Db2 Connect licensing information

The Db2 Connect software solution consists of an optional server component and a required client component. Both the server and the client components are installed on the distributed platform. You can choose to have validation done at either the client or the server.

Licensing at the Db2 Connect gateway server

The optional server component is commonly referred to as the Db2 Connect Server, but can also be referred to as the gateway or Db2 Connect Gateway Server. In simple terms, The Db2 Connect Server allows connection from distributed platforms like Linux, AIX, and Windows to Db2® data servers on host systems. The Db2 Connect Server provides the database connection to the host platform, translation services, high availability services, distributed join services, data synchronization services, and more.

Figure 1. Db2 Connect Enterprise Edition
Diagram showing clients connection to IBM mainframe databases through a Db2 Connect Server.
For more information, see Activating the license for Db2 Connect at the gateway server

Licensing Db2 Connect at the client

The client component can be any one of the following Data Server Client packages.
  • IBM® Data Server Client Package (commonly referred to as ds driver)
  • IBM Data Server Runtime Client
  • IBM Data Server Client

The client component needs to be installed on the same machine that runs the client application program that is used to make connections to the licensed Db2 data servers on host systems. Use the ds driver for enterprise deployments of Db2 Connect.

Figure 2. Direct Connection Between Db2 Connect and an IBM mainframe database server
This figure shows a direct connection between Db2 Connect and an IBM mainframe database server
For more information, see Activating the license for Db2 Connect at the IBM Data Server Client site
Note: If your organization has many users and many applications that need to connect to a specific Db2 for z/OS® or System i® server, you can do so from an application server by purchasing the Db2 Connect Application Server Edition. For more information, see Activating the license for the Db2 Connect Application Server Edition

Db2 Connect editions

License files for purchased Db2 Connect products are available for download from Passport Advantage:
Db2 Connect Enterprise Edition
  • License file: db2consv_ee.lic
  • Two user types are supported:
    • An Authorized User license is tied to a specific user ID (person) that connects to the Db2 data servers on the host systems through any number of Db2 Connect servers. As you add more back-end Db2 data servers on the host system’s connections, you have to buy more licenses. If you just add more Db2 Connect servers, since these are not Db2 data servers on the host systems, you don’t drive up license costs. Authorized User licenses are determined at the client workstation before any multiplexing software or connection pooling are used to reduce the number of users.
      Figure 3. Db2 Connect Enterprise Edition with an Authorized User license applied
    • A Floating User Single Install (FUSI) license is not tied to any specific user ID. Instead,the license defines the maximum number of concurrent database connections within the Db2 Connect server during peak application usage times. Unlike the Authorized User license, each Db2 Connect server has to have the appropriate number of FUSI licenses associated with it. If you were to add more concurrent users to the system, you would have to buy more licenses. If the users connected to different Db2 data servers on host systems, it would not impact the cost of your Db2 Connect Enterprise Edition solution. You cannot use a FUSI license if you can’t count the number of users; for example, in a web-based application.
      Figure 4. Db2 Connect Enterprise Edition, but with a Floating User single install license applied:
Db2 Connect Application Server Edition
  • License file: db2consv_as.lic
  • The Db2 Connect Application Server Edition is designed for enabling application servers to access Db2 data servers on host systems. The Db2 Connect Application Server Edition supports unlimited users of an application that is deployed on the specific application server using unlimited installations of Db2 Connect servers to access unlimited Db2 data servers on host systems.
  • The Application Server Edition is licensed by the total Processor Value Units (PVUs)1 available to the application server(s) that use Db2 Connect. Processor cores are assigned a Processor Value Unit (PVU) rating, where the total PVU rating equals the number of PVUs running on that server or logical partition (LPAR). You can calculate the price by multiplying the total PVUs for the server or LPAR by the PVU price.
  • The license can be deployed to connect the application server to the Db2 data servers on host systems either directly or by using the Db2 Connect gateway server.
Figure 5. Db2 Connect Application Server Edition
Db2 Connect Application Server Advanced Edition
  • License file: db2consv_ass.lic
  • Db2 Connect Application Server Advanced Edition is designed for large-scale, demanding environments. Its licensing terms and conditions are meant to address specific needs of multitier client/server applications as well as applications that utilize Web technologies. Db2 Connect Application Server Advanced Edition license charges are based on the size or the number of PVUs available to the application servers where the application is running. License charges are not affected by the number of users of the application, the size of the Db2 Connect server itself, nor the size of the Db2 data server on the host system
Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System z
  • License file: db2consv_zs.lic
  • The Unlimited Edition for System z servers provides unlimited access (no user counting) to a specific Db2 data server on a host system
  • The license supports an unlimited number of users with unlimited applications, using unlimited installations of Db2 Connect server or IBM Data Server Client packages to access a specific Db2 data server on a host system. 2
  • Users can be internal or external.
  • Applications can be multi-tier.
  • Access can be Intranet or Internet.
  • The Unlimited Edition for System z is licensed using the combination of these two charge metrics:
    • Host Server license: one per production Db2 data server)
    • Millions of Service Units(MSU) license: MSU capacity available to production and non-production Db2 data servers being accessed)
Figure 6. Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition. The first is for System z
Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition. The first is for System z
Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition for System i
  • License file: db2consv_is.lic
  • The Unlimited Edition for System i servers provides access to Db2 on System i data servers.
  • The license supports an unlimited number of users with unlimited applications, using unlimited installations of Db2 Connect to access specific System i servers. The Unlimited Edition for System i is licensed by all of the managed processors on the System i Server running IBM i partitions, except for the cores dedicated to LPARs running AIX or Linux.
  • System i access is available through this license at no additional cost. This provides database drivers for the Windows and Linux platforms. It does NOT provide the .NET plug-in.
Figure 7. Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition. The first is for System i
Db2 Connect Unlimited Edition. The first is for System i
1 PVU is the unit of measure by which this program is licensed. PVU entitlements are based on processor families (vendors and brands). A Proof of Entitlement (PoE) must be obtained for the appropriate number of PVUs based on the level or tier of all processor cores activated and available for use by the Program on the server. Some programs allow licensing to less than the full capacity of the server's activated processor cores, sometimes referred to as sub-capacity licensing.
2 One Db2 data server equals one independent Db2 for z/OS subsystem or a Db2 for z/OS Data Sharing Group.