HP Galaxy Software Architecture on OpenVMS Alpha, Version 1.1 (12790)

HP Galaxy Software Architecture on OpenVMS Alpha, Version 1.1 SPD 70.44.09
In a shared-nothing computing model, the instances do
not share any resources; operations are isolated from
one another.
In a shared-partial computing model, the instances
share some resources and cooperate in a limited way.
In a shared-everything model, the instances cooperate
fully and share all available resources.
OpenVMS Galaxy leverages proven OpenVMS Cluster,
SMP, and performance capabilities to offer greater levels
of performance, scalability, availability, and flexibility.
By running multiple instances of OpenVMS in a single
computer, an OpenVMS Galaxy computing environment
gives you quantum improvements in:
• Compatibility—Existing applications run without changes.
• Availability—Presents opportunities to upgrade soft-
ware and expand system capacity without downtime.
• Scalability—Offers scaling alternatives that improve
performance of SMP and cluster environments.
• Adaptability—Physical resources can be dynamically
reassigned to meet changing workload demands.
• Cost of ownership—Fewer computer systems reduce
system management requirements, floor space, and
more.
For companies looking to improve their ability to man-
age unpredictable, variable, or growing IT workloads,
OpenVMS Galaxy technology provides a flexible way to
dynamically reconfigure and manage system resources.
An OpenVMS Galaxy computing environment is ideal
for high-availability applications, such as:
• Database servers
• Transaction processing systems
• Data warehousing
• Data mining
• Internet servers
Software and Hardware Components
An OpenVMS Galaxy computing environment is com-
prised of the following:
• OpenVMS Alpha operating system
• AlphaServer Console Firmware
• Supported hardware
For more information about these components, see the
Software Requirements and Hardware Requirements
sections of this SPD.
FEATURES
You can create an OpenVMS Galaxy computing envi-
ronment that allows you to:
• Reassign CPUs between instances.
• Perform independent booting and shutdown of in-
stances.
• Use shared memory for interinstance communica-
tion.
• Create a shared memory RAMdisk with HP DECram
for OpenVMS Alpha Version 3.0 or later.
• Cluster instances within an OpenVMS Galaxy using
the Shared Memory Cluster Interconnect (SMCI).
• Cluster instances with non-Galaxy systems.
• Create applications using OpenVMS Galaxy applica-
tion programming interfaces (APIs) for resource man-
agement, event notification, locking for synchroniza-
tion, and shared memory for global sections.
• Use the Galaxy Configuration Utility (GCU) to view
and control the OpenVMS Galaxy environment.
• Run a single-instance OpenVMS Galaxy on any
Alpha system for application development.
The following sections describe some of these features
in more detail.
Galaxy Configuration Utility
The Galaxy Configuration Utility is a DECwindows Motif
application that allows system managers to configure
and manage an OpenVMS Galaxy system from a single
workstation window.
Using the GCU, system managers can:
• Display the active Galaxy configuration.
• Reassign resources among Galaxy instances.
• View resource-specific characteristics.
• Shut down or reboot one or more Galaxy instances.
• Invoke additional management tools.
• Create and engage Galaxy configuration models.
• Create a single-instance Galaxy on any Alpha sys-
tem (for software development on non-Galaxy hard-
ware platforms).
• View the online Galaxy documentation.
• Determine hot-swap characteristics of the current
hardware platform.
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