Adobe LiveCycle Multi-core Licensing Policy FAQ

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What is Adobe’s licensing policy for multi-core processors?: For Adobe LiveCycle products which are licensed on a per-CPU basis, Adobe has implemented a pricing and licensing policy, which addresses the multi-core processors being brought to market by leading hardware vendors.

The Adobe policy on multi-core licensing states that every 2 core processors on a multi-core machine are equivalent to one CPU from a licensing perspective. In addition, any remaining unpaired core processor(s) will also be deemed a CPU.

For example, if a customer licenses Adobe LiveCycle Forms on a per-CPU basis and plans to deploy the software on a quad-core processor, they will require a license for 2 CPUs.

The following products are covered by this policy:
LiveCycle Business Activity Monitoring ES
LiveCycle Data Services ES
LiveCycle ES Connectors for ECM
LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES
LiveCycle Forms ES
LiveCycle Output ES
LiveCycle PDF Generator ES
LiveCycle Process Management
What about single core CPUs?: Single core CPUs will count as one CPU.
What about CPUs that have less efficient cores?: Adobe’s multi-core licensing policy does not differentiate between the multi-core machines offered by the various hardware vendors.
What about the use of partitioning to reduce the number of CPU licenses required?: Customers can partition their servers to run Adobe software on a fewer number of cores as long as the total number of cores/CPUs that are enabled to run the Adobe software does not exceed the licensed number.
When does this multi-core licensing policy take effect?: The policy will take effect with the release of LiveCycle ES 8.0.1, currently scheduled for July 18, 2007.
Why did Adobe implement a multi-core licensing policy?: Adobe provides flexible licensing options by offering its LiveCycle software via multiple license metrics (eg. per CPU, per User). Pricing is determined based on the relative value offered by the LiveCycle software according to the license metric chosen. The new multi-core processors provide a significant performance improvement over present single-core architectures. The multi-core licensing policy seeks to create pricing alignment across the disparate hardware architectures.