Planning for logical partitions

IBM® hardware architectures allow you to create logical partitions to distribute resources within a single server and make it function as if it were two or more independent servers. Before creating logical partitions (LPARs), you need to plan for several variables that are specific to your solution. You need to understand how you can reconfigure partitions to respond to future needs.

You can create logical partitions on your server to integrate multiple operating systems and consolidate several servers into one. Consolidation helps you reduce maintenance and administration costs while improving performance. Planning for logical partitions is a multistep process. Here are the recommended tasks for LPAR planning for AIX®, i5/OS®, and Linux® logical partitions.

Before you begin your planning tasks, complete these items:

Before you begin
__	Determine what you want to do For example, you can: Plan a new system Reconfigure an existing system Upgrade an existing system Physically set up a new system Partition a new system Virtualize systems resources Install operating systems on new partitions Migrate a partition between physical systems To help you determine what you want to do, see Logical partition overview and Concepts for partitioning the server . This information familiarizes you with the hardware and software that is required for logical partitions and prepares you to plan for and create logical partitions on your server.
__	Learn about available tools The available tools include: IBM Prerequisite site IBM Prerequisite site The IBM Prerequisite site provides you with compatibility information for hardware features. This site helps you plan a successful system upgrade by providing you with the prerequisite information for features that you currently have or plan to add to your system. Workload Estimator IBM Systems Workload Estimator The Workload Estimator estimates the computer resources that are required for Domino®, WebSphere® Commerce, WebSphere, Web Serving and traditional workloads. The Workload Estimator projects the most current System i® and System p® models that meet the capacity requirements that are within the CPU percent utilization objectives. System Planning Tool System Planning Tool The System Planning Tool (SPT) emulates an LPAR configuration and validates that the planned partitions are valid. In addition, the SPT allows you to test the placement of AIX, i5/OS and Linux hardware within the system to ensure that the placement is valid. Hardware Management Console Managing your server using the Hardware Management Console The Hardware Management Console (HMC) is a system that controls managed systems, including server hardware, logical partitions, and Capacity on Demand (CoD). Performance toolbox AIX Performance Toolbox and Performance AIDE for POWER® Version 3.0 The AIX Performance Toolbox (PTX®) for POWER Version 3.0 is a licensed program product that provides a comprehensive tool for monitoring and tuning system performance in distributed environments. Integrated Virtualization Manager Partitioning with Integrated Virtualization Manager Integrated Virtualization Manager is a browser-based system management interface that you can use to manage a single managed system that uses Virtual I/O Server on a managed partition. Virtual I/O Server Using the Virtual I/O Server The Virtual I/O Server is an appliance that resides in a logical partition that facilitates the sharing of physical I/O resources between AIX and Linux client logical partitions within the server.
__	Check prerequisites Use these resources to check prerequisites: Hardware resources IBM Prerequisite Web site at http://www-912.ibm.com/e_dir/eServerPrereq.nsf

Before you begin

Determine what you want to do

For example, you can:

Plan a new system
Reconfigure an existing system
Upgrade an existing system
Physically set up a new system
Partition a new system
Virtualize systems resources
Install operating systems on new partitions
Migrate a partition between physical systems

To help you determine what you want to do, see Logical partition overview and Concepts for partitioning the server .

This information familiarizes you with the hardware and software that is required for logical partitions and prepares you to plan for and create logical partitions on your server.

Learn about available tools

The available tools include:

IBM Prerequisite site: IBM Prerequisite site; The IBM Prerequisite site provides you with compatibility information for hardware features. This site helps you plan a successful system upgrade by providing you with the prerequisite information for features that you currently have or plan to add to your system.

Workload Estimator: IBM Systems Workload Estimator; The Workload Estimator estimates the computer resources that are required for Domino®, WebSphere® Commerce, WebSphere, Web Serving and traditional workloads. The Workload Estimator projects the most current System i® and System p® models that meet the capacity requirements that are within the CPU percent utilization objectives.

System Planning Tool: System Planning Tool; The System Planning Tool (SPT) emulates an LPAR configuration and validates that the planned partitions are valid. In addition, the SPT allows you to test the placement of AIX, i5/OS and Linux hardware within the system to ensure that the placement is valid.

Hardware Management Console: Managing your server using the Hardware Management Console; The Hardware Management Console (HMC) is a system that controls managed systems, including server hardware, logical partitions, and Capacity on Demand (CoD).

Performance toolbox: AIX Performance Toolbox and Performance AIDE for POWER® Version 3.0; The AIX Performance Toolbox (PTX®) for POWER Version 3.0 is a licensed program product that provides a comprehensive tool for monitoring and tuning system performance in distributed environments.

Integrated Virtualization Manager: Partitioning with Integrated Virtualization Manager; Integrated Virtualization Manager is a browser-based system management interface that you can use to manage a single managed system that uses Virtual I/O Server on a managed partition.
Virtual I/O Server: Using the Virtual I/O Server; The Virtual I/O Server is an appliance that resides in a logical partition that facilitates the sharing of physical I/O resources between AIX and Linux client logical partitions within the server.

Check prerequisites

Use these resources to check prerequisites:

Hardware resources
IBM Prerequisite Web site at http://www-912.ibm.com/e_dir/eServerPrereq.nsf

Logical partition planning tasks
__	Take inventory of your current environment, and what is available through CoD See Working with Capacity on Demand.
__	Perform capacity planning Use the Workload Estimator (WLE) for each logical system, new or consolidated, to determine the number of partitions that are needed and the size of each. Use your existing Performance Monitor (PM) information as input for the WLE. See the IBM Systems Workload Estimator Web site at http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/tools/estimator/index.html.
__	Design and validate your partition configuration Use the SPT to help you design a partitioned system and develop a system plan. See the System Planning Tool for more information about this tool. If you are using an HMC to partition, you can use the system plan file to automate the task of creating partitions on your system. See System plan overview to learn how to deploy a system plan.
__	Use the WLE and SPT output to identify the console that interacts with the server and its operating systems See Console options for logical partitions to help you determine which console helps you to connect and communicate with the server and your operating systems.
__	Use the WLE and SPT output to determine how the partitions communicate with other partitions, servers, or workstations See Communications options for logical partitions to help you select the communication option for your logical partition. Determine which communication option allows you to communicate with other partitions, servers, and workstations.
__	Use the WLE and SPT output to identify how the partitions communicate with the HMC See Hardware Management Console (HMC) to help you determine how to implement a network connection on the HMC.
__	Determine a service and support strategy See Service, support, and troubleshooting to understand how your server communicates to your service provider if you have hardware or software errors. Determine how to apply fixes to your server and how you identify problems that need to be reported to your service provider.
__	Decide if you want your operating systems to share I/O resources with each other See Using the Virtual I/O Server to understand how your OS can provide I/O resources to other logical partitions.
__	Plan for software licensing in a partitioned environment You need to decide how many software licenses you might need depending on your logical partition configuration. Software licensing for IBM licensed programs on logical partitions Software licensing considerations for Capacity BackUp.