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

Usage rights requirement
A system managed under the iCAP program can include one or more components (core, cell, or
memory) that are without usage rights. Before you can use these components, you must obtain
additional usage rights. Usage rights can either be purchased from HP, or, if the system is a member
of a GiCAP group, borrowed temporarily from another member of the group, as described in the
section “GiCAP sharing rights” (page 70).
Purchase of usage rights from HP is managed through the use of RTU codewords. Contact your
HP sales representative to purchase component-specific usage rights. After such a purchase, HP
sends you a letter informing you how to retrieve the RTU codeword from the HP Utility Pricing
Solutions website:
http://www.hp.com/go/icap/portal
After the RTU codeword is retrieved from the Utility Pricing Solutions portal, the RTU codeword is
applied to your server by the use of the icapmodify -C command. When the codeword is
applied, component-specific usage rights on the system are increased, allowing you to activate
one or more additional components.
iCAP integration with vPars (HP-UX)
The minimum required versions of vPars software for HP-UX systems are as follows:
• HP-UX 11i v1: vPars version A.03.05
• HP-UX 11i v2: vPars version A.04.01
• HP-UX 11i v3: vPars version A.05.01
• HP-UX 11i v3: vPars version A.05.09 or later for Dynamic Core capabilities.
Each of these versions provides a virtual partition environment which is tightly integrated with
iCAP, making it less likely for a complex to be misconfigured or to violate contractual compliance.
The iCAP software must be installed on all virtual partitions in an iCAP system.
For details about virtual partitions, see the Installing and Managing HP-UX Virtual Partitions manual
on the Business Support Center (BSC) website:
www.hp.com/go/hpux-vpars-docs
iCAP components
Overview
The iCAP software monitors and enforces compliance with contractual agreements. It authorizes
or denies activation of system components (cores, cells, memory) based on a complexwide database
of usage rights. For details about acquiring additional usage rights, see “Usage rights requirement”
(page 24).
Activation of components is restricted according to complexwide compliance for each component
type. A complex is in a compliant state when the number of active components of a given type
does not exceed the number of that component’s available usage rights on the complex.
Processors and cores
Although you purchase iCAP processors for your system, the iCAP software monitors and manages
the total number of cores. For example, if you have a dual-core iCAP processor, two cores must
remain inactive on the complex.
The iCAP software enforces compliance for cores by comparing the actual number of inactive cores
with the expected number of inactive cores (the number of cores without usage rights) for the entire
complex, according to the contract with HP. Available core usage rights can be used to activate
any core in an active cell board. Note also that temporary capacity can be used to activate cores
24 Getting started