Service manual

1-36 AlphaServer GS80/160/320 Service Manual

1.9.2 Soft Partitions

Soft partitions make use of the OpenVMS Galaxy firmware functions

embedded in the SRM console and PALcode firmware. Soft partitions

can exist inside hard partitions.

Table 1– 6 Rules Affecting Soft Partitions

Rule Rule Description

A soft partition requires one or more CPU(s), memory, and an attached

I/O subsystem with a standard I/O module. Soft partitions may be set

up in a hard partition.

2 Soft partitions are not restricted by QBB boundaries.

3 Currently, only OpenVMS supports soft partitioning.

The maximum number of standard I/O modules on the console serial

bus is eight.

Soft partitions may be set up with redundant consoles, but the number

of consoles is limited by rule 4.

6 Soft partitions are defined at the SRM console firmware level.

Table 1– 7 Possible Soft Partitions

Partition 0 Partition 1 Partition 2

QBB0

(4 CPUs 0-3)

QBB1 & [QBB2,

CPU0 &1] (6

CPUs 4-9)

QBB2, [CPU 2 &

3], & QBB3 (6

CPUs 10-15)

2 PCI boxes 2

w. STD I/O

2 PCI boxes - 2

w. STD I/Os

4 PCI boxes – 2

w. STD I/Os

MEM_SIZE0

0=2GB

MEM_SIZE1

1=2GB, 2=2GB

MEM_SIZE2

2=2GB,3=2GB

SHARED_MEM_SIZE

0=6GB, 1=6GB, 2=4GB, 3=6GB