IBM pSeries 690 User Manual page 28

Note: If you have questions about capacity-planning topics not covered here, contact your sales
representative for assistance.
Processor CUoD Ordering
Permanent CUoD capacity can be activated in either one of the following scenarios. The description of
each scenario indicates if and when it is necessary to send vital product data (VPD) to IBM.
v New system order (new footprint): An order can contain a number of CUoD-activation features. The
manufacturing facility fills orders directly at the plant of manufacture, before the server is delivered to
the customer.
v Ordering activation features for an installed server: After you have determined that you want to
permanently activate some or all of your CUoD features, contact your business partner or sales
representative to place an order.
When the order record and the VPD are both available to the manufacturing facility, a processor CUoD
activation code unique to your server is generated. The activation code is mailed to you and posted at
http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/pseries/cuod/index.html.
As part of the order process, VPD collected from the installed server is combined with information from
the order records for CUoD activation features. This combined information is used to generate a CUoD
activation code specifically for your server, enabling the activation of the appropriate features. Allow
some time for the order processing and posting of the processor on demand activation code to take
place. Then use the code to activate the processor on demand features directly on your server.
If you need to activate resources immediately, you can activate features using the Trial Capacity on
Demand function. This allows you to use the resources immediately while the permanent activation
code is being processed.
CUoD activation features will not be fulfilled until you submit the VPD through the Electronic Service
Agent or manually to http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/pseries/cuod/index.html.
When you enter a CUoD activation code, standby processors or memory will immediately become
activated for use. If your operating system is enabled for dynamic logical partitioning operations, the
resource status changes from standby to active. The resources then can be dynamically moved to the
partition where they are needed.
If a CUoD activation feature is ordered and then canceled, an action by the service representative is
required to cancel the order. After the activation code is posted on the Web or mailed, the order for CUoD
activation features is considered fulfilled, and the billing process is started.
Electronic Service Agent and Capacity Upgrade on Demand
When Electronic Service Agent is used to electronically report VPD on a regular basis, you can eliminate
potential delays in the order process for CUoD activation features (no manual reporting of VPD is
necessary prior to the fulfillment of a feature upgrade order). To optimize Electronic Service Agent and to
be prepared to activate CUoD features conveniently, make sure that Electronic Service Agent and related
communications equipment are up and running. If this is done before the CUoD activation features are
ordered, the VPD for the system will already be up to date, and the manual process of updating the VPD
is not needed.
After Electronic Service Agent is installed, follow the procedures under "Activation Process for CUoD
Features" on page 14 to enable the system to collect and transfer the required VPD for CUoD.
Dynamic Processor Sparing
In environments with CUoD, dynamic processor sparing allows inactive processors to act as dynamic
spares. An inactive processor is activated if a failing processor reaches a predetermined error threshold,
thus helping to maintain performance and improve system availability. Starting with AIX 5.2, this capability
is offered on pSeries servers with CUoD to help minimize the impact to server performance caused by a
failed processor. Dynamic sparing will happen dynamically and automatically when using dynamic logical
partitioning (DLPAR) and the failing processor is detected prior to failure. If not detected prior to failure or
not using DLPAR, a reboot of the system activates an alternate processor from the inactive spares. The
12 Eserver pSeries 690 User's Guide