HP-UX Server Virtualization

[Shivkumar]

Hi,

I know there were nPar and vPar virtualization on HP-UX Servers earlier.

I am bit outdated in recent development on HP-UX side.

Is there any new development on HP-UX in virtualization front similar to IBM's LPARs etc ?

Thanks,
Shiv

[Dennis Handly · Accepted solution]

There is also HPVM.

[melvyn burnard]

There is also Secure Resource Partitions (SRP)

[Torsten.]

You already now the hardware based solution nPars, the solution nowadays somewhere between hard- and software is vPars and the (mostly) software based virtualization is HPVM (virtual machines) - this is for Integrity servers only.

[vishnu.khandare]

Hi Shiv,

Other virtualization options are also there now a days Vpar Npar, and VM (Integrity Virtual Machine).

This IVm is more user friendly and less costlier as compared to npar vpar solution.

U can implement IVM in blades even.

Hope this solves ur query.
Dont forget to assgn points.


Regards
Vishnu Khandare

[Bhadresh]

Hi Shiv,

Have a look at following page to know recent developments:
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/us/en/os/hpux11i-partitioning-integrity-vm.html

Software based virtualization is Integrity VM. To know more about Integrity VM, have a look at the following white paper:
http://h20338.www2.hp.com/enterprise/downloads/Intro_VM_WP_12_Sept%2005.pdf

Regards,
Bhadresh

[Alzhy]

The latest would be to move your expensive HP-UX workloads to Redhat Linux and virtualize under vMware or KVM or xVM.

;^))

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

npar/vpar works well for heavy hitter database/application environments. It is more oriented to a big server world.

Do not agree with the Linux migration advice. Linux is great but is fundamentally less stable than HP-UX which is why I wrote the first paragraph.

For smaller environments needing more granularity, you can go HPVM. You can allocate CPU in percentages to machines, shift resources around with great flexibility.

I love both environments.

SEP

[Shivkumar]

It seems HP-UX is doing good on PA-RISC and Itanium. And still leading in market share.

[Steven E. Protter]

There are a lot of views on market share.

I think uncertainty over the acquisition of Sun by Oracle, and Oracle's predatory pricing policies drove people from Sun to HP-UX.

PA-RISC is dead end technology. It has not been sold for 22 months.

SEP

[Alzhy]

Clock's ticking for HP-UX (synonymous to the Itanium CPU) gents.

Look at the Tukwilla line up these days - it basiclly shares a lot of components with the X86 Proliant Platforms (aka Windows/Linux/vMware-centric platform) where choices abound for any form of virtualization and that so uber-kool "Cloud" computing. And talk about RAS - the gap is closed. Basically the RAS features on HP-UX/Tukzilla is now also available on Linux/Windows/vMware+X86 platforms.

TCO? Now that's whay these new lean ane mean platforms are now called "Smart-Irons".

HP-UX can still be a play for HP though -- port it to X86-64 in the same fashion Solaris was ported and maybe the game will change.

People will simply not accept it but the UNIX-away migration is in full steam everywhere.

[chris huys_4]

Hi Shiv,

In the following url, if the link "View the detailed comparison of partitioning technologies for the two UNIX operating systems", gets "expanded", there is comparison between the virtualisation offerings of HP's HP-UX vs. IBM's AIX.

http://h20338.www2.hp.com/enterprise/us/en/os/hpux11i-competitive-aix-virtualization.html

Greetz,
Chris
PS. linux is for pc's, hp-ux is for servers ;)

[Alzhy]

Nice one Chris,

Note the UNIX "holdovers" did not even mention a comparo with Linux Virtualisation as well as Sun (Oracle -- which has I think the most complete virtualization offering from UNIX down to LinDows).

Wake up man, PC Servers now reign supreme. Look at the various benchmark stats, look at the brewing projects at Fortune 50 Companies who are discovering the robustness, TCO, RAS, extreme performance of TODAY's X86-64 (aka your puny PC) Smart-Irons.

And in certin corporates -- the walls between UNIX, Windows and Linux teams are collapsing. UNIX-Only "fiefdoms" within large corporates are continuing to stake out their territory alright but clock's ticking. The march of the Nehalems and Magny Cours are here already.

;^))

P.S.
We are almost complete with migrations from SX2000 based HP-UX 11.11/11.23/11.31 massive Database Systems to X86 Systems running RHEL 5.5. Smoothest transition ever. We now enjoy smaller footprints on the DC, billed less for power and cooling and we now think we're over-staffed! (Ooops - I guess that's one big Ouch going to Linux -- people could loose their jobs).

[Steven E. Protter]

The man was asking for information on HP-UX virtualization, specifically similar to IBM LPARS.

I think that question was answered fully.

He did not ask for a broad comparison of all available virtualization technology.

I've been working his forums threads for some time now and know Shiv is aware of the virtualization alternatives.

There is nothing amiss in answering his specific question versus going off and answering the question not asked.

As Mr. Scott said on the Enterprise in Scottish Brogue. The right tool for the right job.

Shiv, no points please.

SEP

[Alzhy]

Game on SEP. Shalom.

Just evangelising my man. If my post is off the mark - my apologies and Mister moderator - you can strike off my posts if you so thnk and desire those are out of topic.

I don't post opinionated, recycled or baseless stuff or to simply fish points. I share real experiences with mostly HP technology in the hope of helping (not flaming issues) the community widen their scope of choices and solutions.

Now back to Shiv's question.

HP's Partitioning COntinuum:

Lowest to Highest:

PSETS->PRM/GWLM->IVM/vPARS->nPARS (Blades,Boards,Enclosures?


PSETS-processor sets
PRM - Process Resoruce Manager
GWLM/WOrkload Manager (Global
IVM - Integrity Virtual Machines (sub-CPU, sub-IOBUS grained)
vPARS - CPU/Core/IOBus Grained Paritioning
nPARS - SysBoards, Blades (Enclosures -- unsure)

So there ya go. If you're after Live Partition Mobility - I think with the 9/2010 release of IVM HP is finally in the 21st century. A feature that has been available on puny little PCs for years now.