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

Introduction
Welcome
Welcome to the HP Instant Capacity User’s Guide for versions 8.x. Hewlett-Packard’s Instant Capacity
software product provides the ability to instantly increase or decrease computing capacity on
specified HP enterprise servers.
NOTE: The name of the product has changed from Instant Capacity on Demand (or iCOD) to
HP Instant Capacity for HP 9000 and HP Integrity Servers, also known as Instant Capacity or
iCAP. In addition, Temporary Capacity on Demand (TiCOD) is now called Temporary Instant
Capacity, or TiCAP. In this version, many of the commands, warning messages and error messages
have been changed to refer to the software as iCAP. However, some internal files may still be
named or refer to iCOD.
NOTE: For simplicity and commonality, this book uses the HP-UX commands in all examples.
Refer to Appendix B (page 193) for details on OpenVMS command equivalents.
With Instant Capacity, you initially purchase an HP enterprise server with a specified amount
of active processing capacity, and a specified amount of inactive processing capacity.
Processing capacity consists of the system components:
• Processors containing cores
• Cell boards
• Memory
For each type of component, the number that can be active is equal to the number of usage rights
applied to the complex for that type of component. Components purchased with a part number
identifying them as “Instant Capacity” and without the label “Right to Use” come without usage
rights. Components which are not labeled as Instant Capacity implicitly include usage rights
that can be applied to any component of that type installed on the complex.
Prior to activation of an inactive component, additional usage rights must be obtained. The
fundamental method is to purchase usage rights by purchasing the appropriate Instant Capacity
products that include the label “Right to Use (RTU)”. HP then supplies a Right to Use (RTU)
codeword. When the codeword is applied to the HP Enterprise server, the inactive component
can be activated.
Additional methods for activating components for which usage rights have not been purchased
include:
• If an HP-UX server is a member of a Global Instant Capacity Group (GiCAP), and if extra
capacity is available from other members of the group, capacity may be “borrowed” from
another member of the group. Global Instant Capacity is described in Chapter 7.
• You may purchase additional Temporary Instant Capacity (TiCAP) and apply the temporary
capacity codeword in order to activate one or more cores for a temporary period of time.
Temporary Instant Capacity is described in Chapter 5. If a server is a member of a Global
Instant Capacity Group, temporary capacity can be shared between members of the group.
• You may temporarily activate one or more inactive cores using the Instant Access Capacity
(IAC) provided with the initial purchase of the Instant Capacity component. Instant Access
Capacity is exactly the same as Temporary Instant 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 an RTU codeword, a TiCAP codeword, or to setup a GiCAP group on an
HP-UX system.
22 Instant Capacity Overview