Jack Boad
Published on 06/02/2019
We have good news, IBM MQ users – our Bring Your Own Software License (BYOSL) policy means that you can use MQ on any eligible public cloud.
This isn’t a new policy, but it’s one that our customers have found especially useful over the years. And since we always want to provide as much value as possible, we’ve complied the most important information in one place. Come back here whenever you have a question!
What our BYOSL policy entails
You can take the IBM MQ license you’ve purchased and deploy it on the cloud – or clouds – of your choice. There are a few limitations, but for the most part, you can use your license on any major public cloud.
Just keep in mind that you’ll be responsible for managing the service, and you’ll be expected to report your usage to IBM.
Why we have it
We know that most companies don’t operate on just one cloud. Different cloud providers can offer different advantages for your company, and you shouldn’t have to pick one over all the others. We want you to be able to expand into a new cloud while knowing that your IBM MQ license will work wherever you go.
How to calculate your usage
With a BYOSL plan, you’ll start by mapping your Processor Value Units (PVUs). IBM has evaluated public cloud deployments, and we’ve determined that you’ll generally need 70 PVUs of entitlement for each core or virtual Central Processing Unit (vCPU) you use in a public cloud.
This chart shows the specific requirements for each eligible cloud.
How the licensing works
If you’ve been running IBM MQ on premises, you know that we use the IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT) for all of our on-premise deployments. With it, you’re able to generate reports that show IBM that you’re running within your entitlements.
ILMT is also a tool we recommend for public cloud deployment, but it isn’t required. Most public clouds have good reporting mechanisms, and IBM accepts their reports as proof of deployment. You can choose the option that works best for your company.
Additional Information
You may also be interested in learning more about our managed cloud services. You now have the option to deploy IBM MQ on the IBM Cloud or on AWS and have it managed for you.
We also have an AWS Quick Start that allows you to get started in less than 30 minutes.
If you have any questions we didn’t answer, you can read about the specifics of our BYOSL policy or leave us a comment below!