EP 2.0: Virtual Serial Number (VSN) and IBM i software tier support

CMC v1.20.0 now supports IBM i partitions with Virtual Serial Numbers (VSN) in Enterprise Pools 2.0. IBM i operating system license entitlements or subscriptions associated with VSNs can now be added to a pool as IBM i base capacity.  In addition, PowerHA SystemMirror for IBM i entitlements associated with VSNs may now be added to a pool as PowerHA SystemMirror for IBM i base capacity. VSN entitlements are added to or removed from a pool’s base when a user performs any of the following actions involving IBM i partitions with VSNs:

• Create a pool with a system having IBM i partitions with VSNs.
• Add or remove a system with IBM i partitions with VSNs in an existing  pool.
• Move a system with IBM i partitions with VSNs from one pool to another.
• Assign a VSN  to an IBM i partition or remove a VSN from an IBM i partition that is on a system in a pool.
• Create an IBM i partition with a VSN or delete an IBM i partition with a VSN on a system in a pool.
• Move an IBM i partition with a VSN into or out of a pool.

VSN support in Enterprise Pools 2.0 requires HMC V10 R2 M1040 or later. 

All VSNs in a pool must be owned by the same enterprise as the pool. If this requirement is not met, VSN support might get affected:

• The software license resources associated with the VSN are ignored. They are not contributed to the pool’s base, nor are they used to offset the software usage of the IBM i partition with the VSN.
• No pool base is used to offset the software usage of the IBM i partition with the VSN. Therefore, the partition will be 100% metered at the higher of the VSN IBM i software tier and the IBM i software tier of the system on which the partition is running.  Likewise, if the partition is tagged with the PowerHA IBM i tag, the partition will be 100% metered at the higher of the VSN PowerHA SystemMirror tier and the PowerHA SystemMirror tier of the system on which the partition is running.

The IBM i software tier of the IBM i licenses associated with a VSN must match the IBM i software tier of the system on which the partition with the VSN is running.  If this requirement is not met:

• The software license resources associated with the VSN are added to the pool’s base.
• The IBM i software usage of the IBM i partition with the VSN is tracked and metered using the higher of the VSN IBM i software tier and the IBM i software tier of the system on which the partition is running.  Likewise, if the partition is tagged with the PowerHA IBM i tag, the PowerHA SystemMirror usage of the IBM i partition with the VSN is tracked and metered using the higher of the VSN PowerHA SystemMirror tier and the PowerHA SystemMirror tier of the system on which the partition is running.
• Since the IBM i P05 software tier is not supported in Enterprise Pools 2.0, any IBM i P05  software tier licenses associated with a VSN are ignored.