Instant Capacity Integration with Virtual Partitions

Overview

In a virtual partition environment, processors that are not assigned to any virtual partition are considered inactive (in addition to other classes of inactive processors). Activations and deactivations of processors are accomplished by adding and removing dynamic (unbound) processors to/from a virtual partition.

Unassigned processors can be assigned or deassigned using either the icod_modify command or the vparmodify command, depending on the version of vPars being used, the type of adjustment needed, and the level of logging or reporting desired. For example, assignment via the vparmodify command does not result in logging of the activation, e-mail configuration change notification, or transmission of an asset report to HP.

	NOTE: Deferred activations and deactivations are not supported in any vPar environment.

The Instant Capacity B.07.x software interacts with virtual partitions (vPars) software to varying degrees depending on the version of vPars that is being used.

For HP-UX 11i v2 systems, the required version of vPars software is A.04.01 or greater. That version, combined with Instant Capacity, is referred to as the “integrated virtual partition environment”, since it allows for the best coordination between Instant Capacity software and vPars software, making it less likely for a complex to be misconfigured or out of licensing compliance.

For HP-UX 11i v1 systems, the required version of vPars software is A.02.03 or greater, but version A.04 is not available for that platform. When A.02 or A.03 versions of vPars are used (on HP-UX 11i v1), the combination is referred to as a “compatible virtual partition environment” because the Instant Capacity software co-exists with the virtual partition software, with a lesser degree of coordination between the two products.

The Instant Capacity software must be installed on all virtual partitions in an Instant Capacity system.

See the Installing and Managing HP-UX Virtual Partitions manual for details of virtual partitions. This manual can be found on the HP web site: http://docs.hp.com

Integrated Virtual Partition Environment

Activation and Deactivation of Processors

When using vPars version A.04.01 or greater, the icod_modify command must be used to modify processor capacity when you are making any adjustment to an nPartition or to multiple nPartitions:

If you are adjusting processor assignments across virtual partitions in a single nPartition, you use the vparmodify command for the best coordination between the Instant Capacity software and the vPars software, and for optimized performance. The vparmodify command is the fastest and most efficient way to adjust capacity within virtual partitions of a single hard partition, but it does not affect the intended active count for the nPartition and it therefore cannot be used to migrate unused capacity either to or from other nPartitions:

Whether you are activating or deactivating processors, the vparmodify command adjusts only the number of dynamic processors, and it does not explicitly identify specific processors.

Boot Time Compliance

In the integrated virtual partition environment, a compliance check is performed whenever a virtual partition is booted. If the total number of processors assigned to all virtual partitions in the current vPar database exceeds the nPartition’s intended active processor count, the Instant Capacity software notifies the vPar monitor, and the monitor prevents any virtual partition from booting until the user performs a hard partition boot and modifies either the vPar configuration or the Instant Capacity intended active count for the nPartition.

Example A-2 vPar Boot Time Compliance Message

To: root@par1.yourorg.com Subject: vPar Boot Time Compliance This message is being sent to inform you that a vpar is not being allowed to boot because doing so would take this complex out of compliance from an iCOD perspective. The number of CPUs assigned to this vPar database (/stand/vpdb) exceeds the number of licensed CPUs by 1. To correct this problem, boot this partition back into an nPartition and modify the vPars assigned to this database.

Compatible Virtual Partition Environment

Activation and Deactivation of Processors

The Instant Capacity software co-exists with vPars versions less than A.04.01. In this environment, HP recommends using the icod_modify command when modifying processor capacity in a virtual partition. This is the best way to ensure that the complex remains in a compliant state.

To co-exist with vPars, the Instant Capacity software modifies processor capacity using the vparmodify command. When you execute the icod_modify command to deactivate a processor, it determines how many processors in the local virtual partition are unbound. If enough unbound processors exist to satisfy the request, the appropriate vparmodify command is executed, and the proper number of unbound processors are removed from the local virtual partition.

	WARNING! The icod_modify command should not be used in a compatible virtual partition environment to deactivate processors if processor sets (Psets) are being used. The icod_modify command utilizes the vparmodify command which does not recognize Psets. Using the icod_modify command to deactivate a processor may cause an unintended processor to be removed from a Pset.

When you execute the icod_modify command to activate a processor, it determines how many processors are available for activation. If enough processors are available to meet the request, the appropriate vparmodify command is executed, and the proper number of unbound processors are added to the local virtual partition.

Whether you are activating or deactivating processors, the (appropriate) vparmodify command adjusts only the number of unbound processors, and it does not explicitly identify specific processors, or affect the number of bound processors.

Temporary Capacity and Virtual Partitions

If temporary capacity is being consumed in any virtual partition environment (having been previously authorized using icod_modify -a n -t), deactivating a processor with the vparmodify command temporarily reduces the consumption of temporary capacity. A subsequent processor activation using vparmodify increases consumption of temporary capacity, assuming that this activation results in there being more active processors than licensed processors. Use icod_modify -d to stop the use of temporary capacity. It is not necessary to use the “-t” option when using the “-d” option.

Example Output of icod_stat on a Partitionable System Containing vPars

/usr/sbin/icod_stat

Version:                   B.07.01
System ID:                 zoo6
Serial number:             USR4020003
Product number:            A5201A
Unique ID:                 Z3e0ec8e078cd3c7b
System contact e-mail:     mjones@corp.com
From e-mail:               Set to the default ('adm')
Asset reporting:           off
Temporary capacity warning period:  15 days
Exception status:          Negative temporary capacity balance
 
Processor Information for Local Virtual Partition
-------------------------------------------------
Assigned processors:                             1
Active assigned processors:                      1
Inactive assigned processors:                    0
Licensed processors that can be assigned:        1
Processors that can be assigned if licensed:     0
Processors that cannot immediately be assigned:  0
 
Local Hard Partition Information
--------------------------------
Total processors:                                4
Intended Active processors:                      3
Active processors:                               3
 
Global iCOD Information
-----------------------
iCOD cells:                                      0
Actual inactive cells:                           3
iCOD processors:                                 2
Actual inactive processors:                      18*
iCOD Memory:                                     0.0 GB
Actual inactive Memory:                          12.0 GB
Processors using temporary capacity:             0
Temporary capacity available:         (negative) 0 days, 3 hours, 0 minutes
Projected temporary capacity expiration:         N/A
 
 
Allocation of iCOD Resources Among Partitions -------------------------------------------------------------
nPar  Inactive  Inactive     Inactive
ID    Cells     Memory       CPUs      nPar Name
====  ========  ===========  ========  ======================
  0       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo0
  1       0         0.0 GB       0     zoo1
  2       1         8.0 GB      4*     zoo2
  3       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo3a
  4       0         0.0 GB       0     zoo5
  5       0         0.0 GB       2     zoo7
  6       0         0.0 GB       1     zoo6 (local)
  8       0         0.0 GB       3     zoo8
  9       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo9
 10       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo10
 11       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo11
 12       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo12
 13       0         0.0 GB      0*     zoo13
N/A       2         4.0 GB       8     Unassigned Cells
 
iCOD Partition Configuration Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------
      Intended  Actual         Compatible
nPar  Active    Active  Total  Software
ID    CPUs      CPUs    CPUs   Installed   nPar Name
====  ========  ======  =====  ==========  ======================
  0       4        4*      4       No      zoo0
  1       4         4      4       Yes     zoo1
  2       4        4*      8       Yes     zoo2
  3       0        4*      4       No      zoo3a
  4       0         4      4       Yes     zoo5
  5       2         2      4       Yes     zoo7
  6       3         3      4       Yes     zoo6 (local)
  8       0         1      4       Yes     zoo8
  9       0        4*      4       No      zoo9
 10       0        4*      4       No      zoo10
 11       0        4*      4       No      zoo11
 12       0        4*      4       Yes     zoo12
 13       0        4*      4       No      zoo13
 
* Value is based on incomplete information.
Refer to Appendix A in the iCOD User's Guide
(/usr/share/doc/icodUserGuide.pdf) for more details.

Static Virtual Partitions

If a virtual partition is static (that is, the resources cannot be migrated, added, deleted, or modified) and you attempt to activate or deactivate processors, the Instant Capacity software displays a message indicating that the configuration of the processor resources cannot be modified.

	NOTE: The icod_stat command’s output indicates that the number of unassigned processors that can be assigned (to the local virtual partition) is zero if the static resource attribute for the local virtual partition is set.

LPMC Deactivations in Virtual Partitions

In a vPar environment, if the Low Priority Machine Check (LPMC) monitor deactivates a processor, it automatically replaces the failing processor with an unlicensed Instant Capacity processor from the free pool, assuming there is one available.

The failing processor remains in the virtual partition until either the virtual partition or the virtual partition monitor is rebooted. (In the compatible virtual partition environment, rebooting the virtual partition monitor is necessary if a bound processor in the virtual partition fails.)

More information about LPMC in vPars can be found in whitepapers on http://docs.hp.com (search for “LPMC”).

	NOTE: vPars version A.03.01 (or later) is required for automatic replacement of a failed processor by the LPMC monitor.