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Summary of usage rights seizure
The following list summarizes various facts about usage rights seizure:
• iCAP 8.01 requires at least one accessible partition
The iCAP 8.01 command that seizes usage rights from a downed partition does not support a
failover scenario in which an entire server becomes unavailable, because usage rights can only be
seized from a server if there is at least one partition accessible. Access to the GSP/MP/ILO is not
sufficient.
• iCAP 8.02.01 and later can seize usage rights from an unavailable server
Starting with iCAP 8.02.01, usage rights seizure supports full disaster recovery. You can seize
rights from a group member even if the entire server is unavailable. In this case, the usage rights
seizure expires after 10 days, and the usage rights will revert to the original partition.
• Only core usage rights can be seized
While GiCAP enables migration of all types of usage rights between member servers (cores, cells,
memory), seizure from a failed partition is only for core usage rights. Note that if cell/memory
usage rights are needed, partitioning tools such as the parmodify command can be used either
remotely or on an accessible partition to remove one or more cells from the downed partition,
making usage rights available. In addition, changing the use_on_next_boot flag to n (false) for
an inactive cell also releases the cell usage right and associated memory usage rights. Migration of
cell/memory usage rights requires access to at least one partition on the server where they are
available. Access to the GSP/MP/ILO is not sufficient.
• Maximum core usage rights are seized
There is no way to specify the number of core usage rights that are seized. The software seizes the
maximum number possible, while ensuring that the nPartition can still be booted. This seizure results
in a partition with one core usage right for each active cell upon reboot of the server.
• Expiration of seized usage rights (complete server failure)
If at the time of an attempted rights seizure all member partitions are unreachable, the rights seizure
is instead treated as a loan of usage rights from the specified member to the group. The loan
expires 10 days from the first use of the icapmanage -x command. If none of the member
partitions are reachable by the expiration date for a particular member, the usage rights are
automatically restored (or reassigned) to the member from which they were seized. If, however, one
of those member partitions reconnects to the group before the expiration, the loan can be
committed, with the usage rights actually transferred from the member.
In the event a system cannot reconnect to the Group Manager within the 10-day period (for
example, due to a natural disaster such as an earthquake) you can extend the expiration of the
seized usage rights. This extension is applied to the Group Manager through a codeword obtained
from HP support.
• Core usage rights are seized only from nPartitions (even when the specified host is a virtual partition)
• You can seize usage rights from an nPartition only when:
– The nPartition is down
– Assuming the nPartition is hosting virtual partitions, all the virtual partitions are down
In either of these cases, rights seizure is the only technique available for migrating core usage rights
from the nPartition.
• Since rights are seized at the nPartition level, when an entire server is unavailable, to seize
maximum rights from the server, you must invoke the icapmanage -x command for each nPartition
in the server.
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