HP Instant Capacity for HP Integrity Superdome 2 Servers

Moving iCAP resources among servers

Inactivated iCAP physical components (iCAP blades or memory) cannot be removed from the iCAP

system in which they are installed. However, iCAP cores can effectively be “moved” between

partitions within a server by moving the usage rights for those cores. This is accomplished by

deactivating cores in one partition and activating iCAP cores in another partition. This method

cost-effectively balances application workload among partitions. Load balancing can be done

dynamically so system operation is not interrupted.

In addition, core usage rights can be moved among servers in a GiCAP group by deactivating cores

in one server and activating the same number of iCAP cores in other servers in the group.

Configuring servers with multiple partitions

iCAP cores can be activated and deactivated in both hard and virtual partitions. Instant Capacity is

compatible with both the partitions. Refer to

iCAP user’s guide for the required version of the virtual

partition software. Using iCAP commands, core usage rights can be moved between nPars, from an

nPar to a vPar and vice versa.

Please note that whenever partition sizes are changed or new partitions are created, a system reboot

is required for the changes to take effect.

HP iCAP for high availability and disaster recovery

Disaster recovery environments can have a primary system configured to meet normal production

workloads and a backup system configured with iCAP capabilities. Instant Capacity on the backup

system allows its normal, standby capacity to be increased after a failover from the primary system.

TiCAP can play an important role by temporarily activating cores on the backup system to power the

extra burden of these newly added applications. When the main system is restored, iCAP cores are

switched off.

Alternatively, the primary and backup servers can be placed in a GiCAP group, and if there is a

failure in the primary server, the usage rights that are made available can be transferred and used on

the backup server. If the primary server becomes completely unavailable, then the core usage rights

that become available can be redeployed among other partitions in servers in the GiCAP group.

Please note that unlike iCAP on HP 9000, HP Integrity Mid-range and Superdome servers, this iCAP

version on HP Integrity Superdome 2 servers does not come with a GiCAP Group Manager.

However, a later release is likely to have a GiCAP Group Manager and a standby Group Manager.

GiCAP transfer and activation for high availability and disaster recovery scenarios can be

automated with HP Serviceguard. Only cores (not memory) can be transferred with GiCAP or

activated using TiCAP.