Power Management Policies

This release of Oracle ILOM 3.0 software provides new Power Management policies that are supported on the Sun Server X2-4.

For more information about the latest Oracle ILOM 3.0 Power Management policies, see the Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM 3.0) Feature Updates and Release Notes.

This section includes the following topics:

• Host Power Throttling and Recovery

• Service Processor Power-On Policy

• Low Line AC Override Policy

• Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the Web Interface

• Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the CLI

Host Power Throttling and Recovery

The Sun Server X2-4 supports a simple mechanism to automatically apply hardware throttles to the CPUs and memory controllers when power exceeds the rated capacity of the available power supplies. This can occur when a redundant power supply has failed or has been removed from the system.

When the server's hardware (power CPLD) determines that power demand has exceeded the system's available power, it automatically throttles the host processor to reduce its power consumption. The service processor (SP) removes this hardware throttle after it has been applied for 5 seconds. Host power throttling and recovery continues until such action is no longer needed.

Service Processor Power-On Policy

The service processor (SP) power-on policy determines the power state of the server when AC power is applied to the server.

Service processor power-on policies are mutually exclusive, meaning that if one policy is enabled, the other policy is disabled by default. If both policies are disabled, then the server SP will not apply main power to the server at boot time. A brief description of the SP power-on policies and default settings follows:

• Auto Power-On Host On Boot – When this option is enabled, the SP automatically applies main power to the server. When disabled (default), main power is not applied to the server.

• Set Host Power to Last Power State On Boot – When this option is enabled, the SP automatically applies main power to the server based on the last power state of the server. The SP automatically tracks the last power state and restores the server to its last remembered power state following a power state change of at least 10 seconds. When disabled (default), the last power state is not applied to the server.

You can configure SP power-on policies using the Oracle ILOM web interface or the Oracle ILOM command-line interface (CLI). For instructions, see the following sections:

• Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the Web Interface

• Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the CLI

Low Line AC Override Policy

The Low Line AC Override policy setting is provided to enable special test scenarios of a 4-CPU system using low-line (110 volt) power. Low-line voltage is normally supported only in 2-CPU system configurations. The capacity of each power supply unit (PSU) is roughly 1000 watts at low line. Since the power of a 4-CPU system can exceed 1000 watts by a large amount, enabling this setting results in a loss of PSU redundancy. This setting is disabled by default on the Sun Server X2-4.

You can configure the Low Line AC Override policy setting using the Oracle ILOM web interface or the Oracle ILOM command-line interface (CLI). For instructions, see the following sections:

• Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the Web Interface

• Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the CLI

Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the Web Interface

1. Log in to the Oracle ILOM web interface.
2. Select Configuration --> Policy.

   The Policy Configuration page is displayed.

   
   
3. Select the radio button next to the SP policy that you want to configure.

   The SP policy options include:

   • Auto power-on host on boot
   • Set host power to last power state on boot
   • Set Low Line AC Override Mode Policy
4. Click the Actions drop-down menu and select Enable or Disable.
5. Click OK to enable or disable the SP policy.

Configure SP Power Management Policies Using the CLI

1. Log in to the Oracle ILOM CLI.
2. To show the current power policy settings, type:

   -> show /SP/policy

   The SP policy properties are displayed. For example:

    /SP/policy
       Targets:
    
       Properties:
       HOST_AUTO_POWER_ON = disabled
       HOST_LAST_POWER_STATE = disabled
       LOW_LINE_AC_OVERRIDE_MODE = disabled
    
       Commands:
       cd
       set
       show
   ->

   In the above output, Host Auto Power On is disabled, Host Last Power State is disabled, and Low Line AC Override Mode is disabled.

3. Depending on the SP policy you want to configure, do the following:
   • To enable or disable Host Auto Power On, type:

     -> set /SP/policy/ HOST_AUTO_POWER_ON=[enabled|disabled]

   • To enable or disable Host Last Power State, type:

     -> set /SP/policy/ HOST_LAST_POWER_STATE=[enabled|disabled]

   • To enable or disable Low Line AC Override Mode, type:

     -> set /SP/policy/ LOW_LINE_AC_OVERRIDE_MODE=[enabled|disabled]