What’s the single biggest price you have as a Mainframe manager? Software program licensing expenses – the regular fees needed to operate software program, and to get assist if it breaks. This post presents ten techniques to bring these charges down to earth.

Examine you really need to have it.
Never giggle. This sounds clear, but it’s only as well easy for computer software that is no for a longer time necessary to slip by means of the cracks. For illustration, you may possibly have some software program that was originally essential for CICS programs that have considering that moved in other places.

You may possibly also have computer software certified for all z/OS photographs, but only utilized on one.

Check you truly use it.
As your Mainframe workload adjustments more than time, it truly is only also simple for the use of a software solution to quietly decline with out Mainframe administrators noticing. You could be having to pay 1000’s of dollars for a product that only a few of people are actually making use of.

You need to have to regularly analyse the utilization of your software, and routine the removal of any application no more time required.

Examine you will not have two merchandise undertaking the identical thing.
You could use all your software program, but have two software program goods doing the exact same or related purpose. You need to fully comprehending your application stock, and exactly how each product is utilised.

Look into sub-potential pricing.
Most application licensing expenses are based on the dimensions of every LPAR operating that software – the MSU score. You can find this benefit from the IBM web site or a system to call IBM’s IWMQVS services.

A handful of several years in the past IBM introduced another option: Sub-Capability Pricing. This is where your software licensing expenses are based mostly on your CPU utilization, not on your LPAR dimension. So computer software operating on a lesser-employed LPAR will be cheaper. It also can make updates less difficult to justify as you don’t get strike by elevated application expenses with the larger processor.

IBM isn’t the only vendor providing Sub-Capability Pricing. Other vendors these kinds of as BMC and CA are also jumping on the bandwagon.

Reorganise your LPARs.
Many sites now run at the very least one ‘capped’ LPAR, indicating that the CPU methods offered to it are artificially capped using Workload Supervisor (WLM). Application that is charged on MSU rating is run in this capped LPAR, decreasing expenses.

Customers of Sub-Capacity pricing might take into account performing the reverse: consolidating LPARs. This reduces CPU consumption by minimizing the overhead of operating a z/OS image.

Look into comparable merchandise.
Compare the price of competing goods, and contemplate relocating to less expensive Bus Fleet Management Software types. For case in point, SAS consumers could think about the SAS replacement item WPS by World Programming.

It really is accurate that in some instances moving to diverse merchandise can be quite tough and expensive. Nonetheless it isn’t automatically so, and several suppliers supply migration resources to ease this pain.

Tune your programs.
Tuning your techniques lowers CPU utilization (good for Sub-Capability pricing customers), and delays updates to more substantial processors.

Go off the Mainframe.
Mainframe CPU resources are high-priced when compared with other platforms. So it may be really worth considering migrating some of your workload. For illustration:

Computer software merchandise this sort of as Tachyon Assembler Workbench and Microfocus Mainframe Specific permit you to perform Mainframe software program advancement on Windows and UNIX platforms.
Some merchandise this kind of as Websphere Enterprise Services Bus and CICS Transaction Gateway daemon run on both z/OS and other platforms.

Some workloads may effortlessly be moved to other platforms. SOA and related services now can make Mainframe providers and info easier to obtain from other platforms.

Update your Mainframe.
For the previous couple of zSeries processor generations IBM has been delivering a ten% MSU ‘discount’. In other words, a z10 processor will have an MSU score that is around ten% reduce than an equivalent z9 processor. This interprets to software program license value savings.

Invest in Speciality Processors.
IBM now provides Speciality Processors such as the Built-in Data Processor (zIIP) and Software Support Processor (zAAP). These unique processors can’t do ‘normal’ perform, but can be given specific operate by regular Mainframe processors. This can boost the performance of Java programs and other subsystems this sort of as DB2. But the intriguing edge is that the function carried out by these processors will not rely toward your CPU utilization if you use Sub-Potential Pricing.

Numerous new software program merchandise are also off-loading work onto these Speciality Processors, including application from BMC and CA.

It isn’t going to take a rocket scientist to know that utilizing any of these ten strategies is a large task, and demands to be executed frequently. However you do have some tools to make this easier.

Use Software program. IBMs Tivoli License Compliance Supervisor (replacing Isogon SoftAudit for z/OS and Ubiquity Dorana) will automatically list all application put in, who employs it, and how often.
Stability Software. Mainframe security computer software has services that can assist you keep track of application utilization. For instance, enabling RACF plan management to log access to certain packages can explain to you who is using a item, and how typically.
IBM. IBM offer a free of charge Sub-Ability preparing device to support you program for Sub Potential licensing.
Computer software Vendors. Question them for details about application merchandise you previously have, and alternatives they could have for your existing software program.

Your Techniques Programmer. You secret weapon in the battle in opposition to software program licensing expenses. Programs Programmers install and customise all your z/OS software, so they generally know what it does, and probably who makes use of it. They can also set up monitoring to decide who is using which computer software and how often, and will be your scout when searching for alternative application products and freeware.