ILMT mandatory for sub-capacity (PVU / VPC / RVU MAPC)
Catalog row in Vendor License Rules · Cited
- Kind
- Restriction
- Statement
- IBM Virtualization Capacity (Sub-capacity) Licensing (retrieved 2026-08-31): Eligible core-based Products using Processor Value Unit (PVU), Resource Value Unit: Managed Activated Processor Core (RVU MAPC), or Virtual Processor Core (VPC) are supported for sub-capacity; ILMT Mandatory = Yes for each. Customers must “Use the IBM License Metric Tool or other approved validated tools” (IBM names HCL BigFix Inventory and Flexera One / Flexera One Select with IBM Observability IT Asset Management). ILMT is a tool, not a program and not a metric. “Failure to comply with the above will result in charging under full capacity for the total number of physical processor cores activated and available for use on the server.” VPC Policy Update: “Effective May 10, 2022, IBM now requires all Virtual Processor Core (VPC) software licenses utilizing Sub-Capacity licensing to deploy the IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) or other approved validated tools. Manual capacity counting will no longer be permitted. Container Licensing terms are not included in this policy change.” With Passport Advantage v11, “for all new customers as of February 1, 2023 and existing customers as of May 1, 2023, sub-capacity reporting policies that previously only applied to eligible products deployed on PVU and RVU metrics now apply to those deployed on the VPC metric.”
- Applies when
- Using Virtualization Capacity (sub-capacity) for PVU, VPC, or RVU MAPC Eligible Products. Failure to deploy ILMT (or an IBM-approved tool) → full capacity of activated physical cores.
- Applies to
- Passport Advantage Eligible Sub-Capacity Products licensed by PVU, VPC, or RVU MAPC. Container licensing is not included in the VPC ILMT policy change (License Service is a separate Restriction row).
- Aliases
- ILMT required; full capacity if no ILMT; VPC policy 10 May 2022
- Related programs