How Hardware Refreshes Change Your PVU Requirement

PVU follows the processor, not the software

When you replace hardware, the PVU per core rating can change, because IBM rates processors by brand, model and generation. A newer chip may carry a different rating, and a denser one packs more cores per socket, which raises the full-capacity figure even at the same or a lower per core rate.

The three ways a refresh moves your number

• The per core rating changes when the new processor sits in a different row of the IBM PVU table.
• The total core count rises with denser CPUs, increasing the full-capacity ceiling.
• Sub-capacity caps have to be set again on the new host, or the claim resets to full capacity until they are.

The ILMT blind spot

If ILMT is not updated to reflect the new hardware promptly, its reports either miss the new host or misclassify it. Both create exposure. An uncounted host looks like undeclared deployment to an auditor, while a miscounted one inflates the PVU total you appear to owe.

A refresh checklist

• Read the IBM PVU table again for the new processor and confirm its rating.
• Recompute both the full-capacity and sub-capacity figures.
• Confirm ILMT discovered the new host inside the reporting window.
• Set the sub-capacity caps again on the new hardware.
• Archive the reports from before and after the refresh as evidence.

Why this surfaces in audits

Auditors routinely compare your hardware inventory against the ILMT history. A refresh that left a gap, a new host that appeared late, or caps that were never reapplied all stand out clearly, and each is straightforward for IBM to convert into a full-capacity charge for the period it was unaccounted for.