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Virtual Partition Manager

The Virtual Partition Manager is a feature of IBM® i that allows you to create and manage one IBM i logical partition and up to four Linux® logical partitions on a single IBM System i® server. You can use the Virtual Partition Manager to create logical partitions on any IBM System i model that does not require a Hardware Management Console (HMC).

To use the Virtual Partition Manager, you must first install IBM i on an nonpartitioned server. After you install IBM i, you can initiate a console session on IBM i and use System Service Tools (SST) to create and configure Linux logical partitions. IBM i controls the resource allocations of the logical partitions on the server.

This image represents a partitioned IBM System i server with a twinaxial console connected to the IBM i Virtual Partition Manager.

This figure illustrates the IBM i logical partition and the Linux logical partitions that are managed by the IBM i logical partition. The user creates and configures the Linux logical partitions on the server by accessing SST over the twinaxial console.

When you use the Virtual Partition Manager to create logical partitions on a server, SST is the only tool that you can use to create and manage the logical partitions. You cannot use System i Navigator to create or manage logical partitions on a server. However, the console session that you use to access SST can be initiated using either Operations Console (LAN or direct attach) or a twinaxial console.


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Last updated: Fri, Oct 30, 2009