C H A P T E R  9

Capacity on Demand

Sun Fire midrange systems are configured with processors (CPUs) on CPU/Memory boards. These boards are purchased as part of your initial system configuration or as add-on components. The right to use the CPUs on these boards is included with the initial purchase price.

The Capacity on Demand (COD) option provides additional processing resources that you pay for when you use them. Through the COD option, you purchase and install unlicensed COD CPU/Memory boards in your system. Each COD CPU/Memory board contains four CPUs, which are considered as available processing resources. However, you do not have the right to use these COD CPUs until you also purchase the right-to-use (RTU) licenses for them. The purchase of a COD RTU license entitles you to receive a license key, which enables the appropriate number of COD processors.

You use COD commands included with the firmware for Sun Fire midrange systems to allocate, activate, and monitor your COD resources.

This chapter covers the following topics:


COD Overview

The COD option provides additional CPU resources on COD CPU/Memory boards that are installed in your system. Although your midrange system comes configured with a minimum number of standard (active) CPU/Memory boards, your system can have a mix of both standard and COD CPU/Memory boards installed, up to the maximum capacity allowed for the system. At least one active CPU is required for each domain in the system.

If you want the COD option, and your system is not currently configured with COD CPU/Memory boards, contact your Sun sales representative or authorized Sun reseller to purchase COD CPU/Memory boards. Your salesperson will work with your service provider to install the COD CPU/Memory boards in your system.

The following sections describe the main elements of the COD option:

COD Licensing Process

COD RTU licenses are required to enable COD CPU resources. COD licensing involves the following tasks:

1. Obtaining COD RTU License Certificates and COD RTU license keys for COD resources to be enabled

You can purchase COD RTU licenses at any time from your Sun sales representative or reseller. You can then obtain a license key (for the COD resources purchased) from the Sun License Center.

2. Entering the COD RTU license keys in the COD license database

The COD license database stores the license keys for the COD resources that you enable. You record this license information in the COD license database by using the addcodlicense command. The COD RTU licenses are considered as floating licenses and can be used for any COD CPU resource installed in the system.

For details on completing the licensing tasks, see To Obtain and Add a COD RTU License Key to the COD License Database.

COD RTU License Allocation

With the COD option, your system is configured to have a certain number of COD CPUs available, as determined by the number of COD CPU/Memory boards and COD RTU licenses that you purchase. The COD RTU licenses that you obtain are handled as a pool of available licenses.

When you activate a domain containing a COD CPU/Memory board or when a COD CPU/Memory board is connected to a domain through a dynamic reconfiguration (DR) operation, the following occurs automatically:

The COD RTU licenses are allocated to the CPUs on a "first come, first serve" basis. However, you can allocate a specific quantity of RTU licenses to a particular domain by using the setupplatform command. For details, see To Enable or Disable Instant Access CPUs and Reserve Domain RTU Licenses.

If there is an insufficient number of COD RTU licenses and a license cannot be allocated to a COD CPU, the COD CPU is not configured into the domain and is considered as unlicensed. The COD CPU is also assigned a COD-disabled status. If a COD CPU/Memory board does not have sufficient COD RTU licenses for its COD CPUs, the system will fail the COD CPU/Memory board during the setkeyswitch on operation. For additional details and examples, see COD-Disabled CPUs.

When you remove a COD CPU/Memory board from a domain through a DR operation or when a domain containing a COD CPU/Memory board is shut down normally, the COD RTU licenses for the CPUs on those boards are released and added to the pool of available licenses.

You can use the showcodusage command to review COD usage and COD RTU license states. For details on showcodusage and other commands that provide COD information, see Monitoring COD Resources.



Note - You can move COD boards between Sun Fire systems (Sun Fire 15K, 12K, E6900, E4900, 6800, 4810, 4800, and 3800 servers), but the associated license keys are tied to the original platform for which they were purchased and are not transferable.



Instant Access CPUs

If you require COD CPU resources before you complete the COD RTU license purchasing process, you can temporarily enable a limited number of resources called instant access CPUs (also referred to as headroom). These instant access CPUs are available as long as there are unlicensed COD CPUs in the system. The maximum number of instant access resources available on Sun Fire midrange systems is four CPUs.

Instant access CPUs are disabled by default on Sun Fire midrange systems. If you want to use these resources, you activate them by using the setupplatform command. Warning messages are logged on the platform console, informing you that the number of instant access CPUs (headroom) used exceeds the number of COD licenses available. Once you obtain and add the COD RTU license keys for additional instant access CPUs to the COD license database, these warning messages will stop.

For details on activating instant access CPUs, see, To Enable or Disable Instant Access CPUs and Reserve Domain RTU Licenses.

Instant Access CPUs as Hot-Spares

You can temporarily enable an available, instant access CPU to replace a failed
non-COD CPU. In this case, the instant access CPU is considered as a hot-spare (a spare CPU that can be used immediately to replace a failed non-COD CPU). However, once the failed non-COD CPU has been replaced, you must deactivate the instant access CPU (see To Enable or Disable Instant Access CPUs and Reserve Domain RTU Licenses). Contact your Sun sales representative or reseller to purchase a COD RTU license for the instant access CPU in use if you want to continue using it.

Resource Monitoring

Information about COD events, such as the activation of instant access CPUs (headroom) or license violations, is recorded in platform console log messages and also in the output for the showlogs command.

Other commands, such as the showcodusage command, provide information on COD components and COD configuration. For details on obtaining COD information and status, see Monitoring COD Resources.


Getting Started with COD

Before you can use COD on Sun Fire midrange systems, you must complete certain prerequisites. These tasks include the following:

For details on upgrading the firmware, refer to the Install.info file that accompanies the firmware release.



Note - Sun Fire midrange systems firmware before version 5.14.0 will not recognize COD CPU/Memory boards.




Managing COD RTU Licenses

COD RTU license management involves the acquisition and addition of COD RTU licenses keys to the COD license database. You can also remove COD RTU licenses from the license database if needed.

Note that COD license key information is always associated with a particular system. You may encounter invalid COD RTU licenses if you do any of the following:

Any COD RTU license keys for the original system now reside on the second system, but the license keys remain associated with the original system. These license keys will be considered invalid. To prevent invalid COD RTU license keys, run the setdefaults command on the first system (to set the default system configuration values) before you remove a System Controller board or before you use the dumpconfig command to save the platform and domain configurations. If you do not run the setdefaults command on the first system, you can run the command on the second system after you insert the System Controller board.


procedure icon  To Obtain and Add a COD RTU License Key to the COD License Database

1. Contact your Sun sales representative or authorized Sun reseller to purchase a COD RTU license for each COD CPU to be enabled.

Sun will send you a COD RTU License Certificate for each CPU license that you purchase. The COD RTU license sticker on the License Certificate contains a right-to-use serial number used to obtain a COD RTU license key.

2. Contact the Sun License Center and provide the following information to obtain a COD RTU license key:

To obtain the Chassis HostID of your system, run the showplatform -p cod command.

For instructions on contacting the Sun License Center, refer to the COD RTU License Certificate that you received or check the Sun License Center Web site:

http://www.sun.com/licensing

The Sun License Center will send you an email message containing the RTU license key for the COD resources that you purchased.

3. Add the license key to the COD license database by using the addcodlicense command. From the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> addcodlicense license-signature

where:

license-signature is the complete COD RTU license key assigned by the Sun License Center. You can copy the license key string that you receive from the Sun License Center.

4. Verify that the specified license key was added to the COD license database by running the showcodlicense -r command (see To Review COD License Information).

The COD RTU license key that you added should be listed in the showcodlicense output.


procedure icon  To Delete a COD License Key From the COD License Database

1. From the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> deletecodlicense license-signature

where:

license-signature is the complete COD RTU license key to be removed from the COD license database.

The system verifies that the license removal will not cause a COD RTU license violation, which occurs when there is an insufficient number of COD licenses for the number of COD resources in use. If the deletion will cause a COD RTU license violation, the SC will not delete the license key.



Note - You can force the removal of the license key by specifying the -f option with the deletecodlicense command. However, be aware that the license key removal could cause a license violation or an overcommittment of RTU license reservations. An RTU license overcommittment occurs when there are more RTU domain reservations than RTU licenses installed in the system. For additional details, refer to the deletecodlicense command description in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.



2. Verify that the license key was deleted from the COD license database by running the showcodlicense -r command, described in the next procedure.

The deleted license key should not be listed in the showcodlicense output.


procedure icon  To Review COD License Information

single-step bulletFrom the platform shell on the main SC, do one of the following to display COD license information:

For example:

schostname:SC> showcodlicense
Description  Ver   Expiration  Count  Status
-----------  ---   ----------  -----  ------
PROC          01         NONE      8  GOOD
 

TABLE 9-1 describes the COD license information in the showcodlicense output.

TABLE 9-1 COD License Information

Item

Description

Description

Type of resource (processor).

Ver

Version number of the license.

Expiration

None. Not supported (no expiration date).

Count

Number of RTU licenses granted for the given resource.

Status

One of the following states:

  • GOOD - Indicates the resource license is valid.
  • EXPIRED - Indicates the resource license is no longer valid.

The license key signatures for COD resources are displayed. For example:

schostname:SC> showcodlicense -r
01:80d8a9ed:45135285:0201000000:8:00000000:0000000000000000000000



Note - The COD RTU license key listed above is provided as an example and is not a valid license key.



For details on the showcodlicense command, refer to the command description in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.


Activating COD Resources

To activate instant access CPUs and allocate COD RTU licenses to specific domains, use the setupplatform command. TABLE 9-1 describes the various setupplatform command options that can be used to configure COD resources

TABLE 9-2 setupplatform Command Options for COD Resource Configuration

Command Option

Description

setupplatform -p cod

Enables or disables instant access CPUs (headroom) and allocates domain COD RTU licenses.

setupplatform -p cod headroom-number

Enables or disables instant access CPUs (headroom).

setupplatform -p cod -d domainid RTU-number

Reserves a specific quantity of COD RTU licenses for a particular domain.


For details on the setupplatform command options, refer to the command description in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.


procedure icon  To Enable or Disable Instant Access CPUs and Reserve Domain RTU Licenses

1. From the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> setupplatform -p cod

You are prompted to enter the COD parameters (headroom quantity and domain RTU information). For example:

schostname:SC> setupplatform -p cod
COD
---
PROC RTUs installed: 8
PROC Headroom Quantity (0 to disable, 4 MAX) [0]:
PROC RTUs reserved for domain A (6 MAX) [0]: 2
PROC RTUs reserved for domain B (6 MAX) [2]: 
PROC RTUs reserved for domain C (4 MAX) [0]: 
PROC RTUs reserved for domain D (4 MAX) [0]: 
 

Note the following about the prompts displayed:

The text in parentheses indicates the maximum number of instant access CPUs (headroom) allowed. The value inside the brackets is the number of instant access CPUs currently configured.

To disable the instant access CPU (headroom) feature, type 0. You can disable the headroom quantity only when there are no instant access CPUs in use.

The text in parentheses indicates the maximum number of RTU licenses that can be reserved for the domain. The value inside the brackets is the number of RTU licenses currently allocated to the domain.

2. Verify the COD resource configuration with the showplatform command:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p cod

For example:

schostname:SC> showplatform -p cod
Chassis HostID: 80d88800
PROC RTUs installed: 8
PROC Headroom Quantity: 0
PROC RTUs reserved for domain A: 2
PROC RTUs reserved for domain B: 2
PROC RTUs reserved for domain C: 0
PROC RTUs reserved for domain D: 0


Monitoring COD Resources

This section describes various ways to track COD resource use and obtain COD information.

COD CPU/Memory Boards

You can determine which CPU/Memory boards in your system are COD boards by using the showboards command.


procedure icon  To Identify COD CPU/Memory Boards

single-step bulletFrom the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> showboards

COD CPU/Memory boards are identified as COD CPU boards. For example:

schostname:SC> showboards
Slot     Pwr Component Type                 State      Status     Domain
----     --- --------------                 -----      ------     ------
SSC0     On  System Controller V2           Main       Passed     -        
SSC1     On  Present                        Spare      -          -        
ID0      On  Sun Fire 6800 Centerplane      -          OK         -        
PS0      On  A184 Power Supply              -          OK         -        
PS1      On  A184 Power Supply              -          OK         -        
PS2      Off A184 Power Supply              -          OK         -        
PS3      Off A184 Power Supply              -          OK         -        
PS4      On  A184 Power Supply              -          OK         -        
PS5      On  A184 Power Supply              -          OK         -        
FT0      On  Fan Tray                       Low Speed  OK         -        
FT1      On  Fan Tray                       Low Speed  OK         -        
FT2      On  Fan Tray                       Low Speed  OK         -        
FT3      On  Fan Tray                       Low Speed  OK         -        
RP0      On  Repeater Board                 -          OK         -        
RP1      On  Repeater Board                 -          OK         -        
RP2      On  Repeater Board                 -          OK         -        
RP3      On  Repeater Board                 -          OK         -        
/N0/SB0  On  COD CPU Board V3               Active     Passed     A
/N0/SB1  On  COD CPU Board V3               Active     Passed     A
/N0/SB2  On  COD CPU Board V3               Active     Passed     A
/N0/SB3  On  COD CPU Board V3               Active     Passed     A
/N0/SB4  On  COD CPU Board V3               Active     Passed     A
/N0/SB5  On  COD CPU Board V3               Active     Passed     A
/N0/IB6  On  PCI I/O Board                  Active     Passed     A
/N0/IB7  On  PCI I/O Board                  Active     Passed     A
/N0/IB8  On  PCI I/O Board                  Active     Passed     A
/N0/IB9  Off PCI I/O Board                  Available  Not tested Isolated

COD Resource Usage

To obtain information on how COD resources are used in your system, use the showcodusage command.


procedure icon  To View COD Usage by Resource

single-step bulletFrom the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> showcodusage -p resource

For example:

schostname:SC> showcodusage -p resource
Resource      In Use  Installed  Licensed  Status
--------      ------  ---------  --------  ------
PROC               0          4         8  OK: 8 available Headroom: 2

TABLE 9-3 describes the COD resource information displayed by the showcodusage command.

TABLE 9-3 showcodusage Resource Information

Item

Description

Resource

The COD resource (processor)

In Use

The number of COD CPUs currently used in the system

Installed

The number of COD CPUs installed in the system

Licensed

The number of COD RTU licenses installed

Status

One of the following COD states:

  • OK - Indicates there are sufficient licenses for the COD CPUs in use and specifies the number of remaining COD resources available and the number of any instant access CPUs (headroom) available
  • HEADROOM - The number of instant access CPUs in use.
  • VIOLATION - Indicates a license violation exists. Specifies the number of COD CPUs in use that exceeds the number of COD RTU licenses available. This situation can occur when you force the deletion of a COD license key from the COD license database, but the COD CPU associated with that license key is still in use.


procedure icon  To View COD Usage by Domain

single-step bulletFrom the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> showcodusage -p domains -v

The output includes the status of CPUs for all domains. For example:

schostname:SC> showcodusage -p domains -v
Domain/Resource  In Use  Installed  Reserved  Status
---------------  ------  ---------  --------  ------
A - PROC              0          0         4
B - PROC              0          0         4
C - PROC              0          0         0
D - PROC              0          0         0
Unused - PROC         0          4         0
     SB4 - PROC       0          4
     SB4/P0                                   Unused
     SB4/P1                                   Unused
     SB4/P2                                   Unused
     SB4/P3                                   Unused
 

TABLE 9-4 describes the COD resource information displayed by domain.

TABLE 9-4 showcodusage Domain Information

Item

Description

Domain/Resource

The COD resource (processor) for each domain. An unused processor is a COD CPU that has not yet been assigned to a domain.

In Use

The number of COD CPUs currently used in the domain.

Installed

The number of COD CPUs installed in the domain.

Reserved

The number of COD RTU licenses allocated to the domain.

Status

One of the following CPU states:

  • Licensed - The COD CPU has a COD RTU license.
  • Unused - The COD CPU is not in use.
  • Unlicensed - The COD CPU could not obtain a COD RTU license and is not in use.

 


procedure icon  To View COD Usage by Resource and Domain

single-step bulletFrom the platform shell on the main SC, type:

schostname:SC> showcodusage -v

The information displayed contains usage information by both resource and domain. For example:

schostname:SC> showcodusage -v
Resource      In Use  Installed  Licensed  Status
--------      ------  ---------  --------  ------
PROC               0          4         8  OK: 8 available Headroom: 2
Domain/Resource  In Use  Installed  Reserved  Status
---------------  ------  ---------  --------  ------
A - PROC              0          0         4
B - PROC              0          0         4
C - PROC              0          0         0
D - PROC              0          0         0
Unused - PROC         0          4         0
     SB4 - PROC       0          4
     SB4/P0                                   Unused
     SB4/P1                                   Unused
     SB4/P2                                   Unused
     SB4/P3                                   Unused

COD-Disabled CPUs

When you activate a domain that uses COD CPU/Memory boards, any COD CPUs that did not obtain a COD RTU license are disabled by the SC. You can determine which COD CPUs were disabled by reviewing the following items:

Any COD CPUs that did not obtain a COD RTU license are identified as Cod-dis (abbreviation for COD-disabled). If all the COD CPUs on a COD/Memory board are disabled, the setkeyswitch on operation will also fail the COD CPU/Memory board, as CODE EXAMPLE 9-1 shows.

CODE EXAMPLE 9-1 Domain Console Log Output Containing Disabled COD CPUs

schostname:A> setkeyswitch on
{/N0/SB3/P0} Passed
{/N0/SB3/P1} Passed
{/N0/SB3/P2} Passed
{/N0/SB3/P3} Passed
{/N0/SB3/P0} Cod-dis
{/N0/SB3/P1} Cod-dis
{/N0/SB3/P2} Cod-dis
{/N0/SB3/P3} Cod-dis
.
.
.
Entering OBP ...
Jun 27 19:04:38 schostname Domain-A.SC: Excluded unusable, unlicensed, failed
or disabled board: /N0/SB3
 

CODE EXAMPLE 9-2 shows the type of status information displayed for each component in the system. If a COD RTU license cannot be allocated to a COD CPU, the COD CPU status is listed as Cod-dis (abbreviation for COD-disabled).

CODE EXAMPLE 9-2 showcomponent Command Output - Disabled COD CPUs

schostname:SC> showcomponent
Component         Status   Pending POST   Description
---------         ------   ------- ----   -----------
.
.
.
/N0/SB3/P0        Cod-dis  -       untest UltraSPARC-IV, 1050MHz, 16M ECache
/N0/SB3/P1        Cod-dis  -       untest UltraSPARC-IV, 1050MHz, 16M ECache
/N0/SB3/P2        Cod-dis  -       untest UltraSPARC-IV, 1050MHz, 16M ECache
/N0/SB3/P3        Cod-dis  -       untest UltraSPARC-IV, 1050MHz, 16M ECache
/N0/SB3/P0/B0/L0  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P0/B0/L2  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P0/B1/L1  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P0/B1/L3  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P1/B0/L0  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P1/B0/L2  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P1/B1/L1  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P1/B1/L3  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
/N0/SB3/P2/B0/L0  Cod-dis  -       untest 2048M DRAM
.
.
.

Other COD Information

TABLE 9-5 summarizes the COD configuration and event information that you can obtain through other system controller commands. For further details on these commands, refer to their descriptions in the Sun Fire Midrange System Controller Command Reference Manual.

TABLE 9-5 Obtaining COD Configuration and Event Information

Command

Description

showdomain

Displays the status of COD RTU license reservations for the domain.

showlogs

Displays information about COD events, such as license violations or headroom activation, that are logged on the platform console.

showplatform -p cod

Displays the current COD resource configuration and related information:

  • Number of instant access CPUs (headroom) in use
  • Domain RTU license reservations
  • Chassis HostID