IBM i user-based licensing and SAP

[Former Member]

Hi, All.

We are using SAP on AS/400 platform over 8 years. Now we are going to buy another one System i for the new small SAP installation. So I am interesting from the practical point of view to IBM i software user-based licensing policy for the low-end models (515 and 525 for Power5+ and M15, M25 for Power6).

IBM says that I have to purchase as many i5/OS user entitlements as many persons I have that will concurrently use application that is installed on System i server (in my case SAP R/3).

Ok, I'm planning that my new SAP installation will support 90-100 users (in peak load), so I'll buy from IBM 100 i5/OS user licenses. After some time I'll need to put to my system another 10-20 users. I'll order from IBM additional licenses but didn't get it yet. What will happening if this additional users will try to login to SAP R/3? System cannot to authorize them?

Maybe anyone face the challenge..

Thank a lot.

Maxim.

[JanStallkamp]

Hi Maxim.

Your IBM sales contact should know all details about licensing. But please notice that beside user based licensing there are offers for processor based licensing and [application server licensing|http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/index.jsp?topic=/rzam8/rzam8i5osapplicationserver.htm] that might be of interest in your case. Have you heard about the [IBM System i solution edition|http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/hardware/editions/solutionedition.html] for SAP?

From a technical point of view your SAP system is using one operating system user. If you add more SAP users the operating system will not recognise it. So there should be no problem with the software when you add more users. But depending on your license agreements you will have to buy more users from IBM.

Best regards,

Jan