AIX Technology Overview

Technology Basics:

RS64
S70 125 MHz
S70A 262 MHz
S80 450 MHz
S80A 600 MHz

Power4 (2001)
-LPAR Technology
-Dynamic LPAR Technology
p690 1.3/1.5/1.7/1.9 GHz

Power5 (2005)
-Shared Processor Partition
-VIO Server
p590 1.65/1.9 GHz
p595 2.1/5 GHz

Power6 Range (2007)
Consistency
-Binary compatibility
-Mainframe-inspired reliability
-Support for virtualisation
Blades/ Entry
-JS22 (2-4 Cores options:IVM)
-JS12
-520 (1-4 Cores options:HMC,IVM)
-550 (2-8 Cores options:HMC,IVM)
Mid-range
-570 (4-16 Cores mandatory:HMC)
Enterprise
-595 (8-64 Cores mandatory:HMC)
-575 (448 Cores mandatory:HMC)

All runs: Linux, IBM i, AIX
*IVM=Integrated Virtualization Manager
*HMC=Hardware Management Console

HMC
One HMC >Many machines (32 max)
>Must be run on Private HMC & Service Processor Network
Machine level
-Power On or Off
-Install new firmware
-Monitor and report for problems
-Directs Service Repairs
LPAR Level
- Create an LPAR
-Allocate CPU, RAM, adapters
- Start or stop a LPAR
- Change LPARs

Technology Overview

1. Logical Partition
-Broken into partitions and each runs into separate machines
-Requires you to install an entire operating system
-It Allocate:
-Processors >Whole CPU
-Memory >128MB
-I/O Slot/Adapter >whole slot
-All Resource allocate independently
-AIX and Linux OS

2. Dynamic Logical Partition
-Moving of resources between logical partitions while they are actually running
-Moves:
-Processors
-Memory
-I/O slot/adapter
- Applications notified of configuration changes

3. Shared Processor Logical Partition (SPLPAR)
-Dedicated CPU - still available
-New share CPU pool
-CPU allocated to LPARs in CPU 100ths
-Guaranteed minimum CPU time
-Idle >give back unused CPU cycles
-Busy >use unused CPU cycles
-Hypervisor allocates CPU time "on demand"
-Can be capped or uncapped, high or low weight and virtual number of CPUs
-LPARs are isolated and secure
-CAPP EAL4+certification

4. Virtual I/O Server
-VIOS Provides:
-Shared Disk adapters >SCSI, Fibre Channel or SATA
-Shared Network adapters>10/100MB of 1GB/10GB Ethernet
-Shared DVD
-Reduced cost and saves time
-Less adapters & cables
-Flexible & fast setup time
-Shared CPUs+Virtual I/O Server=Micro-Partitions

5. Workload Partition
- Do not need access to HMC or IVM to create WPARs
- Lightweight and easy to install
-share filesystems and resources of the global AIX system which they reside
-installs private copies of a few file systems
-fewer AIX licenses might be required
-you don’t have to install fixes and updates on so many virtual systems