Announcing AIX7 & download from 10th Sept 2010 |
Step change in POWER7 performance
I just noticed the rPerfs (relative performance numbers) for the four new Entry Level systems (Power 710/720/730/740) and the High End Power 795 are available in the updated "Power Systems Facts and Features" document on the IBM website. My notes: The Entry Level machines are now 16 core/CPU/way (delete as you like to call them). That is a serious machine for the bottom end 2U rack server and it has all the POWER7 virtualisation features built in. These humble machines have the roughly the same performance as the mid-range previous... [More]
标签:  power7 aix7 797 710 rperf 740 720 730 |
Things have moved on since AIX 5.2
We needed to install AIX 5.2 in order to create a mksysb for AIX 7 Versioned WPAR testing - this allows you to run AIX 5.2 in a WPAR. First we had endless problems locating media but our Computer Room Manager Mike turned up trumps in the end - he keeps everything and regularly saves the day. So we loaded all 7 CDROMs on to our VIOS to add them to the virtual Optical Library. Second, we booted from the CDROM only to with an immediate halt with a warning the AIX 5.2 can't run in a Shared CPU LPAR - doh! we should have realised that one. It was a... [More]
标签:  vwpar aix5.2 2002 powervm power7 aix7 |
AIX7 Open Beta - download yourself a copy today
The AIX 7 Open Beta is available now - this gives you access to the version to be released later this year. Find the summary in a earlier AIXpert blog and then the details at the new AIX7 Open Beta website. I have downloaded the image at just 2.4 GB (watch out for your 1GB default ulimit) for the entire AIX OS and have it running fine. I installed via my VIOS based virtual optical drive. Also included are access to new compilers versions, the AIX7 documentation and support via a Forum.
标签:  aix7 open beta |
CPU GHz monitoring using lparstat
Just came across this good AIX wiki article about monitoring the POWER7 CPU/core frequency changing on the fly and the new lparstat command options ( -Ew). This allows you to see what is happening with your GHz (like pmcycles -M but collected regularly). This article is written by a guru in the AIX Performance Tools developers group. It explains how the utilisation numbers are adjusted to allow for GHz using the PURR and SPURR hardware counters built in the processor to get accurate CPU stats. Check it out here - CPU Frequency Monitoring using... [More]
标签:  aix power7 purr lparstat spurr ghz |
What is the savings of using WPARs over LPARs?
I was just asked this question by customer and it got me thinking, Items I would include: WPAR takes seconds to create and LPARs minutes LPARs need setting VIOS LV or LUNs but WPARs add simpler NFS mount points, or can just use Global AIX diskspace options LPAR needs 512 to 1GB to boot AIX and a WPAR takes just ~60 MB (yes sixty megabytes) You can share application code say 1 GB in each and every LPAR (40 LPAR = 40 GB) or just one shared read-only copy for all WPARs 40 WPAR = 1 GB).This saves man-power in maintenance, disk space AND memory (if... [More]
标签:  power7 lpar aix7 aix wpar 5.2 |
AIX7 is coming!
Just a quick look at the features for AIX7 - which is coming soon. Take a look at AIX7 Preview for an official statement. The two major items for me are 1) Scaling to 256 cores (or CPUs as I have called them for 25 years) Power systems always had lower CPU counts than the competition particularly in the high end machines due to the faster speed of the processor and this benefits batch (single threaded) work, software costs (lower CPU numbers) and is easier for scaling up but now a truly massive POWER7 machine is near and AIX7 is the OS to run... [More]
标签:  aix7 wpar aix6 power7 |
rPerf script - to work out an rPerf rating for your LPAR
The official rPerf rating (relative performance rating of Power based machines) are available in the pSeries, System p and now Power Systems "Facts and Features" documents that are on the IBM website. It is best to use Google for them (searching for "pseries Facts and Features" works for me). You may want to know the rPerf rating for your LPAR and an LPAR that is not one of the officially rated numbers of CPUs/Cores. There may be ratings for 8 and 16 CPUs but your LPAR has 13 CPUs! Well, you can run the rperf script on... [More]
标签:  rperf power6 pwer4 aix power power7 power5 |
Systems Diretor 6.2 released - get yours now!
Late last week Systems Director 6.2 was released - a few days early too! This is the free to download and use IBM platform management software from IBM. For us AIX guys that means Power Systems Hardware, HMC, IVM, VIOS and AIX - and Linux on POWER too This new release is was focused mainly performance, simpler install (or migration from 6.1) and rolling in many fixes that could not be addresses with service packs. There are also some new features like dual VIOS SAN support for VMControl virtual application deployment. AIX is obviously the... [More]
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POWER7 variable frequency monitoring in AIX
AIX 6.1 TL04 sp3 supports the new POWER7 machines like Power 750, 77 and 780, where CPUs can be run at slower speeds to reduce electrical energy use when not busy. This feature is switched on by Systems Director and the Active Energy Manager plugin which talks to the service processor to enables it. I like the "Dynamic Power Saving - Favour Performance" option. From the AIX end, the pmcycles command is used to find your current CPU frequency. Before switching on the energy saving: # pmcycles -M This machine runs at 3550 MHz - This... [More]
标签:  aix6 pmcycles aix aem |
AIX support for POWER7
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标签:  hardware power7 aix |
Oracle database support for AIX 6 Workload Partitions |
New PowerHA support flashes
PowerHA recently announced support for the following: PowerHA announces support for DS3400 PowerHA announces support SAS Adapters PowerHA announces support 5735 PCI-e Dual Fibre Adapter Click on the above linked text for full support details.
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Recent PowerHA announcements
HACMP recently announced support for the following: PowerHA announces support for JS23/JS43 PowerHA announces support JS12 PowerHA announces support for Async GLVM PowerHA/XD Announces Support for SVC 4.3.1 Click on the above linked text for full support details.
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Increased Memory Requirements for VIOS 2.1 and LHEA
Using NIM to install VIOS 2.1 The install may hang with after the message: "Mounting File Systems" Why? VIOS 2.1 requires more than 1GB of memory typical for VIOS 1.5 From the Release Notes: Each LHEA *port* assigned to the VIO Server requires a minimum of 612MB (not a typo) of memory - *each* port. This is in addition to the base memory that VIOS 2.1 itself requires (typically 512MB). Example: If you have two [2] LHEAs assigned to VIOS 2.1, the VIOS will need a minimum of: 612 MB + 612 MB + 512 MB = 1,736MB (LHEA) + (LHEA) + (Base) =... [More]
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