Evaluate key IBM software products in the way that is most convenient for you.
Consider downloading a trial version, registering for a 3-hour test drive, or
playing with a beta version -- the choice is yours. Product evaluations are
available for many products across all the major IBM software brands, including
Rational Application Developer, Lotus Domino, Lotus
Notes, DB2, and WebSphere Application Server. Got questions? Here are a few tips to get
you started.
What are my options for trying out a product?
You have several choices. Choose the evaluation method that works for you:
Download a trial version.
Access an online, hosted trial running on an IBM server.
Use the product running on the Amazon Elastic Compute
Cloud platform.
Enjoy using the product in conjunction with other products, preconfigured in a
Sandbox and running on a cloud server.
Try the beta version of an upcoming release.
What if the product I want to evaluate isn't on the list? Many products offer trial versions and demos. If you don't see what you need
on the dW Download, try, or buy page, check the IBM Software Product Finder.
What's a free product? Surely there's a catch?
No catch. IBM does not charge you anything to use free products.
How is a free product different from a downloadable trial?
Downloadable trials are time-limited (usually 30 to 60 days). After that time period, they can no longer be used. Free products, however, can be downloaded, installed, and run without restriction.
If I use a free product in a cloud environment, will I have to pay anything?
Maybe. When these products are accessed in a cloud environment (such as an Amazon Machine Image), usage charges might apply.
I want to download a trial version. Will I have to pay?
All trial downloads are free. After you complete a simple registration, you can
download and install the trial code to run on your own, local machine.
How long can I use the trial version?
Typically the trial code is available for 30 or 60 days from when you install
it.
Does the trial version contain all the same functions as the production-level
code?
Yes, for the most part. In a few cases, certain
optional components are not included in the trial version, but typically, the trial is fully
functional.
I have a slow Internet connection. Will the file take a long time to download?
All trials can be downloaded with the local install method, which uses either the traditional HTTP protocol
or the newer Download Director. Download Director offers high-performance and pause and resume
capability. In many cases, additional download methods are available. Download Director starts in a separate browser window where you can specify the
download location and view download status. When it's available, we recommend
choosing Download Director over the HTTP protocol. For help with Download Directory, see Download Director FAQs.
Is there a faster way to download a file?
When it's available, the Web install using IBM Installation Manager is even simpler to use than
Download Director. Installation Manager makes it easier for you to
download and install trial code for many IBM software products.
Once installed, it can be used to update the software that you have previously installed
and to install additional software. An especially nice feature is the ability to select
multiple download files to be installed in one step. If you have
Installation Manager already installed, choose the appropriate download link. For help
with IBM Installation Manager, see the IBM
Installation Manager FAQs.
What if I don't want to download, install, and configure trial code to run on my local machine? Is there
another way to see a product in action?
Sure! Many products offer an online, hosted trial, in which you're given 3 hours to
run the trial code on an IBM server in a virtual, hosted environment.
Do I need special software to use an online trial?
The online trial uses the Citrix XenApp Presentation Server to connect
your workstation to the remote server running the
IBM product you are evaluating. You only have to download and install the Citrix
XenApp Web plugin
that runs on your operating system. This is a one-time installation, which
allows you to log into any dW online trial.
Once you've registered, you'll be redirected to a page from which you can access
the pre-configured IBM product through the Citrix plugin. Extra help for
connection questions is provided in the Online trial connectivity FAQs.
How will I know what to do, once I start an online trial?
Evaluation resources are provided with most online trials. Scenarios and
tutorials help you get started with the product and try some sample tasks.
How can I tell if a product is offered as an online trial?
Only some products are available as online trials. Look for a checkmark in the
"Online" column on the Download, try, or
buy page, check the Online tab on that page, or notice the "Online trial" text tab on
the Try tab of the product page as shown here:
I heard that IBM offers some IBM products in a cloud computing environment. How
does that work?
You can access a growing number of IBM products in the Amazon Elastic Compute
Cloud. IBM has partnered with Amazon Web Services to give you access to IBM software products in
the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) virtual environment. This is product-level code,
with all features and options enabled. IBM products that have been modified to run on the
EC2 platform are called Amazon Machine Images (AMIs.)
Are the Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) of IBM products available for production use? Or just
for evaluation purposes?
Good question! Most of the methods covered in this collection FAQs are used by
developers or IT professionals
who want to evaluate IBM product code. The AMIs are slightly different in that not
only can you evaluate them to evaluate a product, you can actually develop in a virtual, cloud computing environment, where computing
capacity, bandwidth, storage, security and reliability aren't issues.
How would I use an Amazon Machine Image?
Rather than installing the software on your own system, you can develop, deploy,
and manage applications, paying only for the time and capacity you use. It's
easy to scale up or down, as your needs change.
You mean I don't have to pay to use an Amazon Machine Image for development
purposes?
Right. If you are using an AMI to help you develop applications, you pay nothing.
The pricing model depends on the type of AMI you're using; there are three:
Development-use only AMI
Production-ready AMI
Bring your own license
Tell me more about development-use only AMIs.
If you're an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) who builds services and
applications for commercial enterprises, you can use development-use only AMIs for
many purposes:
To demonstrate your solutions running on IBM software
To evaluate IBM products
To learn about IBM software
To develop and test commercially available Software as a Service applications.
Is a production-ready AMI really ready for production? Can I use the product in
my production environment?
With pay-as-you-go pricing, you can use IBM products running in the Amazon cloud
computing environment and pay only for the hours of service you require. These AMIs make it possible to use Amazon EC2 with many of the IBM platform technologies you’re already familiar with.
What if I've already bought a license for a product that is available on the
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud? Am I just out of luck?
No, not at all! If you already own licenses for IBM products, you can apply them to those products
running on the Amazon EC2 platform. To find out how your license converts to usage
time, see PVUs
required for Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud.
I'd like to see several products running together, but I don't have time to download
them all and configure them individually to work together. What do you
recommend?
Try one of our sandboxes, which are similar to online trials in that they run in a
hosted environment. The biggest difference is that a sandbox offers you a chance to
see many products configured to run with each other, for the purpose of solving a
particular problem.
How can I find out whether the products I'm interested in are in a sandbox?
Glad you asked. This handy cross-reference will help you see what's running in
individual sandbox scenarios. You can also check the Sandbox column on the dW
Download, try, or buy
page.
What makes a sandbox especially useful?
Each sandbox exercise is based on real customer experiences. An evaluation guide
steps you through tasks so that you can see how the collection of products work
together to solve a problem.
I can't wait for the newest release. How can I get my hands on the
beta code?
For several products, we offer links to beta versions. Look for a checkmark in the
"Beta" column on the Download, try, or
buy page or check the Beta tab on that page.
Can I get support for a beta version?
Some betas offer a forum where you can share your experiences with
others who have downloaded a beta.
I still have further questions about IBM product trials on developerWorks that are not covered in this FAQ. Where can I ask these questions?
For questions about online trials, you may post further questions at the forum
for solutions to problems connecting to developerWorks
online trials monitored by the dW product evaluations team.
