HP Insight Global Workload Manager 6.0 Software: User Guide

1 Overview
This document presents an overview of the techniques and tools available for using HP Insight
Global Workload Manager software for Integrity (or gWLM.) It exposes you to the essentials
and allows you to quickly start using gWLM. This document is intended to be used by Virtual
Server Environment (VSE) system administrators, VSE application administrators, and other
technical professionals involved with data center operations, administration, and planning. An
understanding of HP-UX system administration concepts and procedures is assumed
This chapter provides an overview of gWLM, including benefits, key concepts and terms, and
the gWLM management model.
gWLM Overview
gWLM allows you to centrally define resource-sharing policies that you can use across multiple
HP servers. Using these policies can increase system utilization and facilitate controlled sharing
of system resources. In addition, gWLM provides both real-time and historical monitoring of
the resource allocation.
gWLM consists of a VSE Central Management Server, or CMS. You configure gWLM and monitor
your workloads from the system where the CMS software is installed. Also, you use agent
software on the systems where you have workloads you want gWLM to manage.
Benefits of using gWLM
The benefits of using gWLM include:
Better use of existing server capacity
Typically, servers are set up with a single workload and ample reserve capacity to handle
the peak demand of that workload. gWLM allows you to combine multiple workloads with
differing demand patterns on a single server and make use of the idle capacity—when it is
not needed by your mission-critical workload.
Confidence that mission-critical workloads get the required resources
Even with multiple workloads on a server, you can ensure your mission-critical workload
gets the resources it needs. gWLM automatically adjusts resource allocation, making it easy
to share resources when they are plentiful, and to dedicate resources to workloads during
spikes in resource demand.
Reduced system administration costs
With gWLM, you can combine more workloads on fewer servers, thereby reducing
administration costs.
Comparison of PRM, WLM, and gWLM features
Process Resource Manager (PRM), Workload Manager (WLM), and gWLM all enable you to
control system resources. Use only one of these products at a time on a system.
For a detailed comparison of WLM and gWLM features, see the white paper Migrating from WLM
to gWLM available from http://www.hp.com/go/insightdynamics/docs. As for comparing PRM
and gWLM features, gWLM provides most of the PRM functionality. However, gWLM does not
provide the following PRM features:
Memory controls
Disk I/O controls
Simultaneous management of processor sets and fss groups within a single HP-UX image
Noncapped mode
gWLM Overview 7