HP Instant Capacity User's Guide for Versions 8.x

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.
Note that with vPars version A.03.05 or greater, a compliance check is performed whenever a
virtual partition is booted. If the total number of cores assigned to all virtual partitions in the
current vPar database exceeds the nPartition’s intended active core 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 activecount for the nPartition.
See vparmodify(1M) for more information on virtual partitions.
HP Integrity Virtual Machines (HPVM)
In an HPVM environment, Instant Capacity software provides meaningful functionality only on
the VM Host; it does not run on a virtual machine (also known as a “guest”). In particular, Instant
Capacity commands will report an error if attempted from a guest. A GiCAP Group Manager
cannot be run on a guest.
Processor Sets
In an environment where processor sets are being used, the icapmodify command activates
Instant Capacity cores into the default processor set and deactivates cores from only the default
processor set. Activation or deactivation of cores in non-default processor sets is a two step
operation, where the first step involves the user migrating the cores into or out of the default
processor set, and the second step is the activation or deactivation of those cores using the
icapmodify command.
See psrset(1M) for more information on processor sets.
Temporary Capacity (TiCAP) Program
Customers may purchase an amount of temporary capacity time. This temporary
capacity can be used to activate one or more cores beyond the number for which usage rights
have been purchased. These extra cores may remain active until they consume the available
temporary capacity time. This allows temporary activation of cores without requiring the purchase
and activation of an RTU codeword for permanent activation.
Note that whenever an Instant Capacity component without usage rights is purchased, an amount
of Instant Access Capacity (IAC) may also be included. Instant Access Capacity is exactly the
same as temporary capacity, except it is automatically provided with an Instant Capacity
component and is not separately purchased. It provides an immediate buffer of temporary
capacity in case extra capacity is needed before there is time to purchase either an RTU codeword,
a temporary capacity codeword, or to setup a Global Instant Capacity (GiCAP) group.
Temporary capacity can be added to the complex by applying a temporary capacity
codeword (available from the HP Utility Pricing Solutions portal) using the icapmodify
command. Information about the amount of temporary capacity time remaining on a complex
can be obtained by executing the icapstatus command. A warning is also sent via e-mail when
the temporary capacity balance is expected to be depleted within a certain period of time.
The icapmodify command allows activating a core using temporary capacity only if at least
30 minutes of temporary capacity is available.
If temporary capacity is depleted and you continue to have more active cores than the
number of core usage rights across the complex, on the next reboot of any partition in the complex,
the software will automatically deactivate one or more cores in order to reconcile the number of
active cores with the number of core usage rights available to the complex. Instant Capacity
software will deactivate as many cores as is necessary to either stop consumption of temporary
capacity or to bring the partition to the minimum number of active cores.
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