IBM System p Virtualization Technologies - Workload Partitions (WPARs) and Shared Processor LPARs

Overview

The paper describes related capabilities of System p Advanced POWER Virtualization (APV) and AIX with respect to resource virtualization and mobility. It focuses on the Shared Processor LPAR (SPLPAR) feature of POWER5 and POWER6 based System p servers and Workload Partitions (WPAR) introduced with AIX Version 6.1. Both cover similar functionality in virtualizing and fencing physical resources across multiple consolidated SAP instances with resource sharing. In addition, the LPM (Live Partition Mobility) feature of POWER6, and WPAR based Application Mobility capability of AIX 6 are functions that allow relocation of running SAP instances from one IBM System p physical server (CEC) to another without disrupting the availability for end users.