Unlimited Processor License?
A poster asked what IBM's "Unlimited Processor License" for Informix Dynamic Server (cited at $50,000 in a 2005 InfoWorld article) actually meant, since IBM's site gave no definition and he only knew of PVU, concurrent-session and named-user licensing. Neil Truby explained it was a naming misunderstanding: "IDS Enterprise Edition Unlimited Processor License" meant unlimited users on one processor, not unlimited processors. Per-processor pricing was later replaced by Processor Value Units (based on core count and chip type), with the product renamed "Enterprise Unlimited Users Edition PVU Licence". The poster then questioned why IBM offers no migration path between licensing models, which went unanswered.
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Does any know what an Unlimited Processor License is? Seen here for $50,000 (I'm sure it'd be more today): http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/01/HNinformixupgrade_1.html I've heard of PVU (processor value unit), concurrent session and named user licenses, but never this. Is it what most people would call a server license? Meaning a license for a whole server no mater the number of processors or database instances on the server?
John wrote: > Does any know what an Unlimited Processor License is? Seen here for > $50,000 (I'm sure it'd be more today): > http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/01/HNinformixupgrade_1.html > > I've heard of PVU (processor value unit), concurrent session and named > user licenses, but never this. Is it what most people would call a > server license? Meaning a license for a whole server no mater the > number of processors or database instances on the server? That article was published in 2005. I doubt Informix's pricing model looks anything like that any more. Still Neil Truby, that well-known expert on pricing, who was quoted in that article, hangs out here. I'm sure he'll be along shortly with his usual bonhomie and gravitas. -- Cheers, Obnoxio The Clown http://obotheclown.blogspot.com
On Nov 12, 1:03 pm, Obnoxio The Clown <obno...@serendipita.com> wrote: > John wrote: > > Does any know what an Unlimited Processor License is? Seen here for > > $50,000 (I'm sure it'd be more today): > >http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/01/HNinformixupgrade_1.html > > > I've heard of PVU (processor value unit), concurrent session and named > > user licenses, but never this. Is it what most people would call a > > server license? Meaning a license for a whole server no mater the > > number of processors or database instances on the server? > > That article was published in 2005. I doubt Informix's pricing model > looks anything like that any more. > > Still Neil Truby, that well-known expert on pricing, who was quoted in > that article, hangs out here. I'm sure he'll be along shortly with his > usual bonhomie and gravitas. > > -- > Cheers, > Obnoxio The Clown > > http://obotheclown.blogspot.com That licensing model is still available, but no where on IBM's site is there a definition for it.
John wrote: > IBM's site I wouldn't go there if I were you. People have been known to go in there and never come out again. -- Cheers, Obnoxio The Clown http://obotheclown.blogspot.com
"John" <jmc4077@gmail.com> wrote in message news:13e6273b-88c7-4df7-ae81-d3827481b869@v39g2000pro.googlegroups.com... > Does any know what an Unlimited Processor License is? Seen here for > $50,000 (I'm sure it'd be more today): > http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/01/HNinformixupgrade_1.html > > I've heard of PVU (processor value unit), concurrent session and named > user licenses, but never this. Is it what most people would call a > server license? Meaning a license for a whole server no mater the > number of processors or database instances on the server? It's a misunderstanding of the nature of the licence by the author; to be a fair a perfectly understandable one. The prioduct was then called "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Enterprise Edition Unlimited Processor License ..." But it doesn't mean "unlimited processors" at all. It means "Unlimited users, one processor" "Per processor" became troublesome as more and more vendors brought out multi-core processors and so, as implied above, the per-processor licence has since been replaced by the concept of a "Processor Value Unit", the number of which required for a processor is a function of both the number of cores *and* the chip type. The product is now called "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Enterprise Unlimited Users Edition Processor Value Unit (PVU) Licence ...". Which might not be any clearer, but is at least no longer outrightly misleading.
On Nov 12, 6:16 pm, "Neil Truby" <neil.tr...@ardenta.com> wrote: > "John" <jmc4...@gmail.com> wrote in message > > news:13e6273b-88c7-4df7-ae81-d3827481b869@v39g2000pro.googlegroups.com... > > > Does any know what an Unlimited Processor License is? Seen here for > > $50,000 (I'm sure it'd be more today): > >http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/01/HNinformixupgrade_1.html > > > I've heard of PVU (processor value unit), concurrent session and named > > user licenses, but never this. Is it what most people would call a > > server license? Meaning a license for a whole server no mater the > > number of processors or database instances on the server? > > It's a misunderstanding of the nature of the licence by the author; to be a > fair a perfectly understandable one. > The prioduct was then called "IBM Informix Dynamic Server Enterprise Edition > Unlimited Processor License ..." > But it doesn't mean "unlimited processors" at all. It means "Unlimited > users, one processor" > > "Per processor" became troublesome as more and more vendors brought out > multi-core processors and so, as implied above, the per-processor licence > has since been replaced by the concept of a "Processor Value Unit", the > number of which required for a processor is a function of both the number of > cores *and* the chip type. The product is now called "IBM Informix Dynamic > Server Enterprise Unlimited Users Edition Processor Value Unit (PVU) Licence > ...". Which might not be any clearer, but is at least no longer outrightly > misleading. Thanks for the info Neil. Since it was listed under Passport Advantage I was wondering if it was a new licensing model not yet fully explained but from what you say I'm suspecting it's still listed mostly only for those who have purchased this type of license in the past. Which brings up a new question, why doesn't IBM offer a migration path from one licensing model to the next? Sure you can go up in editions (express -> workgroup -> enterprise) but you can't go from concurrent session to PVU without buttering up your account rep. and hope they may offer you a 'special deal'. Why doesn't IBM standardize the process? I know the knee jerk reply will be "Money stupid!" but really, if IBM doesn't offer a clear path and the only official way is to repurchase your licenses, I would suspect that many clients would use this opportunity to look at other database vendors.