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① Comparison · Broadcom (CA)
Broadcom (CA) sells Mainframe Consumption Licensing as the modern answer to MIPS capacity licensing. It is, for some estates. For a flat workload it is a premium you may not need. Here is the honest head to head.
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Get expert help →Traditional MIPS capacity licensing is usually the lower cost choice for a stable or predictable estate, because a well negotiated capacity deal does not charge a premium for flexibility you will not use. Broadcom (CA) Mainframe Consumption Licensing (MCL) is worth the premium only when consumption is genuinely volatile or growing, and the ability to run peak workloads without a rolling four hour average penalty has real operational value. Do not switch on the strength of the pitch. Model both against your actual consumption profile, and negotiate the baseline as hard as you would negotiate a capacity number.
Both models ultimately price capacity, but they meter and charge it differently. MCL released in 2019 as Broadcom's consumption answer; traditional licensing remains the legacy capacity approach across most CA products, on full capacity or on sub capacity with a rolling four hour average.
| Dimension | Broadcom MCL | Traditional MIPS / MSU |
|---|---|---|
| Charge basis | Hourly MSU consumption against a set baseline, overage on a plan | Licensed capacity, full or sub capacity R4HA |
| Headline cost | Premium priced for certainty and flexibility | Lower for a stable, well negotiated estate |
| Peak handling | Run peaks without R4HA penalty within plan | Peaks can lift the R4HA and the bill |
| Predictability | High within the plan; baseline plus known overage | Predictable if capacity is fixed and capped |
| Unused capacity | Commonly rolls forward to next true up | Paid for whether used or not |
| Main risk | Baseline set too high; uncapped overage | MIPS creep and uplift on a stale capacity number |
| Best fit | Volatile or growing consumption | Flat, mature, predictable workloads |
Directional comparison of model mechanics. Specific terms vary by contract; confirm baseline, overage, and rollover on your own Broadcom order.
Your consumption swings hard or is on a clear growth path, peak workloads are constrained today by R4HA economics, and the value of running them freely beats the premium. MCL also suits an estate that needs budget certainty more than the lowest possible number, provided the baseline is set to a forward forecast and overage is capped. The rollover of unused baseline has to be in the contract, not just the pitch.
Your workload is flat and mature, you have the discipline to manage the rolling four hour average, and you would rather not pay a premium for flexibility you will not exercise. A well negotiated capacity agreement with uplift caps and a current MIPS to MSU position usually beats MCL on cost for this profile. The risk to manage is MIPS creep lifting the bill without new workload, which is a measurement and negotiation problem, not a reason to switch models.
Not for a stable estate. MCL prices consumption flexibility and predictability at a premium over what a well negotiated traditional capacity agreement delivers, so an enterprise with a flat workload commonly pays more under MCL for certainty it may not need. MCL earns its keep where consumption is genuinely volatile or growing fast and the value of running peak workloads without R4HA penalty outweighs the premium. The honest answer depends on your consumption profile, which is why both options should be modeled before you choose.
Under Mainframe Consumption Licensing you set a baseline of MSU for a period using SCRT reporting, and usage above the baseline is charged on a pre defined plan. Consumption is measured as total hourly MSU utilization across production z/OS LPARs. Unused capacity below the baseline can commonly roll forward to the next true up period, like roll over minutes, which is the flexibility the model is built to sell.
The baseline is the negotiation. A baseline set too high locks in a floor you pay for whether you consume it or not, while overage pricing set without a cap exposes you on the upside. The terms that matter are the baseline level, the overage rate, the rollover rules, and the true up cadence. These are negotiable, and a baseline anchored to a past peak rather than a forward forecast is the most common way value leaks out of an MCL deal.
Read the model: Broadcom MCL explained. Compare the metrics: sub capacity vs full capacity. Publisher hub: Broadcom (CA) mainframe licensing. Put it to work: Broadcom renewal advisory.