Identifying computers as running on public cloud

Available from 9.2.31.

Computers that run on public clouds must additionally be identified as such. It ensures that proper counting rules are applied by License Metric Tool. You can identify a computer as running on a public cloud from the License Metric Tool user interface.

1. Log in to License Metric Tool and go to Reports > Hardware Inventory.
2. Select a computer or computers that you want to mark as running on a public cloud, and click Mark as Public Cloud.
   1. For pre-approved public clouds, select the type of the public cloud.
   2. For other public clouds, perform these additional steps:
      1. Select Other IBM-approved Public Cloud from the list.
      2. In the Public cloud name text box , provide the name of the public cloud.
      3. In the Approval details text box, provide the written approval from IBM.
3. Click Submit.
   Note: If you incorrectly identified a computer as running on a public cloud, choose None from the list of public clouds. If the option does not work, see: Type of the public cloud cannot be set to None from the License Metric Tool user interface.

   Apart from marking computers as running on public clouds from the user interface, there are other methods that are specific for each type of License Metric Tool deployment. You can choose the method that is suitable for your needs. Using the method that is specific for each deployment type is better during the environment setup as it ensures that proper subcapacity counting rules are applied from the very beginning. Identifying computers from the user interface is better in the following scenarios:

   • Closed appliances that do not allow for using the disconnected scanner configuration file.
   • When you did not identify an x86 computer as running on the public cloud from the very beginning as it applies the proper counting rules for the past. In case of other architectures, the computer is considered as running on a public cloud from the day when it was marked as such.

   For detailed instructions, see:

   • Identifying computers as running on public clouds (BigFix scenario)
   • Identifying disconnected computers as running on public clouds (disconnected scenario)
   • Identifying computers as running on public clouds (Ansible scenario)

   Important: Alternative methods cannot be used to identify computers running on public clouds that are not on the BYOSL list. If you have IBM approval for a public cloud type not on the list, you need to identify the computers through the user interface.