the Passport Advantage Online website. The software is available as a digital download and installed on your servers.

What are the Benefits of Using IBM ILMt

Using the IBM License Metric Tool offers several benefits for organizations.

Some of the benefits include:

• License compliance.
  ILMt helps organizations ensure they are using their purchased licenses and comply with software vendors’ licensing agreements.
• Cost optimization.
  ILMt helps organizations optimize their license usage, reducing the need to purchase additional licenses.
• Risk management.
  ILMt helps organizations identify license compliance risks and take actions to mitigate them.
• Improved decision-making.
  ILMt provides detailed reports to help organizations make informed decisions about their software license usage.

Read about IBM License Transfers.

IBM ILMt – Frequently Asked Questions

Best practices for managing IBM ILMT

1. Software Discovery and Identification: Regularly scan your infrastructure to determine the software installed on the monitored computers. This will help you maintain an up-to-date inventory of your IBM software assets.
2. Signature Discovery: Use the catalog of your software products and a set of rules called signatures provided by ILMT. The signatures are matched against the scan results to build a complete overview of the software installed in your infrastructure.
3. Reporting: Regularly view the reports provided by ILMT. These reports contain detailed information about the computers in your infrastructure and the software items that are installed on the computers. By viewing the reports, you can check whether actual installations reflect the software inventory information and ensure that the capacity values are assigned to products correctly.
4. IBM License Compliance: Use ILMT to provide the information needed to ensure compliance with processor value units (PVU) and resource value units (RVU MAPC) audit reports for licensing terms. ILMT calculates the maximum core capacity of the server that is available to the installed IBM software. The application also determines the number of required PVUs or processor-core entitlements. If you deploy a supported virtualization technology, the tool provides processor core capacity information for the whole virtualized environment.
5. IBM License Usage Monitoring: Regularly generate PVU and RVU MAPC audit reports showing product and processor value units. The audit reports can be printed or viewed in the application.
6. Tagging for PVU Licenses: If you select Processor Value Unit (PVU) for your license at installation time, the content of the Software Identification (SWID) tag is determined by your license type and deployment environment. You see the SWID tag only after you deploy to the Decision Center and Rule Execution Server. For the SWID tag to be detected by ILMT, you must deploy it as a decompressed archive.
7. Modifying Tagging for PVU Licenses: To modify the Software Identification (SWID) tags, you can run the Ant script update_ilmt_ear.8.10.x.xml available in the <InstallDir>/shared/ilmt directory. Open the file for detailed usage instructions. For the new tag to be detected, you must either deploy the archive or copy the tag manually.

IBM Audits and ILMT

IBM operates a worldwide licensing verification program to ensure that clients are compliant with the license terms governing the IBM programs they use.

This verification typically takes the form of an audit conducted by an independent auditor. The audit has two key objectives:

1. To measure your consumption of licenses and Software and support (S&S) for deployed IBM programs and check that this is within your licensed limits.
2. Check that your use of IBM programs complies with IBM’s software licensing terms and policies.

IBM uses the IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) to measure the consumption of specific IBM software metrics. The use of ILMT or HCL BigFix Inventory is one of the eligibility requirements for Sub-Capacity licensing.

What IBM Auditors Look For

IBM auditors seek compliance with IBM’s software licensing terms and policies. They measure the consumption of licenses and S&S for deployed IBM programs and check that this is within the client’s licensed limits.

They also verify the use of IBM programs and ensure the client complies with IBM’s software licensing terms and policies.

The Importance of ILMT in IBM Audits

ILMT plays a crucial role in IBM audits as it measures the consumption of specific IBM software metrics. The use of ILMT or HCL BigFix Inventory is one of the eligibility requirements for Sub-Capacity licensing.

If clients wish to take advantage of Sub-Capacity licensing, they must have ILMT or HCL BigFix Inventory installed and operational.

Consequences of Not Maintaining ILMT

If a client does not maintain ILMT or HCL BigFix Inventory, they may not be eligible for Sub-Capacity licensing.

This could lead to non-compliance with IBM’s software licensing terms and policies, which could result in penalties during an IBM audit.

Therefore, clients must maintain the ILMT or HCL BigFix Inventory to ensure compliance with IBM’s licensing terms and to avoid potential penalties during an audit.

How organizations must save ILMT reports in case there is an audit

1. Create Audit Snapshots: Audit snapshots are records of your enterprise’s metric license utilization over time. They are generated on the All Metrics report and should be created quarterly.
2. Store Audit Snapshots: Once created, these snapshots should be stored as a record of metric license utilization in your enterprise. This will prove your organization’s compliance with IBM’s licensing terms during an audit.
3. Retention Period: These reports must be retained for two years. IBM auditors may request to see them going back two years during an audit.
4. Provide Reports Upon Request: If IBM or its auditors request to see these reports, you must be able to provide them. Failure to do so or providing inaccurate or incomplete reports could lead to penalties during an audit.
5. Maintain Complete and Accurate Records: You are responsible for creating, retaining, and providing complete and accurate records of your organization’s software usage. This includes the audit snapshots and any other relevant documentation or records.
6. Regularly Update Reports: Since capacity scans are stored for up to 5 days, and software scans are stored until the following software scans are conducted, it’s essential to regularly update your reports to ensure they reflect the most current data.

Remember, the purpose of these reports is to demonstrate your organization’s compliance with IBM’s licensing terms.

Properly saving and maintaining these reports can help ensure a smooth audit process and avoid potential penalties.

IBM IASP Program and ILMT

The IBM Authorized SAM Provider (IASP) Program is an alternative to traditional software license verification audits.

Under the Program terms, clients who contract with an IBM Authorized SAM Provider can independently report their use of IBM software. If they actively participate in the IASP Program, they will be exempt from audits.

Reporting Requirements

IASP baseline or periodic reports must use the latest version of the standard IASP reporting template, as published by IBM.

Regular reports must be submitted promptly according to the frequency set out in the client’s contract and represent an accurate and complete calculation of the client’s Effective Licensing Position.

The IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) is crucial in this process. The tool is used to measure the consumption of specific IBM software metrics, and its use is one of the eligibility requirements for Sub-Capacity licensing.

If clients wish to take advantage of Sub-Capacity licensing, they must have ILMT installed and operational.

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