Using the IBM License Metric Tool for sub-capacity pricing

You can use the IBM License Metric Tool for sub-capacity pricing of Linux on Z IBM SW (Passport Advantage products) that are deployed in zCX. There is an IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner embedded in zCX that can be enabled alongside an IBM License Metric Tool server to scan and generate a report on a zCX instance. You can set up a new IBM License Metric Tool server or use an existing one for zCX use.

For general information on sub-capacity licensing, refer to: https://www.ibm.com/software/passportadvantage/subcaplicensing.html%C2%A0

For General Counting rules for sub-capacity licensing, refer to: https://www.ibm.com/software/passportadvantage/Counting_Software_licenses_using_specific_virtualization_technologies.html

Enabling IBM License Metric Tool using zCX workflows

You can enable IBM License Metric Tool when provisioning a new zCX instance or by reconfiguring an existing one. When running either the provisioning or reconfiguration workflow, set the z/OSMF variable ZCX_ILMT_ENABLE to TRUE. The default value is FALSE, and can be reset to FALSE to disable an active scanner.

IBM License Metric Tool Scanning

Once enabled, the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner will periodically scan for hardware configuration and software licenses in the zCX instance. During these scans it will collect the following information about any processors available to the zCX instance:
  • Number of zIIPs and standard processors available to the zCX instance
  • Number of processors available to the z/OS system
  • Additional virtualization layers (e.g. z/VM if running z/OS as a guest)
  • Centralized Processor Complex (CPC)
This information is used to determine the Processor Value Units (PVU) for licensing the IBM software running in zCX. The hardware scan and software scan will first occur when IBM License Metric Tool is enabled, as well as at any subsequent start of a zCX instance. The hardware scans will then run twice every hour at minute 0 and minute 30. The software scans will run every 7 days at approximately the time of the first scan of the zCX instance (for example, if the zCX instance was first started on a Monday at 8 AM, a software scan will run every Monday at 8 AM).

Restriction: If you deploy and remove an instance of IBM software in zCX within a single software scan interval, the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner will not collect or report information on it.

For more details on the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner, refer to:https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SS8JFY_9.2.0/com.ibm.lmt.doc/Inventory/planinconf/c_disc_sys_main.html

Capping processor usage for licensing purposes with z/OS Workload Manager (WLM)

z/OS Workload Manager (WLM) resource group or tenant resource group maximum processor limits can be used to cap processor usage for one or more zCX instances. To specify maximum usage, specify the resource group type 3 limits. These limits express the number of processors as a numeric value that is 100 times the true number of processors (e.g. 100 represents 1 processor, 200 represents 2 processors, and so on). If the maximum is specified under any other resource group type, WLM will enforce the limits but this information will not be reported to IBM License Metric Tool by the scanner.

More information on capping processor usage with WLM can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSLTBW_2.4.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r4.ieaw100/rgr.htm

Managing IBM License Metric Tool scanner data

Once the IBM License Metric Tool scanner data is retrieved and uploaded to the IBM License Metric Tool server, it should be removed from the zCX SSH CLI container shared directory. You can remove it manually or automatically. To remove the files manually, periodically log onto the zCX shell using SSH and copy the files with an SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). You can provide your own automated process to perform these steps, or use the IBM License Metric Tool-provided sample automation based on Ansible. The Ansible samples will upload the scan results from the endpoints to the IBM License Metric Tool server and then delete the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner data files stores in the zCX SSH CLI container shared directory.

More information about these samples, which are provided for convenience and not formally part of the IBM License Metric Tool product, can be found here: https://github.com/IBM/ansible-automation-for-lmt

Local user access to IBM License Metric Tool scanner data

A zCX user must have access to the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner to retrieve and manage the data. If you are using local user management for zCX users, you can use an existing zCX admin's credentials or create a new user specifically for this purpose. The user will need to access the zCX SSH CLI container that listens on port 8022. You can use the zCX admin credentials to create additional zCX users with the password option. You can also upload the public SSH keys so the zCX user can use them to authenticate into the zCX SSH CLI container and retrieve the data.

LDAP user access to IBM License Metric Tool scanner data

A zCX user must have access to the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner to retrieve and manage the data. If you are using LDAP user management for zCX users, you can use either an existing zCX administrator's credentials or another zCX user defined with the password or SSH key option to retrieve the data.

Interpreting the IBM License Metric Tool scanner data

IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner results are located in the zCX SSH CLI at /media/azd_shared_volume/IBM/ILMT.

There are one or more compressed .tar archive files for software scan results with the format: YYYYMMDDHHMM-hostname-timestamp.tar.gz
  • YYYYMMDDHHMM is the date/time stamp of the scan
  • hostname is the zCX instance name
  • timestamp is the Linux timestamp of the IBM License Metric Tool installation
  • For example: 201911111449-zcxrlk-1573462032.tar.gz
There are three logs available about the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner:
  • zcx_ilmt_hw_scan.log is the log of the last IBM License Metric Tool hardware scan.
  • zcx_ilmt_setup.log is the log of the IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner installation.
  • zcx_ilmt_sw_scan.log is the log of the last IBM License Metric Tool software scan.
The following files and directories are available for help debugging IBM License Metric Tool issues:
  • zcx_ilmt_qc_test.log is the log that contains the output from the last Query Capacity (qclib) qc_test program invocation.
  • IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner "config" directory (read-only access)
  • IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner "logs" directory (read-only access)
  • IBM License Metric Tool disconnected scanner "work" directory (read-only access)

Prerequisites and Dependencies for IBM License Metric Tool

Table 1. Required z/OS 2.4 APAR/PTF sets for IBM License Metric Tool enablement with zCX
APAR PTF
oa58587 UJ01572
oa58601 UJ01571
oa58621 UJ01576
oa58598 UJ01574
oa58599 UJ01575
oa58600 UJ01577
IBM License Metric Tool enablement for zCX also requires an IBM License Metric Tool server at version 9.2.18 or higher.
If z/OS and zCX instances are running as a z/VM guest:
  • z/VM 7.1 is required
  • PTF UM35568 for APAR VM66329 is required