License types

Authorized licenses

An IBM Rational® authorized user license authorizes an individual to use a Rational software product. Purchasers must obtain an authorized user license for each individual user who accesses the product in any manner. An authorized license cannot be reassigned unless the purchaser replaces the original assignee on a long-term or permanent basis. An authorized user is referred to as reserved user.

Floating licenses

An IBM Rational floating license is a license for a single software product that can be shared among multiple team members. However, the total number of concurrent users cannot exceed the number of floating licenses you purchase. For example, if you purchase one floating license for a Rational software product, then any user in your organization can use the product at any time. Another person who wants to access the product must wait until the current user logs off.

To use floating licenses, you must obtain floating license keys and install them on a Rational license server. The server responds to user requests for access to the license keys. The server grants access to the number of concurrent users that equals the number of licenses the organization purchased.

Token licenses

The token-based license model means that you can buy a certain number of token licenses. If you use a Rational tool that checks out a feature that is token-based, the feature line in the license file specifies the number of tokens that are checked out. Token-based licenses can be used only with floating licenses. They cannot be used for authorized user license. For more details about token licensing, contact your local IBM marketing representative.