Implement high-availability solutions with HP Instant Capacity - easily and effectively

16
Figure 9. HP GiCAP failover completed (partial outage example)
Note: Though iCAP gives up all the rights from the partition, it is best practice to leave one core per partition active to ensure basic availability in case of
failback.
Failover involving unplanned downtime: When both OA modules or the server
complex go down unexpectedly
Now, with iCAP version 10.05 or later and firmware version 2.51.102 or later on Integrity Superdome 2, even when
all the nPars of a server have failed, the iCAP software can contact the OA and record or commit changes related to
the rights seizure. However, if the OA is also not reachable, the iCAP software cannot contact the downed server to
record or commit changes related to the rights seizure. Due to this, seized usage rights are only conditionally released
to the group, and they expire at the end of 30 days. If the downed server does not reconnect to the GiCAP group within
those 30 days, the seized usage rights revert to the downed server automatically, and are no longer available to other
group members, which may result in a noncompliant situation on the borrowing server(s) and in the use of additional
TiCAP. This expiration is built in to protect against accidental duplication of usage rights, while enabling you to get work
done in the absence of the failed systems. If you anticipate that the server might be down longer than the default
expiration time of 30 days, you need to contact HP, before the expiration time, about extending the time period of the
seized rights.
If, however, the downed server reconnects to the GiCAP group sometime before the end of the 30-day period, the rights
seizure is committed just as if the rights seizure had been a normal deactivation of cores. The following example
illustrates this scenario. For example, manual failover from a complete outage of nPars.
Db1: 2 blades,
0 active core
Server 1
A
Active core
Inactive (iCAP) core
Db3: 2 blades, 12
active and 4 iCAP
cores
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A
A
Db2: 2 blades,
16 active cores
Server 2
Db4: 2 blades, 8
active and 8 iCAP
cores
ap1: Group Manager
A A
A
A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A A
A
A
A
A