Concepts

z Systems CECs have unique serial numbers, allowing software to identify the machine and LPAR. Some operating systems verify that the “IPLed” machine has the same serial number as the machine that last used that copy of the operating system and may react differently if there is a mismatch. Some software products are licensed by machine serial number.

A simple zPDT® system has a simple unique serial number design: the serial number of the zPDT token becomes the serial number of the z Systems created by zPDT. Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual operation.

Figure 1. Simple local operation

When a remote license server is used (or if multiple local tokens are used) there needs to be a method of assigning unique serial numbers that do not change after they are assigned. Figure 2 illustrates the general concept.

Figure 2. License and UIM servers

There are two modes of operation, local and remote. In the simple local mode both the license function (by a local token) and the UIM function run in the same machine as the client, as shown in Figure 1, but are generally invisible to the user. An LDK-SL server cannot be used in local mode. In remote mode, the license server and UIM server program are in a remote machine which can serve licenses and serial numbers to a multitude of clients via TCP/IP.

Each Linux zPDT instance is assigned a unique serial number, either from a local token or by a UIM server. Every zPDT instance (running under a Linux user ID) has an LPAR ID assigned to it. An instance refers to multiple zPDT copies used on a base Linux system. The LPAR ID is not the same as the LPAR name. The LPAR name is the same as the Linux user ID that started the zPDT instance. zPDT instances have some of the characteristics of an LPAR, but full LPAR functionality is not provided by zPDT. The combination of serial number and LPAR ID becomes part of the CPUID. The CPUID is the information provided by the z Systems instruction Store CPU ID (STIDP).

Once assigned a serial number, the number is not changed even if the corresponding token (or software license) numbers are changed. The user must use the uimreset command to allow a serial number change. A user cannot assign an arbitrary serial number; the serial numbers are generated by UIM or taken from a token.

There are several notes relevant to Figure 2:

The default port number for the SHK remote license server is 9450 and the default port number for the UIM server is one greater than the license server port number (and is 9451 by default) . The port number for the LDK-SL remote license server is 1947. The SHK server and UIM server port numbers are configurable; the LDK-SL port number is not configurable.
After a zPDT instance is started (on a client) access to the UIM server is no longer needed.
After a zPDT instance is started (on a client) the license access must be maintained for the life of the zPDT instance. If the access is dropped, the zPDT instance stops. (If the access is recovered, zPDT starts again.)
The servers must be identified by resolvable domain names or by IP addresses. This is easy if they have direct, fixed IP address or domain names. It is not easy if DHCP-assigned addresses or NAT functions or VLAN networks are involved. Skilled network planning is required for any but the simplest environments.
As a general statement, any PC system that can access the IP subnet of a license server can obtain a zPDT license there. Network security and license server security configurations may be important. This aspect is further described in Security.

Firewalls between the servers and clients must allow the required IP and port access.

A client machine may be changed to a stand-alone machine (with token) by changing a configuration file, and vice versa.
In normal operation, a client machine always has the same z Systems serial number. This number, once assigned via a local or remote function, might not be related to any physical token number.

Any license or UIM configuration changes should be made when zPDT is not operational.

The rules for obtaining a zPDT license are straight-forward. Either a local token is used or a remote license server. The indicated source must have an appropriate token or software license pool to provide a zPDT license.

The rules for zPDT serial numbers are more complex. The goal is to always have the same unique serial number for a given zPDT instance. The following general rules are used to determine the z Systems serial number for a zPDT instance. The term UIM serial number means a serial number generated and assigned by a UIM server. The term random serial number is also used for serial numbers created by a UIM server. After a random serial number is generated and assigned to a client, it is used consistently. The term random applies only to the initial generation of a serial number by a UIM server and indicates that the serial is not related to a specific token serial number. You cannot create the random number yourself.

If a single local token is used (and no previous serial has been assigned):

The first zPDT startup will take the z Systems serial number from the token. This serial number is then written in the local UIM database.
Subsequent zPDT startups must use the same token.
If a different token is used, the uimreset -l command must be issued first (before zPDT is started). This erases the existing serial number in the local UIM database, allowing a new token (with a different serial number) to be used.
Or, the RANDOM parameter may be specified in the XML configuration file. This allows any token to be used with an existing serial number in the local UIM database. (The clientconfig command is used to change this parameter.)

If a single local token is used and if a UIM serial number is present in the local UIM database (due to a previous connection to a UIM server) then the UIM serial number is used and the local token serial number is ignored. (The local token still supplies the zPDT license unless a remote license server is configured.)

If multiple local tokens are present (and no previous serial number exists in the local UIM database) the serial number of one of the tokens is accepted and stored in the client UIM database. This stored serial number is used subsequently, without further reference to the serial numbers of the tokens. In this case the RANDOM option must be specified by using the clientconfig command.

If the client is configured for a remote UIM server the following information applies:

If no serial number is known for the client system, the UIM server generates a random serial number, that is, one that is not related to a token serial number, and sends it to the client UIM database.
If the local client UIM database already contains a valid serial number that does not conflict with another client’s serial number (as stored in the UIM server database) that serial number is used.
If the client serial number (in the client UIM database) conflicts with a serial number in the UIM server database, the client operation fails. In this case, the client system may use the uimreset -l command to remove the serial number in the local UIM database.

If the client changes to a local configuration after previously using a remote configuration the previously assigned serial number (from the remote server and stored in the local UIM database) is used. The local token serial number is ignored.