The IBM License Metric Tool helps you maintain an inventory of the core based software deployed for your Full Capacity or Virtualization (Sub-) Capacity environment, and measures the licenses required by software Product.
IBM License Metric Tool overview
The IBM License Metric Tool helps you maintain an inventory of the core-based software deployed for your Full Capacity or Virtualization (Sub-) Capacity environment, and measures the licenses required by software Product. It is intended to help you manage your IBM software licensing requirements, and help you maintain an audit ready posture. Customers are responsible for supplying hardware and installation services required for installing the tool.
IBM License Metric Tool version 9.2 was announced on March 17, 2015 via Software Announcement 215-076 and is currently updated quarterly. Customers have 90 days from first eligible Virtualization (Sub)-capacity product deployment to install and begin using IBM License Metric Tool for supported virtualization technologies.
For more information on updating ILMT, please see the ILMT documentation page.
Note:
- IBM License Metric Tool has continuous delivery model and so end of support for each technology is announced for the whole IBM License Metric Tool program, not just for certain release. All IBM License Metric Tool customers should be using latest IBM License Metric Tool version.
- In order to be notified of latest available updates of IBM License Metric Tool and of updates related to the plans of removal of virtualization technologies and operating systems from the list of sub-capacity eligibility, customers need to subscribe to My Notifications for ILMT product.
On June 30th, 2019 HCL acquired from IBM select IBM collaboration, commerce, digital experience, AppScan & BigFix solutions.
IBM License Metric Tool uses BigFix platform. Please refer to the IBM License Metric Tool and HCL BigFix FAQ for additional information on the IBM License Metric Tool and HCL relationship.
Use of IBM License Metric Tool
The use of IBM License Metric Tool is recommended for Full Capacity and is mandatory for use with sub-capacity licensing.
February 2023: With the release of IBM Passport Advantage Agreement v11, IBM removed exceptions for sub-capacity reporting requirements.
Clients that, prior to May 1st, 2023, were doing manual reporting because of the exceptions outlined in IBM Passport Advantage Agreement v10 have been granted manually reporting of sub-capacity deployments until January 1, 2024, if they were still compliant with the related requirements.
Starting January 1, 2024 all prior exceptions are no longer applicable.
For Full Capacity and for manual reporting under the former IBM Passport Advantage Agreement v10 exceptions, customers must manually manage, track, and prepare a Manual Calculation of Virtual Capacity worksheet for each server. For more details about the requirements for this worksheet, go to Virtualization Capacity License Counting Rules.
Customers must maintain documentation for at least two years to demonstrate ongoing compliance with these Sub-Capacity Licensing terms.
For information about supported platforms and hardware requirements for use of IBM License Metric Tool administrative server and its agents, search the IBM License Metric Tool documentation.
For listings of current technologies supported by IBM License Metric Tool, consult the list of technologies supported by License Metric Tool.
For details of Sub-capacity licensing requirements, including requirements for maintaining documentation, see the Passport Advantage Virtualization Capacity (Sub-capacity) Licensing and the Virtualization Capacity License Counting Rules.
Expand section to see the exceptions that were outlined within the former IBM Passport Advantage Agreement v10.
- when IBM License Metric Tool does not yet provide support for the Eligible Virtualization Environment
Note: In order to be notified when IBM License Metric Tool support for eligible virtualization technologies become available, customers need to subscribe to "My Notifications". - if your Enterprise has fewer than 1,000 employees and contractors, you are not a Service Provider (an entity that provides information technology services for end user customers, either directly or through a reseller), and you have not contracted with a Service Provider to manage your environment, and the total physical capacity of your Enterprise servers measured on a full capacity basis, but licensed under Sub-Capacity Licensing terms, is less than 1,000 PVUs.
- if your servers are licensed to full capacity. For the above exceptions, customers must manually manage, track, and prepare a Manual Calculation of Virtual Capacity worksheet for each server. For more details about the requirements for this worksheet, go to Virtualization Capacity License Counting Rules.
Use of IBM validated BigFix Inventory versions, releases, and updates
BigFix Inventory is now an HCL product and the latest BigFix Inventory product release level delivered by IBM is BigFix Inventory 9.2.15.
IBM and HCL have established a collaboration agreement aimed to continue to have BigFix Inventory accepted as an alternate solution to IBM License Metric Tool for IBM Virtualization Capacity reporting.
Important: HCL BigFix Inventory is not accepted by IBM to report inventory and license usage for software running on Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes.
Please refer to BigFix Inventory and HCL FAQ for the accepted and IBM validated BigFix Inventory versions/releases/updates and additional FAQs.
For BigFix Inventory product information, visit BigFix Inventory on the HCL Site.
Use of Flexera One approved tools
IBM and Flexera have established an agreement to certify Flexera One IT Asset Management as an alternate solution to IBM License Metric Tool for IBM Virtualization Capacity reporting. In addition, through integrations with IBM License Services, but not stand-alone, Flexera One IT Asset Management is accepted by IBM to report inventory and license usage for software running on Red Hat OpenShift and Kubernetes.
IBM Software customers can choose to use the IBM SaaS offering, Flexera One with IBM Observability IT Asset Management (or the companion Flexera One Select with IT Observability), the Flexera SaaS offering, Flexera One IT Asset Management (or companion Flexera One Select IT Asset Management).
Other Flexera products are not certified.
IBM recognizes Flexera FlexNet Manager and it s related IBM resell branded Flexera One with IBM Observability on-prem as alternative metering tools. However, to use Flexera FlexNet Manager solutions as an alternative to the approved metering tools the following conditions must be met:
- Additional terms must be signed. These terms take the form of a Passport Advantage Addendum. The Addendum is available from IBM upon request; and
- IBM's written approval must be obtained.
For any environment not supported by Flexera One IT Asset Management, IBM Software customers will need to set up a dedicated ILMT instance connected to the environment or choose full capacity counting (not leveraging sub capacity savings) for this environment.
The following table provides a summarized view of the supported operating systems and virtualized environments support by Flexera One IT Asset Management.
| Supported Operating Systems |
Supported Virtualization Environments |
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