12/10/2014

IBM Software

IBM Guide to identifying your Processor Technology - United States

Passport Advantage

Guide to identifying your

Processor Technology
This guide is intended to help you identify the major Processor Technologies
and their corresponding Processor Value Units (PVUs) per processor core. It
helps clarify market inconsistencies across the major server brands when
defining a "processor" or "N-Way".
Review the definitions and processor identification steps below and use the
links to the right to view a list of Processor Technologies by Server Brand.

PVU tables: by Server Brand

and Type
Dell
Fujitsu
HP
IBM
Sun
Processor Model Number Discovery Guide

Learn more about

Definitions
Processor Technology identification steps
Example

Essentials
Processor Value Unit [PVU] licensing for
Distributed SW

Definitions

Guide to identifying your Processor

Technology

IBM Software Group defines a processor as a core

Processor Value Unit terminology

Value Unit Calculator

IBM licenses Processor Value Units per processor core

Hardware vendors differ when defining the terms Processor and N-Way.

More resources
Licensing

Server Vendor

Define Processor as

Define N-Way as

IBM System p System i

Core

Number of Cores

Agreements and forms

IBM BladeCenter - POWER

Core

Number of Cores

Brochures and FAQs

IBM BladeCenter - x86, Cell

Chip

Number of Chips

How to enroll

IBM System x

Chip

Number of Chips

How to buy

Dell

Chip

Number of Chips

Fujitsu

Chip

Number of Chips

HP

Chip

Number of Chips

Sun

Chip

Number of Chips

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Processor Technology identification steps

Depending on the level of information known, there are two alternate ways to
identify the number of PVUs per Core:
1. Method 1: Processor Vendor, Brand, Type and if applicable, Processor
Model Number are known. [For example: IBM POWER5 Dual-core: 100
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IBM Guide to identifying your Processor Technology - United States

PVUs per core.] Use the Processor Value Units per Core Table.
2. Method 2: Processor Vendor, Brand, Type and if applicable, Processor
Model Number are not known. However, server information is known.
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For example
IBM System x 3500: Intel Xeon Quad-Core with Processor Model Number
in the range 5000 to 5499 at 50 PVUs per Core
Excerpt from System x (xSeries)
Server

Processor Information

Model
Number

Processor Vendor /
Brand

Processor
Type

Processor Model
Number *

PVUs per
Core**

230R

AMD Opteron

DC/QC

All existing

50

3105

AMD Opteron/Athlon

SC/DC

All Existing

100/50

3200

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

3000 to 3499

50

3200 M2

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

3000 to 3499

50

3250

Intel Pentium/ Xeon

SC/DC

All Existing

100/50

3250 M2

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

3000 to 3499

50

3350

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

3000 to 3499

50

3400

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

5000 to 5499

50

3400 M2

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

5500 to 5599

70

3450

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

5000 to 5499

50

3455

AMD Opteron

DC/QC

All Existing

50

3500

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

5000 to 5499

50

3500 M2

Intel Xeon

DC/QC

5500 to 5599

70

SC: Single-Core, DC: Dual-Core, QC: Quad-Core, HC: Hexa-Core, OC: Octi-Core
*Numbers may be preceded by letters: for example: X5570, refers to 5570 and is part of
the 5500 to 5599 series.
**The PVU per core requirements for Intel based servers in the above table are based
on the processor model numbers, and are provided for your convenience. Errors or
omissions in the table are unintentional. Customers remain responsible to be in
compliance with the required level of authorized use for each program.

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