HP Instant Capacity Version 10.x User Guide (762794-001, March 2014)

1 Introduction to Instant Capacity
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Instant Capacity summary” (page 10)
• “Overview” (page 11)
For more in-depth information, see icap(5).
NOTE: For the latest and most complete information on Instant Capacity see Hewlett-Packard's
online documentation website at: www.hp.com/go/hp-icap-docs
Instant Capacity summary
HP Instant Capacity software provides the ability to instantly increase or decrease computing
capacity on specified HP enterprise servers.
NOTE: HP Instant Capacity for HP 9000 and HP Integrity Servers, also known as Instant Capacity
or iCAP, was known in earlier versions as Instant Capacity on Demand, or iCOD. Although the
commands, warning messages and error messages refer to the software as iCAP, some internal
files might still refer to iCOD.
NOTE: For simplicity and commonality, this book uses the HP-UX commands in all examples. For
information about OpenVMS command equivalents, see Appendix B (page 212).
With iCAP, you initially purchase an HP enterprise server with a specified amount of active
processing capacity, and a specified amount of inactive processing capacity. This amount can
vary based on your sales contract with HP.
Processing capacity consists of the system components:
• Processors containing cores
• Cell boards
• Memory
For each type of component, the number of components that can be active is equal to the number
of usage rights applied to the complex for that type of component. Components that are purchased
with a part number identifying them as “Instant Capacity” and without the label “Right to Use”
come without usage rights. Components that are not labeled “Instant Capacity” implicitly include
usage rights that can be applied to any component of that type that is installed on the complex.
Prior to activation of an inactive component, you must obtain additional usage rights. The
fundamental method is to purchase usage rights by purchasing the appropriate iCAP products that
include the label “Right to Use (RTU)”. HP then supplies an RTU codeword. When the codeword
is applied to the HP enterprise server, the inactive component can be activated.
Additional methods for activating components for which usage rights have not been purchased
include:
• If an HP-UX server is a member of a Global Instant Capacity (GiCAP) group, and if extra
capacity is available from other members of the group, capacity can be “borrowed” from
another member of the group. For information about GiCAP, see Chapter 7.
• You can purchase additional temporary capacity and apply the Temporary Instant Capacity
(TiCAP) codeword to activate one or more cores temporarily. For more information on TiCAP,
see Chapter 5. If a server is a member of a GiCAP group, temporary capacity can be shared
among members of the group.
• You can temporarily activate one or more inactive cores using the Instant Access Capacity
(IAC) provided with the initial purchase of the iCAP component. IAC is the same as TiCAP
except it is automatically provided with an iCAP component and cannot be purchased
10 Introduction to Instant Capacity