zSeries, Sub-Capacity Workload License Charges, Soft-Caps, and WLM

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zSeries, Sub-Capacity Workload License Charges,
Soft-Caps, and WLM

• Richard S. Ralston
• Humana, Inc.

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Contents

• What is Sub-Capacity License Charges
• Tools
• Observations and Behaviors
• Managing the LPAR Defined Capacity
• Benefits
• Conclusions/Results
• References
• Contact Info

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What is Sub-Capacity License Charges

• Software cost charging methodology based upon
  monthly usage and LPAR size definitions (LPAR
  Defined Capacity)
• z/Series and z/OS only
• VWLC software only (z/OS, DB2, CICS, Netview,
  COBOL, RACF, etc.)

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How Sub-Capacity License Charges Work

• Define the LPAR capacity in MSUs
• Usage is tracked in a 4 hour rolling average
• Charges are based upon the highest 4 hour rolling
  average or the LPAR Defined Capacity whichever is
  lower
• Aggregate LPARs for economies of scale

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Tools

• Sub Capacity Planning Tool
• Sub Capacity Reporting Tool
• LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis
  Software (LCS)
• RMF Monitor III Facility
• RMF Performance Monitoring (RMFPM)
• MXG/MICS/SAS
• WLM

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Sub Capacity Planning Tool

• Reads RMF Type 70 records
• One CPC at a time
• Creates a CSV file
• Output data consists of the maximum MSUs used,
  the 4-hour rolling average for the LPARs for each
  SMF interval
• Use spreadsheet/graphics software for analysis

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Sub Capacity Reporting Tool

• Uses Type 70 and 89 records
• Must have 95 of the months data
• Reporting month is from the 2nd to the 1st
• Output is a CSV that is reviewed, edited and sent
  (email) to IBM for billing by the 9th of the
  month
• Web-based submission early 2005

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LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis
Software (LCS)

• By I/S Management Strategies, Ltd
• Reads several files from an MXG PDB daily and
  builds its own LCS PDB for VWLC analysis
• Provides a comprehensive set of reports that
  analyze CPC, LPAR and software usage
• Output can be used to override the SCRT reports

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LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis
Software (LCS)
Sample Report SCRT1B
Used to override IBM SCRT reports.
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RMF Monitor III Facility 1
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RMF Monitor III Facility 1

• Green fields updatable
• Accessing
• 1. Enter TSO RMF
• 2. Select option 3 MONITOR III
• 3. Select option 1 Overview
• 4. Select option 3 CPC
• PF10 backward, PF11 forward in time
• Output is placed in JES where it can be saved and
  post processed

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RMF Performance Monitoring (RMF PM) 1
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RMF Performance Monitoring (RMF PM) 2

• Automatically updates every minute
• Large selection of RMF variables for display
• Can watch multiple LPARs at a time
• Window are fully scrollable for duration of time
  running
• See Chapter 19 of the RMF manual to install and
  setup

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MXG/MICS/SAS - Roll your own

• PDB.TYPE70, PDB.TYPE70PR, PDB.ASUM70PR and
  PDB.ASUMCEC records in MXG
• DETAIL.HARCPUnn and DETAIL.HARLPCnn in MICS
• SAS/Graph and spreadsheet/graphics software can
  develop graphics

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WLM

• Controls the usage of CPU resources in
  relationship to the LPAR Defined Capacity
• When the 4-hour rolling average MSU consumption
  exceeds the LPAR Defined Capacity, WLM activates
  the soft-cap
• Determines whether the soft-cap should be
  activated approximately every 10 seconds
• A well defined and working WLM policy is
  important to ensure that workloads meet their
  objectives

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Observations/Behaviors

• Free Software MSUs
• Hardware vs. Software MSUs
• Soft Capping Behaviors

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Free Software MSUs 1
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Free Software MSUs 2
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Hardware vs. Software MSUs 1
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Hardware vs. Software MSUs 2
To find the LPARs Hardware MSUs use the Ratio
equation
Example
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Soft Capping Behaviors 1
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Soft Capping Behaviors 2
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Soft Capping Behaviors 3
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Managing the LPAR Defined Capacity

• Using the tools to determine the LPAR Defined
  Capacity
• How to set the LPAR Defined Capacity
• When to Set the LPAR Defined Capacity
• Getting Started

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Using tools to determine the LPAR Defined
Capacity 1

• SAS and MICS or MXG can be used to acquire the
  requisite MSU consumption data. Using at least 30
  days of data, an appropriate starting point for
  soft-capping can be determined
• Daily, weekly and monthly graphs (similar to
  those used in this paper) can be used to monitor
  and determine adjustments to the LPAR Defined
  Capacity (soft-cap).

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Using tools to determine the LPAR Defined
Capacity 2
Average prime shift HW MSU Usage
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Using tools to determine the LPAR Defined
Capacity 3
Daily amount of time running soft-capped
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Using tools to determine the LPAR Defined
Capacity 4
Monthly SW MSU usage projection
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Using tools to determine the LPAR Defined
Capacity 5
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How to set the LPAR Defined Capacity 1

• The LPAR Defined Capacity (soft-cap) is set at
  the Hardware Management Console
• 1. Make sure you are logged on the HMC as
  SYSPROG
• 2. In the Views pane (top left) select the
  Groups icon
• 3. In the bottom left pane select the Defined
  CPCs icon
• 4. Highlight the desired CPC. Note Only one
  CPC can be highlighted at a time to correctly
  change LPAR settings.

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How to set the LPAR Defined Capacity 2

• 5. Rotate the right panel to the CPC Operational
  Customization panel
• 6. In the right panel select the Change LPAR
  Controls icon
• 7. Change the desired settings, specifically the
  soft-cap values
• 8. Select the Save and Change button to place the
  new soft-cap in effect
• 9. Un-highlight the CPC in the lower left pane
• 10. Repeat steps 4 through 9 for each CPC

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When to Set the LPAR Defined Capacity 1

• Every time an LPAR Defined Capacity is raised
  during the billing month, the potential exists to
  raise the software charge for that month.
• Once the soft-cap is reached during the month,
  lowering the LPAR Defined Capacity has no effect
  on the software bill for the month.
• The best time to lower the LPAR Defined Capacity
  is late (before midnight) on the 1st day of the
  month (last day of the monthly billing cycle).

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When to Set the LPAR Defined Capacity 2

• The best time to raise the LPAR Defined Capacity
  is early (after midnight) on the 2nd of the month
  (first day of the monthly billing cycle) so that
  the previous months bill will not be impacted.
• To avoid possible software charge increases,
  always lower the soft-caps being decreased before
  raising the soft-caps being increased.
• When adding CPs or upgrading try to maintain the
  current LPAR Defined Capacity settings, you will
  still benefit from additional CPs and/or speed.

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Getting Started 1

• 1. Make sure the required APARs are installed
  (SCRT web site).
• 2. Download and install the Sub-Capacity Planning
  Tool.
• 3. Run the tool against several days of RMF data.
• 4. Determine that the actual system usage is
  typically below the CPC capacity.
• 5. Identify the LPAR Defined Capacity values for
  your LPARs. Initially, make these values 2-3
  below the CPC capacity.
• 6. Follow the steps previously identified to set
  the LPAR Defined Capacities.

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Getting Started 2

• 7. Monitor LPAR and workload behaviors, back out
  and quit if there is a problem at this low level
  of implementation.
• 8. Discuss the opportunity to use Sub-Capacity
  Workload License Charges with IBM and determine
  that it is a better license option than your
  current contract. If so, specify a time to
  convert to VWLC and change your contracts
  accordingly.
• 9. Monitor and adjust the LPAR Defined Capacities
  to maximize the benefit.

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Benefits

• Cost Savings
• Managing System Growth

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Cost Savings 1

• A data center with 1212 software MSUs over a few
  CPCs running z/OS, DB2, COBOL, C, MQSeries,
  CICS, HSM, DFSORT, GDDM, RMF, SDSF, RACF and
  Netview could be expected to pay 477,593 per
  month for the software.
• However, if the aggregate sum of the MSU usage
  and or soft-caps was 990 MSUs the data center
  would only pay 432,083 for the month, which is a
  savings of 45,510 per month or an annual savings
  of 546,120 assuming no growth.
• For short bursts of work, the full capacity of
  the machines is still available, at no additional
  cost!

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Cost Savings 2

• When the LPAR Defined Capacity is implemented the
  actual used MSUs are slightly higher than the
  LPAR Defined Capacity.
• If the same data center implemented Sub-Capacity
  License Charges (VWLC) and set the LPAR Defined
  Capacities 2 below the CPC maximums (1188 MSUs)
  the monthly cost would be 472,673, saving 4,920
  per month. That is 59,040 per year with no
  noticeable change in system performance and
  capacity.
• This is saving 59,000 with just a few hours of
  work!

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Cost Savings 3

• Even small data centers can benefit from
  Sub-Capacity License Charges
• Consider a small data center running a 2 CP z800
  (2084-002, 60 MSUs)
• Running the same software as described in the
  previous examples, the monthly cost would be
  109,848
• If the LPAR Defined Capacity is set to to 54 MSUs
  (90) the cost is 105,996, saving 3,852 per
  month
• The annual software savings is 46,224
• Wouldnt this provide an education budget!

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Managing System Growth

• Through aggressive use of WLM and the LPAR
  Defined Capacity, growth can be slowed down
  extending the life of the processors
• Raising the LPAR Defined Capacity in small
  increments corresponding to growth in workloads
  will extend the life of the CPCs and reduce
  upgrades and replacements
• When a CPU upgrade is finally required, the
  bonanza spurt in usage can be managed with an
  incremental or no increase in the LPAR Defined
  Capacity
• This also provides an opportunity to manage
  boom/bust behaviors in CPU usage

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Conclusions/Results 1

• Significant software cost reduction, the annual
  salaries of two performance and capacity
  analysts.
• A rampant growth and upgrade schedule averaging
  one CP per month was reduced with no upgrades
  occurring for 5 months in a row.
• The recommendations to raise the LPAR defined
  capacities have now become part of the capacity
  planning function and the decisions have become
  part of the political landscape.
• Raising the LPAR defined capacity costs real
  money, which requires managerial approval.

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Conclusions/Results 2

• Sub-Capacity License Charges provide the rare
  opportunity for performance and capacity analysts
  to directly show real cost savings, which in turn
  demonstrates their value to the organization.
• All of the tools mentioned in this paper have
  been used.
• SCRT provides the monthly billing reports sent to
  IBM.
• LCS provides monthly corrections to the SCRT
  billing reports sent to IBM.
• LCS and in house developed reports and graphs
  track MSU usage and have been instrumental in
  establishing LPAR Defined Capacity (soft-cap)
  values.

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References - IBM web sites

• Parallel Sysplex Aggregation
• http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/swpr
  ice/sysplex/
• RMF PM, Java TM Technology Edition
  http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/zos/r
  mf/rmfhtmls/pmweb/pmweb.htm
• Sub-Capacity Planning Tool -
• http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/swpr
  ice/scpt/
• Sub-Capacity Reporting Tool -
• http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/swpr
  ice/scrt/
• Workload License Charges Product Listing
• http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/swpr
  ice/product.html
• zSeries Software Pricing -
• http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/swpr
  ice/
• z/OS RMF - http//www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zs
  eries/zos/rmf/?cazSeriesmetzrmfmeA

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References - IBM Manuals

• IBM eServer zSeries and S/390 Software Pricing
  Reference Guide, G326-0594-0B, January, 2004
• eServer zSeries 900 Processor Resource/Systems
  Manager Planning Guide, SB10-7033-00, March, 2001
• Planning for Subcapacity Pricing, SA22-7999-00,
  September, 2004
• Planning for Workload License Charges,
  SA22-7506-06, December 2003
• Using the Sub-Capacity Reporting Tool SCRT
  Version 9.1,
• SG24-6522-11, September, 2004
• z/OS V1R4 RMF Programmers Guide, SC33-7994-03.
  May, 2003
• z/OS V1R4 RMF Users Guide, SC33-7990-05, June,
  2003

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References - Other web sites

• LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis
  Software (LCS)
• http//www.sherkow.com/lcs
• LPAR Pricing Listserv -
• http//www.listserv.uga.edu/archives/lpar-pricing
  -l.html

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References - Other Documents

• Marcy Nechemias, Defined Capacity, Draft White
  Paper, IBM zSeries Software
• Alan Sherkow, IBMs WLC Impact on Performance
  and Capacity Planning, CMG2003
• Alan Sherkow, LPAR Capacity and Software Usage
  Analysis Software (LCS) Users Guide Version
  02.03, November, 2004
• Patricia Wingfield, No More Downloading Using
  SAS/ODS to Create SAS Graphs and HTML Documents
  for OS/390 Systems, CMG2003

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BOF

• Thursday 630 Champange 2

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Contact Info

• Richard Ralston
• rralston_at_humana.com
• [phone]