Introduction to nPartitions

Cell-based HP servers enable you to configure a single server complex as one large system or as multiple smaller systems by configuring nPartition

• Each nPartition defines a subset of server hardware resources to be used as an independent system environment. An nPartition includes one or more cells assigned to it (with processors and memory) and all I/O chassis connected to those cells.

• All processors, memory, and I/O in an nPartition are used exclusively by software running in the nPartition.

• Each nPartition has its own system boot interface, and each nPartition boots and reboots independently.

• nPartitions can be reconfigured for a server without physically modifying the serverhardware configuration by using the HP software-based nPartition management tools.

HP-UX-nPartition

Operating Systems Supported on nPartitions

Here is the list of operating systems that can run on nPartitions.

HP-UX 11i v1 (B.11.11)

HP-UX 11i v2 (B.11.23)

HP-UX 11i v3 (B.11.31)

HP OpenVMS I64 8.2-1 and 8.3

Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10

Administration Tools for nPartitions

The main administration tools for nPartitions are

1. Partition Manager – which provides a graphical interface.

2. The nPartition Commands – which provide a command-line interface.

Partition Manager

Tool location of Partition Manager (/opt/parmgr/bin/parmgr)

Partition Manager provides a graphical interface for configuring, modifying, and managing nPartitions and hardware within a server complex.

The following tools can perform nPartition administration tasks:

Service Processor (MP or GSP) Menus

Service processor menus provide a service interface for the entire complex. It allows access to all hardware and nPartitions defined within the complex.

EFI Boot Manager and EFI Shell Commands

On cell-based HP Integrity servers, the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) supports nPartition management. The EFI is accessible from an nPartition console when the nPartition is in an active state but has not booted an operating system.

BCH Menu Commands

On cell-based PA-RISC servers, the Boot Console Handler (BCH) interface supports management from an nPartition console when the nPartition is in an active state but has not booted an operating system.

nPartition Commands

Command	Description
parcreate	Create a new nPartition; root or IPMI LAN access is required.
parmodify	Modify an existing nPartition; root or IPMI LAN access is required.
parremove	Remove an existing nPartition; root or IPMI LAN access is required.
parstatus	Display nPartition information and hardware details for a server complex.
parunlock	Unlock Complex Profile data (use this command with caution); root or IPMI LAN access is required.
fruled	Blink the attention indicators (LEDs) or turn them off. This command can control these indicators for cells, I/O chassis, and cabinet numbers.
frupower	Display status or turn power on or off for cells and I/O chassis; root or IPMI LAN access is required.
cplxmodify	Only distributed with the Enhanced nPartition Commands. Modify server complex attributes. Supports changing the name of a complex; root or IPMI LAN access is required

Table:  nPartion Commands Description

nPartition Properties

This section describes the nPartition properties when work with performing nPartition administration tasks.

The following nPartitions details are covered here:

Partition Numbers

Each nPartition has its own unique partition number that the nPartition administration tools use for identifying the nPartition.

Assigned and Unassigned Cells

Each cell in a server complex either is assigned to one of the nPartitions in the complex, or it is unassigned and thus is not used by any of the nPartitions. If an I/O chassis is attached to an unassigned cell, then the chassis likewise is not assigned to an nPartition.

Base Cells

On both HP 9000 servers and HP Integrity servers, all cells within an nPartition are base cells. The nPartitions administration tools automatically set the cell type to base cell, if you do not specify the cell type

Core Cells

 One cell in each nPartition must serve as the active core cell. The core cell controls the nPartition until an operating system has booted, and it provides console services and other boot and management abilities for the nPartition.

The monarch processor on the core cell runs the Boot Console Handler (BCH) or Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) code while all other processors are idle until an operating system is booted.

Active and Inactive Cells

Cells that are assigned to an nPartition and have booted to form an nPartition are active cells whose resources (processors, memory, and any attached I/O) can be actively used by software running in the nPartition.

Cells that are inactive either are not assigned to an nPartition, or they have not participated in partition rendezvous to form an nPartition with any other cells assigned to the nPartition.

Creating and Configuring nPartitions

Creating a New Partition

parcreate -c — command to create a new nPartition with the cells.

For example, with the Original nPartition Commands, the following command creates a

one-cell nPartition:

# parcreate -c4:base:y:ri -c6:base:y:ri

Partition Created. The partition number is : 1

#

When parcreate successfully creates a new nPartition, it reports “Partition Created” and reports the nPartition number (“partition number is…”).

If parcreate detects any problems or issues when creating an nPartition, it lists them in its output. If it cannot create the nPartition, parcreate reports “Command failed” along with more details.

Removing (Deleting) an nPartition

Deleting an nPartition causes all cells (and any I/O resources connected to the cells) that were assigned to the nPartition to be unassigned. As a result, all of these cells become available resources which can be assigned to any nPartition in the server complex.

When removing an active nPartition, you must complete the procedure by performing a shutdown for reconfig (the HP-UX shutdown -R -H command or Windows shutdown /s command) as soon as possible after initiating the nPartition removal.

1. Issue the parremove -p# command to remove the inactive remote nPartition

(-p# where # is the nPartition number).

For example:

#parremove -p1

2. Issue the parstatus -P command to confirm that the nPartition was removed.

If the nPartition was removed, it no longer is listed in the parstatus command output.

Renaming an nPartition

Use the parmodify -p# -P name command to set the nPartition name for any of the nPartitions in the server complex.

Specify both the nPartition number (-p#, where # is the nPartition number) and the new

name for the nPartition (-P name).

If the nPartition name contains spaces then quotation marks must surround the name.

# parmodify -p1 -P “New Name”

Command succeeded.

#

Booting and Resetting nPartitions

Types of Booting and Resetting for nPartitions

 HP cell-based servers provide two special types of reboot and reset for managing nPartitions: performing a reboot for reconfig, and performing a shutdown for reconfig.

Regards,
R.Gopinath