Virtual Server (definition)

[Joe Robinson_2]

Can someone explain in a nutshell what a virtual server is and how it is used? Thanks!

[RAC_1]

What exaclt you wat to know??

Are you talking about assigning two ip address to a single NIC??

It is done with ifconfig lan1:1 xx.xx.xx.xx
Man ifconfig for details.

Anil

[Joe Robinson_2]

you just answered my question...I thought it was assigning multiple IP's to a single NIC...

thanks!

[john kingsley]

HP has a product called vPars (Virtual Partionioning SW). It allows you to partion a single server into two or more virtual servers which each have separate OS and run their own kernels. With this SW, you assign memory, cpus, and HW paths to each partion. You aren't able to share HW between the partions, but you can move cpus between partions on the fly.

You can get more information about the product and download a demo version from the software.hp.com Web site.

[curt larson_1]

just a little bit more information about hp's virtual partitions (vPars) software.

With virtual partitions you can take almost any hp9000 server and turn it into many "virtual" computers. these virtual computers can each be running their own instance of hp-ux and associated applications.

the virtual computers are isolated from one another at the software level. Software running on one virtual partition will not affect software running in any other virtual partition.

in the virtual partitions you can run different revisions of hp-ux, different patch levels of hp-ux, different applications, different users, or any software you want and not affect other partitions.

when working with virtual partions you "carve up" our system in such a way that components are devoted to a virtual partition. this is done to accomplish the maximum isolation between virtual partitions in order minimize the effect of one virtual partition on another.

system components may be shared to some extent between virtual partitions. CPU's maybe bound or unbound, memory is segmented into areas devoted to specific virtual partitions, and system bus adapters can be shared amoung virtual partitions.

bound cpus are dedicated to a vPar and can't be dynamically removed or added to vPars. bound cpus handle i/o interrupts and should therefore be used iwth i/o-intensive applications.

unbound cpus can be dynamically added and removed from vPars. unbound cpus do not handle i/o interrupts and should be used for cpu intensive appications.

components that are at or below the local bus adaptor level are devoted to a single virtual partition. However, i/o components can't be added dynamically, the vPar would have to be down in order to add a Lan or other i/o component. you can use online replacement and addition of components in a vPar. if you had, for instance, assigned an i/o path to vPar and then you physically add a component to that i/o slot then is is part of that vPar. That also means you have the appropriate device drivers in the kernel for that vPar.