Written by Mike Bernaiche, April 5th, 2023
Attention IBM Cognos and IBM Planning Analytics clients! You may have missed the recent announcement from IBM that could have serious implications for your sub-capacity licensing if you have PVU (Processor Value Unit Licensing). (IBM Announcement) Manual updates of the software catalogue in ILMT are no longer supported, and this change could lead to significant consequences for those who fail to comply. Don’t fail an IBM audit because your ILMT catalog is out of date. ILMT Quarterly Upgrades are Now Required if you have PVU licensing.
IBM - ILMT Background
For those unfamiliar with the IBM Planning Analytics and Cognos sub-capacity licensing, it allows you to license only some of the processors in a server for a particular product when you have PVU licensing. However, to ensure compliance, there are certain rules that must be followed, including running a monitoring tool called ILMT and keeping the software catalogue up to date. Previously, most organizations upgraded their version of ILMT every 12-18 months and manually updated their software catalogue and PVU tables every three months to stay license compliant.
IBM References:
Manual Upload to ILMT of Catalog Required
However, with the release of ILMT update 9.2.20.0, the ability to manually upload the software catalogue to the License Metric Tool was removed. Not sure this is an upgrade, more of a downgrade maybe. Now, you are required to do a full upgrade to the latest release of the IBM Licensing Metric Tool every quarter to ensure your software catalogue is correct.
Full ILMT Upgrade Every Quarter
The implications for clients are significant. To remain compliant, you will need to do a full upgrade of ILMT every quarter, which is significantly more complex than the previous task of manually updating the software catalogue. Additional tasks will include opening a change request for a production system, database backup, system administrator to carry out the upgrade, and testing to ensure the upgrade was successful. Moreover, additional skills and time will be required, especially if you are upgrading from older versions of ILMT that require incremental upgrades to get to the latest version.
Updating the IBM Licensing Metric Tool every quarter will ensure your ILMT accurately reports license consumption, but it will be more work for the ILMT administrator and SAM team. The first time you upgrade will require a project to do the upgrade and develop a set of standardized written procedures for completing the quarterly upgrade and training resources to be ready to do the upgrade every three months.
ILMT Upgrade Support
At Lodestar Solutions, we understand that these changes can be overwhelming and time-consuming. As a Gold IBM Partner, we have your back and can help you navigate these changes with ease. Don't let compliance issues cause you to fail an IBM audit or pay hefty fines. Contact us today to discuss how we can help with your ILMT upgrade. Email us at Services@lodestarsolutions.com.
ILMT Upgrade Failure Can Have a Major Impact
Recently we had a client contact us that has always had their internal tech teams handle their upgrades. They had received the IBM love letter announcing they were being audited. The auditors told them they had failed the IBM audit. Apparently with their last upgrade they connected the ILMT to their Cognos and Planning Analytics deployments that had PVU licensing, however they had not updated the catalog. Therefore, the ILMT was not really running. They thought they were following the rules, but they discovered they failed the IBM audit just because the catalog was not updated, resulting in a compliance cost of $400,000. Don't let this happen to you.
Luckily the client called Lodestar Solutions, and we were able to help them negotiate with IBM, so they were able to pay the $400,000 but instead of buying software they really didn’t need, they were able to purchase the Analytics Content Hub which was software they already wanted. Without Lodestar’s engagement they would not have known it was possible to negotiate a settlement that turned the lemons into lemonade.
For more information on IBM Audits see our blog.
Lodestar Solutions Can Help
In conclusion, manual updates of the software catalogue in ILMT are no longer supported, and compliance with IBM sub-capacity licensing requirements will now require more effort and attention. Upgrading your ILMT every quarter will ensure you remain compliant, and at Lodestar Solutions, we are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your options and avoid compliance issues that could result in significant costs down the road. Services@lodestarsolutions.com.