Viewing value unit exhibits and converting value units for IPLA products

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Use the View Value Unit Exhibits action to view the read-only tables that are used to convert machine capacities, measured in MSU (millions of service units), to license capacities, measured in value units (VU). Maximo IT uses the data in these tables, called value unit exhibits, when calculating MSU-to-VU conversions in audit reports.

About this task

IBM® value units are the applicable capacity measures in System z® IPLA (International Program License Agreement) software product licenses. IBM measures license capacity for IPLA software in value units for pricing purposes. On the other hand, machine capacities are measured in MSU. So to balance your available machine capacity and software usage requires an MSU-to-VU conversion.

The number of hardware MSU that a licensed, value unit–priced software product consumes is obtained with data from its IBM-defined value unit exhibit. When entered into a Value unit converter, this data helps calculate your used license capacity in value units, so that you can use the results from license audit reports to order additional license capacity in value units or adjust your software license entitlements, as your mainframe capacity permits.

The steps for viewing the value unit exhibits that are used to provide the MSU-to-VU conversions in audit reports follow. An optional step (step 3) for converting MSU to value units, and vice versa, is provided.

Procedure

  1. On the navigation bar, click Open Menu > Assets > Licenses.
  2. Select the View Value Unit Exhibits action. The View Value Unit Exhibits window displays a calculator and a table of value unit exhibits.
  3. Optional: In the Value Unit Converter section you can convert MSU to value units, and vice versa:
    1. Specify a value unit exhibit in the Value Unit Exhibit field.
    2. Type an MSU number in the first input field or a value unit number in the second input field, depending on which unit type you want to convert.
    3. Click Calculate to convert the number that you entered to its value unit or MSU equivalent.
      When converting MSU, any decimal conversion result is rounded up to the next whole number; when converting value units, any decimal conversion result is rounded down to the previous whole number. (A range of MSU values might be converted to the same value units number, due to rounding.)
  4. In the Value Unit Exhibits section, find the VUE number that applies to your product.
  5. Click OK to close the View Value Unit Exhibits window.