Installing and Administering N1 Grid Console - Container Manager 1.0

Chapter 4 Managing Resource Pools

This chapter contains procedures for creating, using, and managing resource pools using N1 Grid Console - Container Manager 1.0 (Container Manager).

The following topics are discussed:

Resource Pool Overview

In the Solaris 9 release, a resource pool, or pool, is a configuration mechanism that is used to partition the resources of a host. Every host has a default pool, and all processes are initially bound to this pool. Newly created pools take their processors from the default pool. A host can be partitioned into more than one pool. Additionally, each entry in the /etc/project file has an associated pool. If the /etc/project entry does not have a pool specified, then that entry is bound to the default pool. Otherwise, the project is bound to the specified pool. New processes started in a project are bound to the corresponding pool. For more information about resource pools in Solaris software, see “Resource Pools” in System Administration Guide: Resource Management and Network Services.

If you are running the Solaris 8 release, only one resource pool is available. The container is automatically assigned to the pool_default. Because resource pools do not exist in this OS version, the pool_default is created artificially. All of the CPUs on a host running the Solaris 8 release are considered to be in one single pool by convention.

After installation of the software, the database is populated with information about the existing resource pools on the system. Container Manager enables you to manage and create resource pools through its GUI. Use the Hosts view to manage resource pools on a host. To access a pool from the navigation window, click the key symbol next to a host. The tree expands and lists the corresponding pools under the host name.

Creating New Resource Pools

After the Container Manager software is installed on a host, all existing resource pools are discovered and loaded into the module's management information base (MIB) table. Newly created pools take their processors from the host's default pool, which is called pool_default. One full CPU is always assigned to the default pool. Therefore, the number of available CPUs for creating new pools is always the total number of available CPUs less one.

The Resource Pools table is located in the Hosts view under the Resource Pools tab. Information about a pool is listed in a single row in this table. The following information is available for each resource pool:

Resource Pool Name: The name of the resource pool
CPUs: Total number of CPUs contained in the pool
Unreserved CPUs: The number of CPUs available, or currently available for container creation

To Create a New Resource Pool

If the Container Manager GUI is not already open, access it as described in To Launch the Container Manager GUI.

Select the Hosts view by clicking the left tab in the navigation window.

A list of hosts is displayed in the navigation window.

Select the host name.

The Resource Pools table is displayed in the right pane.

Click the New Resource Pool button.

The New Resource Pool dialog is displayed. The Total Number of CPUs on the host is listed, as well as the Available CPUs.

Provide a name for the new pool in the Resource Pool Name field.

Provide the number of in the CPUs.

This number must be less than or equal to the number given in the Available CPUs field, and must be an integer.

Click OK to save your changes.

The information in the Resource Pools table is updated with the new pool.

Modifying Resource Pools

Note –

You cannot modify the default resource pool.

To Modify a Resource Pool

If the Container Manager GUI is not already open, access it as described in To Launch the Container Manager GUI.

Select Hosts view by clicking the left tab in the navigation window.

A list of hosts is displayed in the navigation window.

Locate the desired host in the list, and click the key symbol next to the name.

The tree expands and all resource pools bound to the host are displayed.

Select the resource pool by clicking its name.

Select the Properties tab.

Make the changes in the Number of CPUs field.

Click Save.

Deleting Resource Pools

You cannot delete a host's default resource pool. A resource pool cannot be deleted if any container is still associated with it.

To Delete a Resource Pool

If the Container Manager GUI is not already open, access it as described in To Launch the Container Manager GUI.

Select Hosts view by clicking the left tab in the navigation window.

A list of hosts is displayed in the navigation window.

Select the host name.

The Resource Pools table is displayed in the right pane.

To enable the Delete button, select the checkbox next to the resource pool.

If the Delete button does not become active, then there are containers still using this pool and you cannot delete it.

Click the Delete button.

The selected resource pool is deleted and its name is removed from the tree.