Instant Capacity Terminology

A core that has been turned on by the Instant Capacity software or during installation. Cores are activated with the icapmodify command (or the vparmodify command in an HP-UX virtual partition) while HP-UX or OpenVMS is running.

A cell that is available for use by the software running on the nPartition. This implies that the cell’s processors and memory (and I/O, if the cell is attached to an I/O chassis) are all available for use by the operating system. An active cell has the following characteristics:

An nPartition is active if at least one of the cells in the nPartition is active.

A system that has been converted to an Instant Capacity system. This process is performed by an HP service representative.

Boot console handler. The system firmware user interface that allows boot-related configuration changes and operations on PA-RISC systems. For example, BCH provides a way to specify boot options and the choice of boot devices. The EFI Boot Manager provides a similar function for Itanium-based systems.

Boot-is-blocked. The state of a cell that is powered on but is not allowed to boot.

For vPars versions before A.04, a core that can process interrupts for a virtual partition. Bound cores cannot be migrated from one virtual partition to another if either of the partitions is running. Every virtual partition must have at least one bound core.

A circuit board that contains cores and memory, controlled by a cell controller chip. A cell board is the basic building block of an nPartition in a complex.

The mechanism used with Instant Capacity software B.06.x and later to manage component usage rights. Prior to activating a component, a Right to Use (RTU) codeword must be applied to an Instant Capacity system. Codewords are obtained from the Utility Pricing Solutions web portal after additional usage rights for an Instant Capacity component have been purchased.

A processor that has been configured at the boot console handler (BCH) and whose core(s) are now available for activation.

The actual data-processing core within a processor. There may be multiple cores within a single processor.

A processor that has not yet been configured at the boot console handler (BCH). The Instant Capacity software cannot activate a processor core that is deconfigured.

A guest operating system is the operating system that is running on a virtual machine.

A physical partition of an HP server, comprising a group of cells (containing processors and memory), and I/O chassis. Each hard partition operates independently of other hard partitions, and can run a single instance of HP-UX or some other operating system. A hard partition can be further divided into virtual partitions. Hard partitions are also referred to as “nPartitions”.

See Instant Capacity component.

See Instant Capacity processor.

A cell that is not available for use by software running on an nPartition. This term is usually used to describe a cell that has the following status (though any cell that is not active is by definition inactive).

An nPartition in which all of its cells are inactive.

A processor in an Instant Capacity system that is currently inactive. Inactive processors without usage rights are capable of activation by use of the icapmodify command (or by use of the vparmodify command in a virtual partition). An inactive processor is also referred to as a “deactivated processor”.

Also called IAC. An amount of temporary capacity included with the purchase of an Instant Capacity component.

Also called iCAP, and formerly known as Instant Capacity On Demand, or iCOD. The HP Utility Pricing Solutions product that allows you to purchase and install additional processing power through the use of a two-step purchase model. Initially, you purchase system components (processors, cell boards, memory) at a fraction of the regular price because the usage rights are not included. These Instant Capacity components are inactive but installed and ready for use. When extra capacity is needed, you pay the remainder of the regular price for the usage rights to activate the component(s). If the regular price for the component is reduced by the time the usage rights are purchased, the remainder price is proportionally reduced, providing additional savings.

Also called a component without usage rights, an Instant Capacity component is a core, cell board or memory that is physically installed in an Instant Capacity system but is not authorized for use. Before it can be used, an RTU (see Right to Use) must be purchased and a codeword applied to the system.

Also called a processor without usage rights, a processor that is physically installed in an Instant Capacity system, but does not have usage rights, nor is it activated. After obtaining usage rights, Instant Capacity processors can be turned on by the Instant Capacity software or during installation. Processors with usage rights are activated with the icapmodify command (or the vparmodify command in a virtual partition) while HP-UX or OpenVMS is running.

The process of activating and deactivating cores across partitions for load-balancing. See “Load-Balancing Active Cores” for more information.

This is the main controlling core from the perspective of the operating system. This core is designated as CPU 0. The LPMC monitor does not deactivate/replace a failing monarch processor. This is also known as the boot processor.

A partition in a cell-based server that consists of one or more cells, and one or more I/O chassis. Each nPartition operates independently of other nPartitions and either runs a single instance of an operating system or is further divided into virtual partitions.

The ability to activate a deactivated core while HP-UX or OpenVMS is running. No reboot is required. This is done by using the icapmodify command, or the vparmodify command in a virtual partition. Online activation is the default behavior of the Instant Capacity software.

A subset of server hardware that includes core, memory, and I/O resources on which an operating system can be run. This type of partitioning allows a single server to run an operating system independently in each partition with isolation from other partitions.

Also called PPU. The HP software product, which is a part of the HP Utility Pricing Solutions program, that has a pricing model in which you are charged for the processing usage. You acquire a specific hardware platform, and number of cores, and are charged for usage of the cores depending on system demand.

The hardware component that plugs into a processor socket. Processors can contain more than one core.

The fee a customer pays to acquire usage rights for a complex with Instant Capacity components (memory, cell board, or core). This fee authorizes the user to obtain an RTU codeword to activate Instant Capacity components. The amount paid for this is called the “activation fee” or “enablement fee”.

A server, nPartition, virtual partition, or virtual machine that is running an instance of an operating system.

Or Temporary Instant Capacity, an HP product that enables customers to purchase prepaid core activation rights, for a specified (temporary) period of time. Temporary capacity is sold in 30 processing-day increments. Temporary capacity is also referred to as “TiCAP” or, formerly, as “TiCOD”.

A software entity provided by HP Integrity Virtual Machines (Integrity VM). This technology allows a single server or nPartition to act as an Integrity VM Host for multiple individual virtual machines (also known as “VM Guests”), each running its own instance of an operating system (referred to as a “guest OS”). Each VM Guest emulates a real Integrity machine, including firmware. Virtual machines are servers in the Virtual Server Environment (VSE).

A software partition of a server, or of a single nPartition, where each virtual partition can run its own instance of an operating system. A virtual partition cannot span an nPartition boundary.

An HP Integrity server running HP-UX with the HP Integrity Virtual Machines software installed. Virtual machines are manifested as processes executing on the VM Host. Configuration, management, and monitoring of virtual machines is performed on the VM Host.

An HP software product that allows software partitioning.

Web-Based Enterprise Management. A set of web-based information services standards developed by the Distributed Management Task Force, Inc. A WBEM provider offers access to a resource. WBEM clients can send requests to providers to get information about and access to the registered resources.