Al Sherkow's I/S Management Strategies, Ltd.
LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis Software
Capacity Planning and Performance Management for z/OS
Al Sherkow

Al Sherkow is a capacity planning and performance consultant for IBM's mainframe computers. He is also recognized as the leading industry expert on the crucial subject of IBM’s new software pricing model Workload License Charges (WLC). This expertise is the basis of the LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis (LCS™) Software. LCS is the only WLC Pricing tool available in the world! LCS helps sites study and understand Workload License Charges including: estimation of your aggregated software invoices, value of zIIP and zAAP engines, recommended SCRT overrides. With LCS you can audit your SCRT reports and estimate your invoices weeks before they arrive. LCS provides alerts when products reach new billable peaks and when additional Value Units must be acquired for IPLA products.

Al is an industry expert regarding the configuration and planning of processors and PR/SM. Understanding and leveraging PR/SM and IRD are required to achieve lower software charges with WLC. He regularly helps clients through consulting, classes, magazine articles, papers and dozens of presentations. Al's resume.

The LCS Pricing Interactive Report has been updated to analyze the software charges for z13, including the Technology Update Pricing and the Transition Pricing. The latest pricing changes including z/OS V2 are also in LCS_PRICING, and both commercial and GSA pricing tables are included. The interactive report's "Single Machine Metrics" tab will allow you compare the current workload and software charges for EWLC to what the charge would be if moved to a z114 with AEWLC.

LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis (LCS) Software helps you plan, implement, monitor and audit WLC. Why aren't you using LCS? LCS is the only tool that lets you analyze your environment so you can determine if you are on the optimal IBM pricing plan. LCS provides timely information you can use to manage your IBM Software charges, and perhaps reduce your invoice. With LCS you can audit IBM's Sub Capacity Reporting Tool and the resulting IBM invoices! Read the brochure for a description of all the LCS capabilities.

Samples of LCS Reports are Available Online!

WLC Consulting and Seminars for ISVs


LCS Software LCS Updates
for licensed sites
Release 08.03 Updated
18 October 2022

How to License LCS Papers & Presentations are Available to Clients
Call for more information
The 1999 "1/2 Second DASD Response Time" paper is now available to everyone

Workload License
Charges Seminar

First taught in 2003. Learn from the Expert in IBM's WLC

Contact us about in-house private seminars or your company hosting a seminar

"the best class I have attended since my MVS Internals class back around 1982"

Speaking Schedule
Updated 14 June 2022

Due to COVID-19 I am not attending any conferences at this time

"Had I not attended Al's presentations at the conference, I doubt I would have thought of this alternative on my own"

"This was an excellent session. I will look for Mr. Sherkow in other events. Make certain his sessions are available in the future."

Read Al's latest comments (17 September 2013) related to the COBOL V5 Pricing, SCRT and LCS

IBM's Comment on Our LCS Software:

"As stated in the Mainframe Charter, IBM is focused on enhancing the value proposition of zSeries solutions. IBM believes that its Workload License Charge ("WLC") software pricing metric is an important proof point of our focus in this area. For customers interested in understanding the potential benefits of WLC, there is a third party tool from Al Sherkow's I/S Management Strategies Ltd called the LPAR Capacity and Software Usage Analysis (LCS) Software. This software can enable customers to compare and contrast the cost of certain software under various pricing methodologies."
           — IBM zSeries Executive, Terri Virnig

You can read more about I/S Management Strategies, Ltd., and Al's Outside Interests.

Last Updated On: Wednesday, 19 October, 2022

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