Processor Value Unit (PVU)
Catalog row in Vendor License Metrics · Cited
- Unit
- PVU
- Aliases
- PVU; PVUs; Processor Value Units; PVU-based licensing; Full Capacity; Virtualization Capacity (Sub-Capacity)
- Definition
- Processor Value Unit (PVU) is a unit of measure by which the Program can be licensed. The number of PVU entitlements required is based on the processor technology (defined within the PVU Table by Processor Vendor, Brand, Type and Model Number) and the number of processors made available to the Program. IBM continues to define a processor, for the purpose of PVU-based licensing, to be each processor core on a chip. A dual-core processor chip, for example, has two processor cores.
- Counting rules
- Full Capacity: entitlements sufficient to cover all activated processor cores in the physical hardware environment made available to or managed by the Program, except servers from which the Program has been permanently removed. Activated processor core: a processor core available for use in a physical or virtual server, regardless of whether capacity is limited by virtualization, OS commands, BIOS, or similar. Sub-capacity: entitlements for activated processor cores made available to or managed by the Program per Virtualization Capacity License Counting Rules. Lower of: maximum virtual cores available to the Eligible Product at any time, or physical capacity of the host when virtual capacity exceeds physical; then multiply cores by PVUs/core from the PVU table. SMT/hyperthreading ratios are not adjusted for with sub-capacity licensing. Peak/high-water: no averaging; license the maximum processor core capacity. PVU table (not a universal formula): RISC/System z publish date 25 September 2024; x86 08 May 2024. IBM-printed examples: Intel post-Nehalem Xeon 70/100/120 PVUs/core for max sockets 2/4/>4; AMD EPYC 70; AMD Opteron 50; Intel Core i3/i5/i7/i9 70 (newest Performance Hybrid Architecture with two core types excluded); Any/All others 100. Connected sockets forming SMP raise the maximum-sockets bucket. Container licensing is separate: IBM states the PVU table does not apply to Container Licensing; the PVU rate is set at a single value of 70 PVUs per VPC or vCPU (1 vCPU = 70 PVU and 1 vCPU = 1 VPC). That 70 PVU rate does not apply to traditional VM sub-capacity. ILMT is mandatory for sub-capacity PVU (tool, not a metric). The cited IPAA PDF is form Z125-5831-10 11/2017 (PA v10), not the current IPAA v12 on IBM Terms. That v10 PDF still lists ILMT exceptions; IBM educational pages say those exceptions ended with PA v11 / 1 Jan 2024.
- Floors / minimums
- IBM Sub-Capacity FAQs: the minimum requirement for software licensing is the appropriate number of license entitlements for one processor core / one whole processor core. Fractional PowerVM cores: IBM says it aggregates fractions, applies shared-pool capping, and rounds up at the server level to the next whole processor core.
- Applies to products
- IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment
- Applies to versions
- 8.5.5
- Related metrics
- Product category