Summary

The version of Temporary Instant Capacity illustrated in this chapter in HP's Virtual Server Environment provides a means for resources to be instantly activated when needed and deactivated when the resources are no longer needed. This functionality provides cost savings while meeting the demands of workloads in the datacenter.

Temporary Instant Capacity requires a system with e-mail connectivity to HP for asset reporting. However, this requirement has been removed in the latest version of the software. After configuring e-mail connectivity, a Temporary Instant Capacity codeword must be purchased and acquired. These codewords are purchased in blocks of 30 CPU days. Once a codeword is retrieved from the Instant Capacity portal, it is applied to the complex and Temporary Instant Capacity is immediately available for use.

Whether the situation is a Serviceguard failover or an unexpected peak in demand, unlicensed CPUs can be instantly activated to meet the needs of the workloads. When temporary capacity is no longer needed, the CPUs can be instantly deactivated. HP's Virtual Server Environment provides integration between Workload Manager and Temporary Instant Capacity to automate the process of activating and deactivating unlicensed CPUs as shown in Chapter 15, "Workload Manager." This combination of technologies provides a dynamic and robust computing environment without the typical costs of fully redundant hardware configurations.

Temporary Instant Capacity can be used in many environments for many purposes. Serviceguard failover situations, unexpected peaks in system utilization, and cyclical peaks in workload utilization can all be handled by the Temporary Instant Capacity solution.