Skip to content

ibmi-virtual-software-tiers.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
121 lines (63 loc) · 5.74 KB

ibmi-virtual-software-tiers.md

File metadata and controls

121 lines (63 loc) · 5.74 KB
Raw
copyright
years
2025, 2026
lastupdated 2026-07-13
keywords ibm i, virtual tiers, {{site.data.keyword.vst}}s, ibm i {{site.data.keyword.vst}}s
subcollection power-iaas

{{site.data.keyword.attribute-definition-list}}

Assigning an {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} to an IBM i {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}} instance

{: #ibmi-vsw-tiers}

{{site.data.keyword.off-prem-fname}} in [{{site.data.keyword.off-prem}}]{: tag-blue}

{{site.data.keyword.on-prem-fname}} in [{{site.data.keyword.on-prem}}]{: tag-red}

{{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}s are a licensing model that groups IBM {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}}s based on processor characteristics, which determines the price and feature set for the IBM i operating system (OS) and other software. {: shortdesc}

Starting with IBM Power10 systems and later, you can assign an {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} to a virtual server instance (VSI). The {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} limits the capacity of the VSI. But, you can select any physical system that supports the selected {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}. For example, a virtual server that is assigned to a P10 tier can run on either an S1022 or an E1080 server. The tier restricts the resource allocation for the VSI but not its hardware compatibility.

The {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} determines the pricing tier for the IBM i OS and Licensed Program Products (LPPs). It also defines the limits for the following resources:

  • Maximum number of virtual processors
  • Maximum memory

You can dynamically adjust the number of CPUs and the memory if the numbers are within the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} limits. To exceed the defined capacity of the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}, you must follow these steps:

  1. Power off the VSI.
  2. Change the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} to a tier that aligns with your resource requirements.

For more information, see Supported resource limits by the IBM i software tier.

When you change the software tier, the billing for the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} automatically changes to reflect the selected tier.

You can generate an estimate of {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}} resources with an {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} before you deploy the resources. For more information, see Estimating a virtual server instance.

You must complete the following prerequisites to assign an {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} to a {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}} instance:

  1. Select an IBM i image with version 7.3 or later from the Image list under the Boot image section.
  2. Select an IBM Power10 or later server type from the Machine type list.
  3. Complete the following steps to assign a VSN to the instance:
    1. Edit the Virtual serial number (VSN) field.
    2. The virtual serial number summary pane appears.
    3. Select either Auto-assign or Select from retained VSNs option to assign a VSN.

Assigning a VSN is not supported on a VSI with IBM i version 7.1 or earlier. {: note}

The supported {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}s are displayed in the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} list based on the machine type that you select. The recommended {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} is displayed in the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} field based on the number of cores and memory. You can select the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} that is displayed in the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} field or other options from the list.

For more information, see Configuring a Power Virtual Server instance.

Supported resource limits by the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}

{: #ibmi-vsw-vp-mem}

{{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}} are available in different licensing models such as P05, P10, P20, and P30. For each {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}, the supported limits for resources are defined. These limits help align resource usage with software licensing costs. You must understand the supported limits of resources for planning your VSI capacity and ensure compliance with IBM i licensing models.

The following table provides the details of the maximum number of virtual processors and memory that are supported on each {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}.

IBM i software tiers Maximum virtual processors Maximum memory
P05 1 64 GB
P10 4 1 TB
P20 12 1 TB
P30 No limit No limit
{: caption="Maximum virtual processors and memory for each {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}" caption-side="bottom"}

Supported {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}s on {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}}

{: #ibmi-vsw-system-types}

You can assign {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}s only to a compatible {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}} system types. The following table lists the {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}s that are compatible with each system type.

System types Supported IBM i software tiers
P05 P10 P20 P30
S1022 Yes Yes Yes No
S1122 Yes Yes Yes No
E1080 No Yes Yes Yes
E1180 No Yes Yes Yes
{: caption="Supported {{site.data.keyword.ibmi-vst}}s on {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}}s" caption-side="bottom"}

IBM i is not supported on IBM E1050 and E1150 system types. {: note}

If you deploy multiple IBM i virtual server instances (VSIs) simultaneously on the IBM S1022 hosts using the P20 IBM i software tiers, the deployment might fail when the IBM data center is upgraded. However, the deployment of a single VSI is supported. {: restriction}