HPVM Dynamic memory questions

[ABC Unix]

So I'm playing around with dynamic memory on VM guests and there are a lot of memory options (within hpvmmodify) that don't seem to do what I expect, especially the -r option.

To enable dynamic memory, what I did was change "ram_dyn_type" to "any". Then I set the ram_dyn_target_start, ram_dyn_min, and ram_dyn_max to values something like this:

ram_dyn_type = any
ram_dyn_target_start = 16G
ram_dyn_min = 1G
ram_dyn_max = 40G

So I figured I would be able to set "ram_target" to any value between 1G and 40G without the server needing to be rebooted. But the -r option messes that all up, if I use "-r 32G" it seems to change the target_start to whatever I set -r to, and it also limits how high I can go to that number. I can't make sense of it.

I guess my question is, if I want to enable dynamic memory on a VM guest and allow the memory to be anywhere between 1G and 40G and have it boot with 16G, what values do I need to use, and what the heck does -r do?

Thanks in advance!
Ryan

[Kenan Erdey]

Hi,

configuration looks ok. did you install vm guest management software in guest in the below path ?

/opt/hpvm/guest-images/hpux/11iv3

[ABC Unix]

Ya I did, and I can dynamically change the memory target anywhere between 1 and 32G but I can't go higher than that even though the max is set to 40G. I think it's because I used -r 32G, but that's the part I don't really get.

[Kenan Erdey · Accepted solution]

Hi,

take a look at this thread.

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Virtualization/HPVM-dynamic-memory-question/m-p/4318452#M725

and document at page 157

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c02023903/c02023903.pdf

[RafS]

Hi Ryan,

from the VM Host ( with VM Guest powered off ) the command is:

#hpvmmodify -r 40G -x ram_dyn_type=any -x ram_dyn_min=1G -x ram_dyn_max=40G -x ram_dyn_target_start=16G -P VM_Guest_name

Now you can boot on the VM Guest, and you can set ram target to any value between 1G and 40G without the server needing to be rebooted, using the command:
#hpvmmodify -x ram_target=xG -P VM_Guest_name

Regards,
Raffaele

[ABC Unix]

Thanks guys, so if I set the memory to 40G with -r, then boot the server and reduce the memory to 32G with -x ram_target, does that mean that 8G of memory will become available for me to use on another VM?

I sort of tested this by setting the VM to 40G with -r, then booting it and using "hpvmstatus -s" to see how much memory was available. Then I reduced the memory on the guest and looked again and the amount I reduced the VM by showed up in the available memory column, but I can't tell for sure that this memory is free for use in another VM.

[RafS]

Hi,
does that mean that 8G of memory will become available for me to use on another VM ?
It means that a certain amount of memory, about 8G, will became available for another VM.

I'm sure that available memory showed with "hpvmstatus -s" is available for other VMs.

Regards,
Raffaele