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

Virtual partitions
Dynamic core capabilities with vPars are supported from vPars A.05.09 or later.
Instant Capacity can be present on systems or partitions where virtual partition technology is
employed. In a virtual partition environment, cores that are not assigned to any virtual partition
are considered inactive (in addition to other classes of inactive cores). Unassigned cores can be
assigned (activated) or assigned core can be deassigned (deactivated) using either the icapmodify
command or the vparmodify command, depending on the type of adjustment needed, the version
of vPars being used, and the level of logging or reporting desired.
One important consideration is that vparmodify can be used to activate or deactivate cores in
other virtual partitions within the nPartition; icapmodify only activates or deactivates cores within
the current virtual partition (the partition where the command is invoked).
However, the most important consideration is that the icapmodify command must be used in a
virtual partition environment when you make any adjustment to an nPartition.
For more information about virtual partitions, see vparmodify(1M).
HP Integrity Virtual Machines (Integrity VM/vPars)
In an Integrity VM environment, Instant Capacity software provides meaningful functionality only
on the VM Host; it does not run on a virtual machine (also known as a guest). In particular, Instant
Capacity commands report an error if an attempt to run on a virtual machine is made from a guest.
You cannot run a GiCAP Group Manager on a guest, nor can you specify a guest in the host list
for a GiCAP group member.
Processor sets
In an environment where processor sets are used, the icapmodify command activates Instant
Capacity cores into the default processor set and deactivates cores from only the default processor
set. Activation or deactivation of cores in non-default processor sets is a two-step operation. The
first step involves the user migrating the cores into or out of the default processor set; the second
step is the activation or deactivation of those cores using the icapmodify command.
For more information about processor sets, see psrset(1M).
TiCAP program
Customers can purchase an amount of temporary capacity time. This temporary capacity can be
used to activate one or more cores beyond the number for which usage rights have been purchased.
These extra cores can remain active until they consume the available temporary capacity time.
This allows temporary activation of cores without requiring the purchase and activation of an RTU
codeword for permanent activation.
Whenever an Instant Capacity component without usage rights is purchased, an amount of Instant
Access Capacity (IAC) might also be included. Instant Access Capacity is exactly the same as
temporary capacity, except that it is automatically provided with an Instant Capacity component
and is not separately purchased. It provides an immediate buffer of temporary capacity, in case
extra capacity is needed before you purchase either an RTU codeword, a temporary capacity
codeword, or setup a GiCAPgroup.
TiCAP can be added to the complex by applying a temporary capacity codeword (available from
the HP Utility Pricing Solutions portal) using the icapmodify command. Information about the
amount of temporary capacity time remaining on a complex can be obtained by executing the
icapstatus command. A warning is also sent via email when the temporary capacity balance
is expected to be depleted within a certain period of time.
The icapmodify command allows you to activate a core using temporary capacity only if at least
30 minutes of temporary capacity is available for each core that is being activated.
Whenever temporary capacity is applied to a system (or if the complex is part of a GiCAP group),
extra care must be taken to avoid situations that can cause the Instant Capacity software on one
195