Adding or removing paging space devices by using the Integrated Virtualization Manager

You can use the Integrated Virtualization Manager to add paging space devices to or remove paging space devices from the shared memory pool. You can perform these tasks only if the managed system supports the PowerVM® Active Memory™ Sharing technology for using shared memory.

A paging space device is a logical volume or physical volume that, when assigned to a partition that uses shared memory, the management partition can use to provide paging space for the partition. The Integrated Virtualization Manager (IVM) automatically creates and manages paging space devices from the paging storage pool that you defined for the shared memory pool. This is the case as long as the paging storage pool that you defined is of a sufficient size to meet the needs of the shared memory partitions that you create. Consequently, you generally do not need to manage paging space devices on the system, unless you want to specify physical volumes for shared memory partitions to use for paging spaces.

For example, when you use the Create Partition Wizard to create a partition that uses shared memory, the wizard creates and assigns a paging space device of an appropriate size for the new partition from the paging storage pool. This is also the case, for example, when you change the memory mode of a partition to use shared memory. The process is different, however, if you define your own paging space devices for the shared memory pool. When you define a specific paging space device, the wizard assigns this paging space device to the next partition that you create that uses shared memory, as long as the paging space device is of a sufficient size to meet the needs of the new partition.

Use any role other than View Only to perform this task. The View Only role can view the properties, but it cannot change them.

Before you add a paging space device to the shared memory pool, you must meet the following prerequisite conditions:

A shared memory pool must be defined for the system.
The logical volume or physical volume that you want to use as a paging space device must not be in use for another purpose. When you add either a logical volume or a physical volume as a paging space device, it is dedicated to providing this function and is no longer available for any other purpose.
For the Integrated Virtualization Manager to assign the paging space device to a shared memory partition successfully, the logical volume or physical volume that you select to use as a paging space device must meet the following requirements:
- For AIX® or Linux shared memory partitions, the size of the paging space device must be greater than, or equal to, the size specified for the maximum memory attribute for the partition that uses the paging space device.
- For IBM® i shared memory partitions, the size of the paging space device must be greater than, or equal to, the size specified for the maximum memory attribute for the partition, multiplied by 129/128, which is the mathematical equivalent for adding an extra 1 bit for every 16 bytes.

Before you remove a paging space device from the shared memory pool, you must meet the following prerequisite conditions:

Ensure that the paging space device that you want to remove is not assigned to a partition. You cannot remove a paging space device if it is assigned to a partition.
Ensure that the paging space device that you want to remove is not active.

To add a paging space device to or remove a paging space device from the shared memory pool, complete the following steps in the Integrated Virtualization Manager:

From the navigation area, select View/Modify Shared Memory Pool under Partition Management.
Expand Paging Space Devices - Advanced.
To add a paging space device, complete these steps:
1. Click Add. A table appears that lists the available logical volumes and physical volumes on the managed system.
2. Select the logical or physical volume that you want to act as a paging space device, and click OK. The device that you selected is shown in the Paging Spaces table.
To remove a paging space device, complete these steps:
1. Select the paging space device that you want to remove, and click Remove.
2. Click OK to confirm the removal.
  Note: If the paging space device is assigned to a partition, you cannot remove it.

Last updated: Thu, May 07, 2020