Intel Dual Core Processor and DB2 Licensing

[cwahlmeier]

Greetings,

I am running DB2 Workgroup Edition on an Intel box with two physical
CPUs. It is running Windows with hyperthreading. Thus, the operating
system thinks it has 4 cpus. I am about to upgrade to another dual CPU
box, but this one runs the new dual core chip. So, after
hyperthreading, it will look like there are 8 CPUs.

Anybody know how DB2 Workgroup Edition will react? Furthermore, will I
be in violation of my license?

Thanks,

Craig Wahlmeier

[Artur]

For Intel or AMD dual core processor you need only 1 CPU DB2 license.

Hyperthreading is not an issue as IBM software license is talking about
physicals devices (cores).

Here is the annoucement:
http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca...NUS305-080.PDF

-- Artur Wronski

[Mark A]

"Artur" <ar***********@ poczta.onet.pl> wrote in message
news:11******** **************@ g44g2000cwa.goo glegroups.com.. .

For Intel or AMD dual core processor you need only 1 CPU DB2 license.

Hyperthreading is not an issue as IBM software license is talking about
physicals devices (cores).

Here is the annoucement:
http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca...NUS305-080.PDF

-- Artur Wronski

You are correct that only 1 CPU license is required per dual-core chip with
DB2, but dual core chips are not the same as hperthreading. Dual core chips
do have 2 physical cores, but they may share some resources such as cache
memory.

[Artur]

Of course, dual core chips are not the same as hyperthreading.

Hyperthreading has no influence on DB2 license, as DB2 license is
talking about cores (hyperthreading is based on one core; eg.
hyperthreading Xeon).

The general rule is: one core -- one license; however for dual-core AMD
and Intel (and OpenPower) IBM makes an exception. The exception is:
only one license is needed for such processors.

Nobody knows how processors will evolve in next 10 years -- but for
sure together with software license polices.

-- Artur Wronski

Dual Processors, Hyper-Threading Technology, and Multi Core Systems:
http://www.devx.com/Intel/Article/27399

[cwahlmeier]

Thanks for the replies. But I am still a little unclear about whether
Workgroup Edition is architected to use 8 processors. Is there some
internal code in place to limit it to 4?

Thanks,

Craig

[Mark A]

<cw********@dat a-tronics.com> wrote in message
news:11******** **************@ g43g2000cwa.goo glegroups.com.. .

Thanks for the replies. But I am still a little unclear about whether
Workgroup Edition is architected to use 8 processors. Is there some
internal code in place to limit it to 4?

Thanks,

Craig

I don't think that DB2 knows about processors except for licensing. If you
are running 8 agents at once then DB2 will leave it up to the processor(s)
and OS to figure out how to dispatch the processing. There is nothing to
prevent 8 agents from running at once, even on Workgroup Edition on a 4
processor machine (with single cores).

[Artur]

I also think, that you will benefit from the dual-core and
hyperthreaded processors.

BTW, if you issue db2pd -osinfo you can get the information about
number of cores and logical CPUs (HMTDegree):
CPU Information:
TotalCPU OnlineCPU ConfigCPU Speed(MHz) HMTDegree
Cores/Socket
1 1 1 1495 1 1

-- Artur Wronski

[cwahlmeier]

I think I found what I was looking for in this article:
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerwork...los/index.html

It is titled "DB2 Universal Database and dual core and sub-capacity
licensing"

Thanks for your replies.