Skip to main content

Rights on Virtual Machines and Hosts (Contract Properties)

Use this section to create rules about how licenses linked to this contract allow software to be used on virtual machines (and their hosts). For more information on software licensing rights on virtual machines, see Rights on Virtual Machines and Hosts in license properties.

Select This contract grants right on virtual machines and hosts to linked licenses and select any of the following controls:

Control

Details

License calculation uses host capacity

Select this option to base license points calculations on the processor details of the VM host computer. This setting can be inherited by Core Points, Microsoft Server/Management Core, Microsoft Server Processor, and Processor Points license types. Tip: For a Microsoft Server/Management Core license, this setting on the contract is inherited as One licensed host allows unlimited VM installations in the license Use rights & rules tab.

One licensed host allows unlimited VM installations

Select this option when the license does not keep count of which virtual machines hosted on the server are running the software. When you select this check box, the following option appears:

  • Allow subcapacity licensing for points calculated outside ILMT — When this check box is clear (the default), the following IBM PVU licensing rules are applied:

    • Wherever available, sub-capacity calculations from ILMT are used.

    • If inventory is collected through the FlexNet Inventory Agent, and the inventory preference to Enable frequent hardware scanning for IBM sub-capacity license calculations is set, sub-capacity calculations by IT Asset Management are used.

    • Where inventory was collected through another third-party tool, or where extra inventory scanning has not been enabled for the FlexNet Inventory Agent, consumption is calculated at full capacity of the host computer.

    • As well, if the virtual hosts are part of a cluster and extra inventory scanning has not been enabled, IT Asset Management uses worst case full capacity calculations for all the virtual hosts in the cluster, assuming maximum migration of virtual machines across hosts in the cluster. However, an exceptional calculation may apply for certain IBM customers who have negotiated away the requirement to use ILMT, and do not wish to use the correctly configured FlexNet Inventory Agent. In such exceptional cases only, select this check box. When it is selected:

    • Wherever available, sub-capacity calculations from ILMT are used.

    • For additional consumption reported through all other inventory sources, IT Asset Management uses sub-capacity calculations.

    • As well, if the virtual hosts are part of a cluster and extra inventory scanning has not been enabled, IT Asset Management provides worst case sub-capacity calculations allowing for maximum migration of virtual machines across the virtual hosts in the cluster. As well, whenever this check box is visible (and you have ILMT data available), a report is prepared showing comparative License Positions from <AudienceContent audience="SaaSonly">IT Asset Management</AudienceContent><AudienceContent audience="OnPremOnly">FlexNet Manager Suite</AudienceContent> and ILMT. This compares the results of sub-capacity licensing calculated by ILMT and the current calculations by IT Asset Management.

One licensed host covers multiple VMs

Choose this option for licenses that cover a maximum number of VMs (often also covering host licensing). For example, each Microsoft Server Processor license allows the operation of one processor on the host, and may also authorize running the related software on a number of OSEs (virtual machines). Thus, while the base license applies to processors, the additional right considers virtual machines (OSEs) regardless of how many processors each one accesses.

When you select this control, the following options appear:- Maximum VMs — Specify the maximum number of VMs that may be covered by a single license entitlement.

  • Count includes installation(s) on the host operating system — Select this check box to count the application installations on the host operating system while calculating license compliance.

  • Allow subcapacity licensing for points calculated outside ILMT — When this check box is clear (the default), the following IBM PVU licensing rules are applied:

    • Wherever available, sub-capacity calculations from ILMT are used.

    • If inventory is collected through the FlexNet Inventory Agent, and the inventory preference to Enable frequent hardware scanning for IBM sub-capacity license calculations is set, sub-capacity calculations by IT Asset Management are used.

    • Where inventory was collected through another third-party tool, or where extra inventory scanning has not been enabled for the FlexNet Inventory Agent, consumption is calculated at full capacity of the host computer.

    • As well, if the virtual hosts are part of a cluster and extra inventory scanning has not been enabled, IT Asset Management uses worst case full capacity calculations for all the virtual hosts in the cluster, assuming maximum migration of virtual machines across hosts in the cluster. However, an exceptional calculation may apply for certain IBM customers who have negotiated away the requirement to use ILMT, and do not wish to use the correctly configured FlexNet Inventory Agent. In such exceptional cases only, select this check box. When it is selected:

    • Wherever available, sub-capacity calculations from ILMT are used.

    • For additional consumption reported through all other inventory sources, IT Asset Management uses sub-capacity calculations.

    • As well, if the virtual hosts are part of a cluster and extra inventory scanning has not been enabled, IT Asset Management provides worst case sub-capacity calculations allowing for maximum migration of virtual machines across the virtual hosts in the cluster. As well, whenever this check box is visible (and you have ILMT data available), a report is prepared showing comparative License Positions from <AudienceContent audience="SaaSonly">IT Asset Management</AudienceContent><AudienceContent audience="OnPremOnly">FlexNet Manager Suite</AudienceContent> and ILMT. This compares the results of sub-capacity licensing calculated by ILMT and the current calculations by IT Asset Management.

1 entitlement covers nn VM(s)

This control is only applicable to Microsoft Server Processor licenses. For these licenses, each license entitlement covers both:

  • A number of physical processors in the host

  • A number of virtual machines running the same software as is licensed for the host.

For example, for Windows Server 2012 Standard Edition, each license entitlement covers two processors in the host server, and one or two virtual machines on that host running the same software (or a legitimately downgraded version).

This control sets the number of VMs per license entitlement that linked licenses inherit. For more details, including typical allowances for various versions and editions of Windows Server, see Rights on Virtual Machines and Hosts.

Minimum cores per VM

This control is only applicable to Microsoft Server Core licenses. When licensing virtual machines within a host, this field sets the minimum number of license entitlements consumed for each logical processor (that is, virtual core or virtual thread) on each virtual machine.