• 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 in a sandbox environment.
  • Use the product running in the cloud (IBM SmartCloud Enterprise or Amazon Web Services).
• 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 developerWorks evaluation software page, check the IBM trials and demos page.

• 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, running in a sandbox environment. 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 sandbox 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 sandbox. 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 a sandbox?
  Evaluation resources are provided with most sandbox exercises. Scenarios and tutorials help you get started with the product and try some sample tasks.
  
  
• How can I tell if a product is offered in a sandbox environment?
  Only some products are available in a sandbox. Look for a checkmark in the "Sandbox" column on the Download, try, or buy page, check the Sandbox tab on that page, or notice the "Sandbox" text tab on the Try tab of the product page.
  
  
• 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 these multi-product sandboxes:
  • SOA sandbox
  • Enterprise Modernization Sandboxes for Power Systems
  • Enterprise Modernization Sandboxes for System z
  
  These multi-product sandboxes are similar to the single product sandboxes 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.
  
  
• 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.

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• 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.
  
  

More FAQs.

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• 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.
  
  
• I'm considering buying a product. Where do I go for more information?
  For an individual product, look for the Ready to buy link in the right column of the evaluation software page for that product. See the entire list of IBM software products in the IBM software online catalogue.
  
  

Trial software offers