Re: RDi Annual Subscription Maintenance & Support Renewals -- WDSCI-L

Edmund,

Can I assume that those of us who participate via the Developer Discount program are in the e-Config scenario? I don't think I can purchase through PPA when in the Developer Discount program. So, my only option would be to manually add a calendar entry to remind me to ping IBM to put together the SWMA request before expiration? I have done that in the past but somehow missed it this year.

I responded to the "after license" pricing email I received and invoked your name (hope that was OK) as identifying it as an issue. I am only a month or so out. I am hopeful that since this is a known issue, that there will be some leniency in the SWMA pricing, particularly with RDi.

Thanks for your explanation and investigation. This has been a mystery for years.....

Pete Helgren
www.petesworkshop.com
GIAC Secure Software Programmer-Java
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On 6/21/2022 4:05 PM, Edmund Reinhardt wrote:

Apparently this is true of all e-Config/AAS/ESS software
But you do have the option of moving your entitlement to Passport Advantage where you will be notified.

This is what I learned from Alison Butterill
" There are 2 distinct and completely independent methods of ordering "stuff" at IBM. Never the 2 shall meet!
There are Pros and Cons to both ordering systems.
There is Passport Advantage (PPA) used by many products in the IBM Software parts of IBM.
There is e-Config which is the front end to the AAS ordering system, used by IBM Systems.

The ESS channel to which you are referring is the database of entitlements ordered by AAS, not an ordering mechanism.
Regardless, NO products ordered through e-Config (AAS) receive notification of end-of-SWMA. It is not a part of the AAS tool itself.
This is the same for all IBM i products, including IBM i and other Systems owned LPPs.

Customers are notified from PPA about maintenance expiring. This is done product by product, entitlement by entitlement.
However, many customers prefer to have one invoice for all SWMA (called S&S in Passport) renewal and that cannot happen in Passport. It will only happen in AAS.

See what I mean - pros and cons. However, customers who purchased their entitlement through e-Config (AAS) can move their entitlement to Passport if they prefer."

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Edmund Reinhardt
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2022 5:46 AM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [WDSCI-L] RDi Annual Subscription Maintenance & Support Renewals

I want to say upfront that this is an embarrassment to IBM and I will use this thread to plead for change again.
Greg, you are quite right that it depends on how you bought it.
If you buy through Passport Advantage, you will be notified of expiring SWMA If you buy through ESS, unfortunately it is not bundled with the rest of your SWMA and you are NOT notified. Someone explained to me a few times about why we get this extremely unfriendly behaviour due to our tracking system and why it is so difficult to change the system because RDi is an odd duck that sold with the IBM i but does not live on the IBM i.
But the bottom line is.
1) set some kind of calendar alarm to save yourself the headache and$
2) if you get caught out, please do complain to your BP and IBM should charge you only the renewal rate, because it is partly our fault that you were not notified.

Redfacedly,
Edmund Reinhardt

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Greg Wilburn
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2022 4:03 PM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] [EXTERNAL] RDi Annual Subscription Maintenance & Support Renewals

This is a huge PITA.

How did you buy it? That makes all the difference in the world.

I went through the same thing you did... passport advantage folks will have no clue who you are.

Try signing onto ESS (Entitled Software Support)... you are likely paying for it along with your other licensed programs.

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Larenzo Alexander
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2022 10:30 AM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development Studio Client for System i & iSeries (wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [WDSCI-L] RDi Annual Subscription Maintenance & Support Renewals

Anyone know the correct IBM phone number or email to check if our RDi annual subscription maintenance and support is current or the process to get it current.

I'm using the following version but not sure if it is the latest in greatest. Up to 2018 we would receive and invoice via mail to renew but we have not received one in a while and I'm not sure where to check or how to start getting new invoices.

Version: 9.6.0.11 20210819_0803

Our business partners said they could not help with Rational Developer for I and I would need to contact IBM.

I have called several IBM phone numbers and send emails to several IBM email address including passport advantage, but I keep getting pass along to different departments and different phone numbers.

I figure the RDi forum would be my last hope to be guided in the right direction.

Thanks,

Larenzo

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