IBM p5 550, Technical Overview And Introduction

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Chapter 2. Architecture and technical overview
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Depending on the system configuration, the operating system console can be provided by the
Hardware Management Console virtual TTY, IVM virtual TTY, or from a terminal emulator
connected to a system port.
2.12 Advanced POWER Virtualization feature
The Advanced POWER Virtualization feature (FC 7941) is an optional, additional cost feature.
This feature enables the implementation of more fine-grained virtual partitions on IBM
System p5 servers.
The Advanced POWER Virtualization feature includes:
򐂰 Firmware enablement for Micro-Partitioning technology.
Support for up to 10 partitions per processor using 1/100 of the processor granularity. The
minimum CPU requirement per partition is 1/10. All processors will be enabled for
Micro-Partitioning technology (number of processors on system equals the number of
Advanced POWER Virtualization features ordered).
򐂰 Installation image for the Virtual I/O Server software that is shipped as a system image on
DVD. Client partitions can be either AIX 5L Version 5.3 or Linux. It supports:
– Ethernet adapter sharing (Ethernet bridge from virtual Ethernet to external network).
– Virtual SCSI Server.
– Partition management using Integrated Virtualization Manager (Virtual I/O Server
Version 1.2 or later only).
򐂰 Partition Load Manager (AIX 5L Version 5.3 only)
– Automated CPU and memory reconfiguration.
– Real-time partition configuration and load statistics.
– A graphical user interface.
For more details about Advanced POWER Virtualization and virtualization in general, see:
http://www.ibm.com/systems/p/apv/index.html
2.12.1 Micro-Partitioning technology
The concept of Micro-Partitioning technology allows you to allocate fractions of processors to
the partition. The Micro-Partitioning technology is only available with POWER5 and
processor-based systems. From an operating system perspective, a virtual
processor cannot be distinguished from a physical processor, unless the operating system
has been enhanced to be made aware of the difference. Physical processors are abstracted
into virtual processors that are available to partitions. See 2.12.2, “Logical, virtual, and
physical processor mapping” on page 52 for more details.
When defining a shared partition, you have to define several options:
򐂰 Minimum, desired, and maximum processing units. Processing units are defined as
processing power, or fraction of time, the partition is dispatched on physical processors.
򐂰 The processing sharing mode, either capped or uncapped.
򐂰 Weight (preference) in the case of uncapped partition.
򐂰
Minimum, desired, and maximum number of virtual processors.