Bring Your Own License (BYOL)

The Bring Your Own License (BYOL) option for Db2 on Cloud allows you to apply your existing eligible Db2 software licenses to your cloud instance, resulting in up to a 28% discount on compute costs compared to the standard On Demand pricing model.

Prerequisites

Before switching to the BYOL license model, ensure that you meet the following requirements:

  • An active Db2 on Cloud instance on the Performance plan.
  • Eligible Db2 software licenses (Db2 Standard or Db2 Advanced) with active Subscription and Support.
  • Sufficient license VPCs (Virtual Processor Cores) to cover the compute allocation of your instance.
  • Eligibility requirements as stated in Section 5.4 of the Db2 on Cloud Service Description must be satisfied.

Selecting BYOL during provisioning

You can select the BYOL license type when provisioning a new Db2 on Cloud instance.

During the provisioning process, locate the Reserved Instance/BYOL dropdown. By default, the license is set to Default license. Select Bring your own license (BYOL) from the dropdown, then continue with the rest of the provisioning steps.

Selecting BYOL during provisioning
Select Bring your own license (BYOL) from the Reserved Instance/BYOL dropdown during provisioning

Configuring BYOL in the UI

You can also change your license type on an existing Db2 on Cloud instance through the console.

Step 1: Navigate to the license settings

From your Db2 on Cloud instance dashboard:

  1. Click the Settings icon in the left sidebar (wrench icon), or select Settings from the top navigation bar.
  2. Select the License sub-tab.
  3. Click the Change button on the right side to modify your license type.

Navigating to Settings > License > Change
Navigate to Settings > License and click Change

Step 2: Select the BYOL license type

On the License selection page, select the Bring Your Own License (BYOL) radio button, then click Save.

The BYOL option provides the highest discount at 28% off compute costs. Ensure you meet the eligibility requirements stated in Section 5.4 of the Service Description before proceeding. Eligible licenses include Db2 Standard and Db2 Advanced, and you must maintain active Subscription and Support on your existing license entitlements.

Selecting the BYOL license option
Select the Bring Your Own License (BYOL) option

Step 3: Confirm the license change

A confirmation dialog appears showing the details of your license change:

  1. Verify the Change from and Change to columns reflect the correct transition.
  2. Check the certification box: "I certify that I possess the required number of license VPCs."
  3. Click Proceed to apply the change.

The discount takes effect immediately.

Confirming the license change
Confirm the license change to BYOL

Step 4: Verify successful update

After clicking Proceed, you are returned to the License settings page. A green success banner confirms that the license has been successfully updated. The new BYOL pricing is now active on your instance.

License successfully updated
License successfully updated confirmation

Important notes

  • Immediate effect: The discount change takes place immediately upon confirmation. Your next billing cycle reflects the new BYOL pricing.
  • License compliance: You are responsible for ensuring that you hold the required number of license VPCs for the compute resources allocated to your instance. IBM may audit compliance.
  • Reversibility: You can switch back to On Demand type at any time. For switching to Reserved license types, you may need to first switch to the On Demand type and then switch to Reserved types by following the same steps and selecting a different option.
  • No service disruption: Changing the license type does not affect your database instance availability. There is no downtime associated with this change.
  • Subscription and Support: You must maintain active Subscription and Support on your existing Db2 license entitlements to remain eligible for the BYOL program.