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Licensing

Overview

While licensing terms are attached to the use of our software, we generally do not enforce these through automatic means, but trust clients adhere to the terms. This affords our clients greater flexibility but requires careful asset management and prompt action should authorized use limits be reached. There is a lot to learn to fully understand and manage IBM software. This reflects the broad product offering, changing technological landscape and diverse needs of our clients. This page discusses the primary choices and options available when licensing IBM distributed software.Red Hat software is not covered by this site and is subject to separate license agreements.Mainframe software is covered in the Mainframe Licensing Guide.

Licensing choices

There are various options for licensing and deploying IBM distributed software tailored to suit each client’s needs.

The two main ways of licensing IBM distributed software are:
TypeDescription
Perpetual licenseA non-expiring right to use the software. An annual Software Subscription & Support (“S&S”) payment grants you access to product support and updates for each year it is purchased. The first year of S&S is included with the initial license purchase.
Term licenseA license that is valid for a predefined period, after which your right to use the software expires. Term licenses make it easier for clients to acquire IBM offerings with flexible terms, renewal options and billing frequencies. Software Subscription & Support (“S&S”) is included within the term. The following types of term licenses exist:
  • Subscription licenses, variable term length starting with a minimum of 12 months. Licenses may not be terminated during a term.
  • Monthly licenses, variable term length starting with one month. Licenses may be terminated upon 30 days’ notice
At the end of the chosen term, you may choose to extend or terminate the license. If you choose to terminate, the rights to the software Program and access to S&S will cease and you must uninstall and destroy all terminated copies of the affected Program.

Manner of deployment

Traditionally, IBM software was only deployed in a client’s own data centers (“on-premise”). The perpetual or term licenses are suited to on-premise deployments.With clients increasingly choosing to deploy software on infrastructure owned by third parties (“public cloud”), or a mixture of multiple cloud providers and on-premise solutions (“hybrid cloud”), IBM allows clients to deploy their licensed software on a public cloud and also offers subscriptions to IBM’s Cloud Services.IBM licensing is flexible enough to accommodate these different use cases. Read more about
  • Eligible Public Cloud Bring Your Own Software License
  • Read the 'Public Cloud' licensing guide on the Guides page
  • Explore IBM's Cloud Solutions

Programs licensed under the International Passport Advantage Agreement

While certain IBM Programs are designed to run on a distributed operating system in support of a distributed operating system deployment, certain IBM Programs licensed under the International Passport Advantage Agreement (IPAA) and the International Program License Agreement (IPLA) are designed to run
  • on a Linux on IBM Z server; or
  • on a distributed operating system and the Program is used for either the development of code that will be deployed on IBM Z servers or when the Program will be communicating and/or transferring data between a distributed server and an IBM Z server.
These Programs have part number descriptions which specifically reference their designation for these deployments. These are sometimes referred to as “zDistributed” Programs. The part number description of the software includes, for example, ‘for Linux on z,’ ‘for Linux on z Systems,’ or ‘for IBM z’ which denotes you intended deployment of the license. However, IBM licensing permits any license obtained by you for a Program to be deployed on any operating system supported by the Program. This also allows you to change the operating system deployment as required by their business needs, allowing them to move between distributed deployments and these z Distributed deployments.Any part number obtained by you for a Program provides the same authorizations, terms, pricing, and program code images.

Example for Program part number with part description “Linux on System z”:

Program Part Number Example

Example for a Program part number with part description “for zLinux ”:

Program Part Number Example

Example for Program part number with part description “for IBM Z”:

Program Part Number Example

Technology

IBM’s licensing embraces a wide variety of technologies, from physical machines to virtual machines and containers. In addition, IBM’s Certified Containers and Cloud Paks allow you to build your solution once and deploy it anywhere, using one set of licensing rules.
  • Read the 'Cloud Paks' licensing guide on the Guides page
  • Read the 'Sub-Capacity' licensing guide on the Guides page
  • Read the 'Container Licensing' licensing guide on the Guides page

Terms and Conditions

Your relationship with IBM is governed by several agreements which set out what is expected in terms of use of our software. These agreements are supplemented by offering-specific license information documents which set out the licensing terms in more detail. By installing and/or using IBM software, you agree to these terms.The licensing terms typically relate to how much of the software you can use, how and when you can use it, and/or who can use it. However, there are many other important terms set out in the agreements on matters such as:
  • Use restrictions (for example, territories, purpose of use)
  • Transfers and change of ownership
  • Term of the agreement
  • Pricing
  • Verification
Every IBM software product is licensed and measured in accordance with a ‘license metric’. Some products offer alternative metrics with different client needs in mind.
  • Read more about license metrics
  • Read more about Agreements and Contracts
  • Read more about License Information documents

Software Subscription & Support (“S&S”)

S&S is the term IBM uses for access to product support and updates. Term licenses include S&S for the entire length of the term. Perpetual licenses include S&S for the first year. After that, you will receive a software renewal quote and has the option to renew S&S annually or let it lapse.You must have sufficient S&S entitlements to cover all uses and installations of the program at a designated site. You are not permitted to have a 'partially-maintained' deployment. This is commonly referred to as the “All or Nothing Rule”.If after letting S&S lapse and you want to regain access to the benefits of S&S, you must pay any applicable reactivation fee and acquire S&S for all uses and installations of the Program. Following the reactivated S&S coverage period, you will receive an S&S Renewal quote to continue to renew S&S.Once S&S has lapsed on your perpetually licensed IBM program you continue to have the right to deploy the last version update released while your S&S was active. You should ensure that you make and keep a copy of the latest version available prior to S&S lapsing as your access to download links will be restricted once S&S has expired.
  • Read more about S&S
This site is intended as a general knowledge resource only and will be updated from time to time so far as reasonably possible. Statements in this site however do not form part of the contract under which a client acquires IBM offerings (the terms of such contract being the exclusive terms between IBM and a client).