The thread is getting longer and longer and the frustration increases. So
I will throw another attempt to explain things.
1. Formal disclaimer:
I am working for an IBM Business Partner but not for IBM itself. The
opinion presented here is personal, binds our company but does not bind
IBM and is made at best will derived from IBM *official documents*. Many
of you do not have business with Bulgaria so I will skip the marketing.
2. License types:
- in the past there were four types of ADSM/TSM licenses - for TSM
server, for TSM client which is server in the enterprise, for TSM client
which is client in the enterprise and for mainframes' MSUs. TSM servers
and server-class TSM clients were subdivided into "Tiers" based on
processor count (1-4 Intels were Tier 1, 5+ Intels and 1-23 RISKs were
Tier 2, 24+ RISKs were Tier 3). The client-class TSM clients had single
license for any type and number of processors. There were separate
licenses for "Managed Library" (library above certain size required a
license, also Tiered), "Shared Library" (server shares library with
storage agents or another servers), "Managed System for SAN" (formal name
for Storage Agents).
- with introduction of ITSM v5.1 the licensing have been changed to
calculate number of processors instead of TMPs derived from number of
processors. The differences between RISK and Intel processors has been
removed. Separate license for TSM server(s) was also removed and they were
made equal to server-class TSM client licenses. The license for
client-class TSM clients remained unchanged except it is now quoted in
dollars, euro, etc. instead of TMPs (which had their own price).
In my personal opinion (not binding anyone) this was rather good.
Simplification does matter and the discussions on it mimic the past
discussion should Great Britain abandon pennies/shillings/guineas in
favour of metric monetary system.
Maybe we being IT professionals know what is the difference between
processors, between "tiers", between system acting as client or server,
etc. But the management or purchase/procurement department does not! And
they need simple quantitive system. </personal>
3. What is considered server-class and what is client-class. Official
wording from IBM will be used here. It was put in a file named "Enhanced
Value Based Pricing definitions" on www.tivoli.com. After migration to
ibm.com it became unreachable as lot of other content.
- "A client is a computer system or a process that requests a
service of another computer system that is typically referred to as a
server. ... Examples include laptop computers, desktop computers,
deskside computers, and technical workstations."
- "A server is defined by its use in the customer's environment, not
by its use within a Tivoli application."
- "A server is a computer system that provides services to one or
more clients and/or other devices over a network. Examples include, but
are not limited to, file servers, print servers, mail servers, database
servers, application servers, and Web servers."
Therefore single processor Pentium/200 print server box will require the
expensive ITSM "processor" license while 4-processor mighty SGI box for
video processing will require cheap ITSM "client" license. But this was
just the same in versions 4.2 and before, thus I cannot find reasons for
complains.
4. Open registration of licenses.
If the company/organization have decided to use open registration it means
it prefers to do less planning. If there is no plan based on good usage
predictions you should have enough <whatever> on stock to fulfil the
demand. Either switch to well-planned configuration with precise usage
tracking (for TSM this means closed registration) or keep a pool of
necessary goods, materials, licenses, people, etc.
If we talk to something material - workstations or tapes for example, what
can we do if there is no desktop for new staff constantly coming in or we
run out of scratch tapes!?! Nothing better than buying new ones or findin
out a way how to reuse existing ones.
--> We were told yesterday that a processor is a processor.
Incorrect. ADSM/TSM/ITSM "client" licenses are for client-class system
with *any* number of processors. If you have 8-processor Xeon just to play
Quake on it, the decision is yours and it is still a "client". If you make
it a HTTP proxy the server-class rules will apply.
--> furthermore it doesn't matter whether it is running TSM server or TSM
client.
It matters. TSM client might be server requiring "processor" licenses
(same as for TSM server) or might be a non-serving system requiring only a
"client" license.
--> Tivoli defines a client as a desktop machine (Win98, etc..)
Incorrect. Tivoli defines a client based on its usage. Win98 box sitting
in the corner and used by whole department to print on its laser printer
*is* a print server and therefore requires a "processor" license.
--> ... have told me that for LAN based backup there is only one license
part number (D5127LL) that is a per processor license and is the same for
TSM client use or TSM server use.
Misleading. There is more than "one" license part number. The one shown is
for TSM server and server-class TSM client for IBM TSM (base edition).
There another one for ITSM Extended Edition - D51MFLL. For client-class
TSM client (workstations, desktops, etc.) there are two another "Clients"
part number - D5158LL, D51MKLL which are actually equal (paid upgrade of
server licenses D5127LL -> D51MFLL implies no charge upgrade D5158LL ->
D51MKLL). Both these are initial purchase numbers and have several
corresponding software maintenance numbers. Maintenance and upgrades are
another story.
--> ... new xeon processors with hyperthreading... 2 physical processors look
like 4 to the OS!
As two processors. Physical number of processors is counted not virtual.
Same as processors in the box are counted but not the number of TSM nodes
you may define on it. BTW: IBM Power4 processors have hyperthreading since
'99 but being not used in PCs this is not popular.
--> But since it has a modem, and other computers dial into it (just to
upload/download files), it is considered a SERVER, NOT a DESKTOP
This falls into twilight zone. It is both "a system that requests a
service of another system" and "a system that provides services to one or
more clients". If most of the time system is used as a workstation and
files are transferred only occasionally - it is a "client". But if this is
a no-matter-what-hardware PC with no-matter-what-software OS, which is
used mainly for dial-in and file transfer - it is definitely a server and
needs "processor" license. Cheating yourself putting server-type load on a
"desktop" is not an excuse.
--> In the past, we have bought TSM client licenses in advance of need, or
knowing where they will get used. Will one have to know when a client
requests services if it qualifies as a server, or client, and how many
CPU's it has, before we can buy the license?
Not knowing where the licenses will be used does not change the rules. In
the past you could not know will the TSM client be Tier 1 or Tier 2 and
how many TMPs you need to have on hand. Now you do not know how many CPUs
the TSM client will have and how many "processors" you may need. But it is
nearly the same.
Yes, I agree having TMPs allowed you to get both "client" desktops and
"tiered" server in single pool, while now you need to keep pools of
"clients" and "processors". But I think this should pay itself with easier
negotiations with procurement if right arguments are used.
--> Huge, multiprocessor, single user machines, ...
If it is single-user, it qualifies as a "client", no matter how many or
how powerful the processors are, period. Anything else is an attempt from
the VAR or from IBM to squeeze out more money from you! Change the VAR or
fill an official complaint.
--> I can tell you now that our notoriously ill-tempered administrative person
will run me out of town with both guns blazing if I present this. How can
we continue to purchase generic client licenses, in advance, in quantity
at bulk discounts, without knowing the exact characteristics of each
client node?
Ask the ill-tempered administrator is he/she waiting to run out of paper
or toner for the copier machine before to order new ones. Or is keeping
both few packs of paper *and* spare toner cartridge on hand.
Sorry for the lengthy message. Your rant is for licensing, my one is for
asking already answered a year ago questions.
Zlatko Krastev
IT Consultant
P.S. If you read all this I would be glad to have some feedback - was it
exhaustive, was I offensive, etc.
ZK
"Klein, Robert (NIH/CIT)" <kleinr AT EXCHANGE.NIH DOT GOV>
Sent by: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>
13.05.2003 20:10
Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager"
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
cc:
Subject: new TSM Client Pricing
I was speaking with our TSM sales rep earlier today about ordering TSM
client software upgrades. She said that as of this past January, a factor
in the pricing of a client software license is whether or not the client
is
a server or a desktop and, if a server, how many cpus it has. Has anyone
else heard anything about this?
Thanks.
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