IBM System z Software Pricing

Advanced Entry Workload License Charges (AEWLC)

Advanced Entry Workload License Charges (AEWLC) is a monthly license pricing metric designed to support today's on demand business requirements. AEWLC may be applied to IBM zEnterprise 114 (z114) servers running z/OS, z/TPF, or z/VSE in z/Architecture (64-bit) mode. AEWLC enables customers to:

• Grow hardware capacity without necessarily increasing your software charges
• Pay for key software, such as z/OS, z/TPF, z/VSE, DB2, CICS, and WebSphere MQ with LPAR-level granularity
• Experience a low cost of incremental growth
• Manage software cost by managing workload utilization

AEWLC and TWLC on z114 Standalone Servers
z114 standalone customers will have AEWLC pricing. All sub-capacity eligible products will be priced using the AEWLC pricing metric. The remaining, non-sub-capacity eligible products will be priced using the Tiered EWLC (TWLC) price structure. The TWLC price structure, for non-subcapacity products, offers flat pricing based on server capacity using a tiered structure. The TWLC price structure is exclusive to the z114, z10 BC, z9 BC and z890 servers. Note: the smallest z114, capacity setting A01, is priced using zELC.

z114 Servers in a Qualified Parallel Sysplex
Customers operating a z114 in a qualified Parallel Sysplex may elect to have their server priced as a stand-alone machine (AEWLC and TWLC) or may elect aggregated PSLC or aggregated AWLC pricing, subject to applicable terms and conditions. If the customer selects aggregated pricing then AEWLC and TWLC price structures do not apply. While AEWLC is MSU-based, aggregation of MSUs is not permitted if AEWLC is selected.

Advanced Entry Workload License Charges Structure
(cumulative monthly pricing)

Customers may choose to implement AEWLC in one of two ways:

• Full-Capacity AEWLC - charges are based on the full z114 server capacity where each AEWLC product executes
• Sub-Capacity AEWLC - charges are based on the utilization of the LPAR or LPARs where an AEWLC product executes

Tiered Entry Workload License Charges (TWLC) Structure
(flat monthly pricing based upon full capacity MSUs of the server)

Mechanics of Sub-Capacity AEWLC

The graph below shows a z114 server rated at 102 MSUs with Sub-Capacity AEWLC. The machine is configured with two LPARs, LPAR A and LPAR B. The customer sees a highest observed rolling 4-hour average for LPAR A at 73 MSUs. Accordingly, software running only in LPAR A would be charged at 73 MSUs. Likewise, LPAR B has a highest observed rolling 4-hour average of 52 MSUs. Accordingly, software running only in LPAR B would be charged at 52 MSUs. They have not set a defined capacity or any LPAR cap for either LPAR A or LPAR B.

Software running in both LPARs, such as z/OS, would require the customer to examine the rolling 4-hour average utilization of the combined LPAR A & LPAR B, also shown on the graph. The combined LPAR utilization has a highest observed rolling 4-hour average of 98 MSUs and software running in both LPARs would be charged at 98 MSUs.

AEWLC and TWLC on z114 Example

This example shows a two LPAR z114 machine, capacity setting X01 with a rated capacity of 73 MSUs. The highest rolling 4-hour average for LPAR1 is shown as 50 MSUs, the highest rolling 4-hour average for LPAR2 is shown as 32 MSUs and the highest rolling combined 4-hour average for LPAR1 and LPAR2 is 68 MSUs. Also, the software shown in each LPAR is indicated in the diagram, below:

This example assumes that the customer has met all of the AEWLC Sub-Capacity terms and conditions. Therefore, the following are the pricing options available for this machine:

AEWLC News

On 12 July 2011 IBM announced a new pricing metric called ‘System z Advanced Entry Workload License Charges (AEWLC)’ for z/OS, z/TPF, and z/VSE in support of the announcement of the IBM zEnterprise 114 (z114) server. AEWLC is a Sub-Capacity eligible pricing metric which provides additional price performance on a z114 server compared to Entry Workload License Charges (EWLC) on older generations of servers. More information on AEWLC is available on the web.