The IBM Z and LinuxONE On/Off Capacity on Demand (On/Off CoD) feature offers customers a simple and direct way to order and activate temporary processor capacity upgrades for supported IBM Z and LinuxONE machines with access to the IBM Service Support System:

• Order On/Off CoD records using Customer Initiated Upgrade (CIU) on the IBM Resource Link website
• Download and install records from the IBM Service Support System
• Activate On/Off CoD upgrades using installed records

But not all supported machines can make Remote Support Facility (RSF) connections to the IBM Service Support System. Machines without an IBM Maintenance Agreement, for example, cannot make RSF connections to the IBM Service Support System. Likewise, machines not permitted by customer policy to make remote connections to external systems do not make RSF connections to the IBM Service Support System.

Such machines, referred to as non-RSF machines, must have the NonRSF Connection for On/Off Capacity on Demand feature (NonRSF On/Off CoD feature) to use the On/Off CoD feature.

Feature description

The NonRSF On/Off CoD feature is a chargeable feature available as feature code 0032 (FC 0032) for:

• IBM z16 A01 and LinuxONE Emperor 4 LA1 (machine type 3931)
• z15 T01 and LinuxONE III LT1 (machine type 8561)
• z15 T02 and LinuxONE III LT2 (machine type 8562)
• z14 and LinuxONE Emperor II (machine type 3906)
• z14 ZR1 and LinuxONE Rockhopper II (machine type 3907)

For machines with the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature, the process for ordering and activating On/Off CoD upgrades is:

• Order On/Off CoD records using CIU on the IBM Resource Link website
• Download records from Resource Link and save on removable media
• Install records from the removable media
• Activate On/Off CoD upgrades using installed records

Customer use of the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature requires:

• At least one user who can order and download records for the customer's machines with the feature.
• The user will need a workstation or personal computer with Internet access and a rewritable media drive (USB flash memory drive).
• The user must also have an IBMid and password, and have their IBMid registered with the IBM Resource Link website (//www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink).

Former RSF machines

The NonRSF On/Off CoD feature can be used for former RSF machines that are now non-RSF machines, including former RSF machines previously enabled for using CIU on Resource Link.

For example, an RSF-enabled, CIU-enabled machine under an IBM Maintenance Agreement becomes a non-RSF machine when its IBM Maintenance Agreement ends. Without RSF, you can still use CIU on Resource Link as follows:

• With the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature, you can continue to use CIU on Resource Link to order On/Off CoD records.
• But CIU on Resource Link can no longer be used to order permanent upgrades, Capacity Backup (CBU) records, or Capacity for Planned Events (CPE) records. Permanent upgrades, CBU records, and CPE records can still be ordered through your marketing representative.

How to get the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature

Customers can get the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature through their marketing representative. Getting the feature requires:

• Signing contracts for enabling the On-line CoD buying and On/Off CoD features (per machine).
• Signing the NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement to the On/Off CoD contract (per machine).

Enabling a machine with the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature for ordering On/Off CoD records

Shortly after the customer signs the CoD contracts and NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement for a machine, IBM will create a Customer Initiated Upgrade (CIU) machine profile on the IBM Resource Link website. The machine profile is the web page customers will use to order On/Off CoD records for the machine.

When the machine profile is created, its actions for ordering records initially are disabled. The On/Off CoD ordering actions will become enabled when Resource Link receives machine vital product data (VPD):

• If Resource Link already has machine VPD, then no customer action is required, and the machine profile actions for ordering records will be enabled a few hours after the profile is created.
• Otherwise, the customer will be notified by email if Resource Link does not have machine VPD. The customer will need to send machine VPD to IBM (see Sending machine VPD to IBM). The machine profile actions for ordering records will remain disabled until Resource Link receives the machine VPD.

Ordering On/Off CoD records

After a machine with the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature is enabled for ordering On/Off CoD records, the customer can use its machine profile on Resource Link to create orders. To order an On/Off CoD record for the machine:

1. Open the machine profile on Resource Link.
2. Click "Order On/Off CoD record" in the "Ordering options" menu (located on the upper right of the machine profile page).
3. Select the record configuration on the "Order On/Off CoD record" page. Click Submit.
4. Review the order's Terms and Conditions on the next page. Mark the "I accept the Terms and Conditions of this order" checkbox then click Submit to order the record.

The customer will be notified by email when a record is ready to download. Or they can check the order status shown in the machine profile's order history. The "Download ready" order status indicates the record is ready to download.

The customer will not be billed for ordering a record. They are billed only when installed records are used to activate On/Off CoD upgrades (see Billing).

Ordering replenishment records

An On/Off CoD record has an expiration date. The maximum expiration date is 180 days from the date the record is ordered. The record can be used to activate upgrades until it expires. To continue using a record beyond its expiration date, you can order and install a replenishment record that extends the expiration date by up to 180 days.

Ordering and installing a replenishment record is particularly important if your installed record is approaching its expiration date, and the record has On/Off CoD upgrades activated that you need to remain activated beyond its expiration date.

To order a replenishment record for an expiring On/Off CoD record:

1. Open the machine profile on Resource Link.
2. Click the record number of the expiring record in the "Capacity on Demand records" list (located near the bottom of the machine profile page).
3. Click "Order a replenishment record" on the "On/Off CoD record" page.
4. Select the record configuration on the "Order On/Off CoD record" page. Click Submit.
5. Review the order's Terms and Conditions on the next page. Mark the "I accept the Terms and Conditions of this order" checkbox then click Submit to order the record.

You can order replenishment records repeatedly for the same On/Off CoD record, to extend its expiration date repeatedly, as long as you want to continue using the record.

Note the automatic renewal option for automating record replenishment is not available for machines with the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature. You may see the option documented in common CIU publications and education about ordering On/Off CoD records. But the option can be enabled only for machines that can make RSF connections to the IBM Service Support System.

Downloading On/Off CoD records and saving to removable media

Note: Downloading On/Off CoD records from Resource Link and saving to removable media is exclusive to machines with the NonRSF On/Off CoD feature. This step is not documented in common CIU and On/Off CoD documentation such as the Capacity on Demand User's Guide and the CIU customer education on Resource Link.

To download a record from Resource Link and save to removable media:

1. Open the machine profile on Resource Link.
2. Open the order from the machine profile's order history.
3. Click the "Download image" button on the order page.
4. Select either the "Download ISO" button or the "Download self-extracting ZIP" button on the "Download image" page to download the image to a local hard disk.
5. Follow the instructions on the "Download image" page for getting removable media (USB flash memory drive) ready and then saving the downloaded image to the media. Choose the media that is compatible with the removable media drive available on the Hardware Management Console you intend to use to install the record.

The record is considered downloaded as soon as you select either of the download buttons on the "Download image" page. The record's order status on Resource Link becomes "Downloaded", and the 24-hour window for installing the record begins, per the Terms and Conditions of the NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement.

If downloading a record fails or does not complete, or if the removable media is lost, damaged, or otherwise made unusable before the record can be installed, you can download the record again from Resource Link (regardless of the record's "Downloaded" order status). But the original 24-hour window for installing the record remains in effect, regardless of why or when the record is downloaded again.

Important: Although downloading and installing an On/Off CoD record requires saving the record to removable media, customers should download a record only when they intend to install it shortly thereafter, within 24 hours. Customers should not consider downloading and saving records to removable media as a means of storing records for future use. To comply with the Terms and Conditions of the NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement, you must install a record within 24 hours of downloading it, then send IBM machine VPD and billing history XML data afterwards to confirm the installation of the record. Otherwise, there may be charges for downloading the record if its installation is not confirmed.

Installing On/Off CoD records

Retrieving a downloaded On/Off CoD record from removable media installs it on the support element, making it available for activating On/Off CoD upgrades.

Instructions for retrieving and installing On/Off CoD records are provided in the Capacity on Demand User's Guide on Resource Link. See Other resources for links to the user's guide and other common documentation with detailed instructions.

Activating and deactivating On/Off CoD upgrades

Instructions for using an installed On/Off CoD record to activate and deactivate On/Off CoD upgrades are provided in common CIU and On/Off CoD documentation such as the Capacity on Demand User's Guide and the CIU customer education on Resource Link. See Other resources for links to common documentation with detailed instructions.

Billing

Billing for On/Off CoD upgrade usage is monthly, per machine. Upgrade usage is calculated from the machine VPD and billing history XML the customer is required to send IBM each month, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement.

Calculating On/Off CoD upgrade usage begins when the upgrade is activated and ends when the upgrade is deactivated.

The customer can keep an On/Off CoD upgrade activated as long as they need it, even if it is more than a month. If an upgrade is still in use when a machine's monthly billing is calculated, the bill will include that month's usage-to-date of the upgrade that remains activated. Subsequent monthly bills will include subsequent monthly usage, until the upgrade is deactivated.

The customer can also activate multiple On/Off CoD upgrades (one at a time) for the same machine in the same month. The machine's total monthly bill is simply the sum of each upgrade's bill.

Sending machine VPD and billing history XML to IBM

In accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement, customers are required to send machine VPD and billing history XML to IBM each month. Customers must send machine VPD and billing history XML regardless of whether the machine had On/Off CoD upgrades activated during the month.

Sending machine VPD to IBM

Sending machine VPD to IBM is a two-step process. The first step is saving the VPD to media. The second step is uploading the VPD to Resource Link.

To save machine VPD to media:

1. Logon the machine's Hardware Management Console in system programmer mode.
2. Start the "Transmit Vital Product Data" task on the machine's CPC object.
3. Select the data type and destination on the "Transmit Vital Product Data to IBM" window.
   
     Data type: "System vital product data"
   
     Destination: "USB flash memory drive"
4. Click "OK". Then insert a USB flash memory drive in the Hardware Management Console.
5. Click "OK" again to save the VPD file. The file name is actvpda.xml.

To upload machine VPD to Resource Link:

1. Open the machine profile on Resource Link.
2. Click the "Upload VPD" action in the right column of the machine profile page.
3. Insert the USB flash memory drive.
4. Type the VPD file name in the entry field on the "Upload VPD" page.
5. Click "Submit" to upload the VPD file.

Sending billing history XML to IBM

Sending billing history XML to IBM is a two-step process. The first step is saving the billing history XML to media. The second step is uploading the billing history XML to Resource Link.

To save billing history XML to media:

1. Logon the machine's Hardware Management Console in system programmer mode.
2. Start the "Transmit Service Data" task on the machine's CPC object.
3. Select the data type and destination on the "Transmit Service Data" window.
   
     Data type: "Temporary upgrade billing data"
   
     Destination: "USB Flash Memory Drive"
4. Click "OK". Then insert a USB Flash Memory Drive in a Hardware Management Console USB port.
5. Click "OK" again to save the XML file. The file name is \tsd\actvacct.xml.

To upload billing history XML to Resource Link:

1. Open the machine profile on Resource Link.
2. Click the "Upload billing history XML data" action in the right column of the machine profile page.
3. Insert the USB Flash Memory Drive in a USB port.
4. Type the XML file name x:\tsd\actvacct.xml in the entry field on the "Upload billing history XML data" page.
5. Click "Submit" to upload the XML file.

Cancelling On/Off CoD records

Unneeded On/Off CoD records should be cancelled before they are downloaded. Simply cancel the record's order on Resource Link:

1. Open the machine profile on Resource Link.
2. Open the order from the machine profile's order history.
3. Click the "Cancel order" button on the order page.
4. Click the "Cancel order" button on the next page to confirm cancelling the order.

Otherwise, to cancel a record that has already been downloaded, do not delete the record from the removable media. You must instead install the record on the support element, and then remove it. This is necessary to ensure the machine VPD sent IBM each month, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the NonRSF On/Off CoD supplement, can account for the record.

Instructions for installing and removing On/Off CoD records on the support element are provided in the Capacity on Demand User's Guide on Resource Link. See Other resources for links to the user's guide and other common documentation with detailed instructions.

Other resources

Customers can find more information about CIU and On/Off CoD in:

• IBM Z Capacity on Demand User's Guide (SC28-7025)
• Instructions for Customer Initiated Upgrade tasks