IBM Power Enterprise Pools 2.0 delivers enhanced Utility Capacity for processors and memory across a collection of IBM Power E980 servers
At a Glance
IBM® Power® Enterprise Pools 2.0 is a new IBM Power E980 offering designed to deliver enhanced multisystem resource sharing and by-the-minute consumption of on-premises Power E980 compute resources to clients deploying and managing a private cloud infrastructure.
- All installed processors and memory on servers in a Power Enterprise Pool (2.0) are activated and made available for immediate use when a pool is started. There is no need to reallocate mobile resources from server to server.
- System capacity may be seamlessly made available when it is needed without requiring human awareness or intervention.
- Permanent, Capacity Upgrade on Demand processor and memory activations (Base Capacity) and corresponding license entitlements are purchased on each Power E980 system. These Base Processor and Memory Activation resources are then aggregated across a pool.
- Unpurchased (inactive upon shipment) processor and memory capacity in the pool is activated when a pool is started and can subsequently be used on a pay-as-you-go basis (Metered Capacity) from Capacity Credits purchased from IBM or an authorized IBM Business Partner.
- Processor resource within a pool is tracked by the minute, based on actual consumption by shared processor partitions.
- Memory resource within a pool is tracked by the minute, based on the assignment of resources to partitions, not based on operating system usage of the memory.
- Metered Capacity consumption on one system may be offset by idle Base Capacity elsewhere in the pool during the same period.
- A single Power Enterprise Pool (2.0) may support up to 500 shared processor partitions across up to 16 Power E980 systems within a single enterprise, within a single country.
- Each Power Enterprise Pool (2.0) is monitored and managed from a Cloud Management Console in the IBM Cloud.
- Capacity Credits may be purchased from IBM, an authorized IBM Business Partner, or online through the IBM Entitled System Support website, where available.
- Clients may more easily identify capacity usage and trends across their Power E980 systems in a pool by viewing web-accessible aggregated data without spreadsheets or custom analysis tools.
Overview
As more enterprises look at ways to reduce costs while maintaining the scalability required to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment, pay-as-you-go or consumption-based infrastructure models have grown increasingly popular. These purchase models enable clients to quickly scale their IT infrastructure up or down to optimize costs while quickly adapting to dynamic business environments. To maintain a competitive advantage, you need an IT model that helps you adapt rapidly to the changing tech landscape. That’s where a consumption-based IT thrives because it:
- Balances the flexibility of cloud infrastructure with the control, security, and reliability you’d expect from your on-premises data centers
- Pays for IT resources and capacity on demand, reducing up-front CapEx and other costs associated with traditional procurement processes (that is, energy, cooling, and so on)
- Enables rapid infrastructure expansion to accommodate the needs of new projects and workloads
All these benefits contribute to a greater alignment between business and IT leaders, and when both sides of an organization are aligned, you’re better prepared to deliver innovative products and services to your customers. Regardless of industry or company size, the shift to consumption-based IT is clear.
IBM Power Enterprise Pools 2.0 delivers enhanced multisystem resource sharing and by-the-minute consumption of on-premises compute resources for clients deploying and managing a private cloud infrastructure. This flexibility combined with the Power E980 security, reliability, and scalability provide clients with the consumption-based-IT solution required in today’s dynamic, hyper-competitive market. Power Enterprise Pools 2.0 simplifies system management, so clients can focus on optimizing their business results instead of moving resources around within their data center. Resources are easily tracked and monitored by the IBM Cloud™ Management Console with HMC, which automatically tracks usage by the minute and debits against Capacity Credits based on actual usage. With Power Enterprise Pools 2.0, clients no longer need to worry about over-provisioning capacity to support growth.
Base Capacity is processor and memory resource that is purchased on each Power E980 system and is then aggregated across a defined pool of systems for consumption monitoring.
Metered Capacity is the additional installed processor and memory resource above a system’s Base Capacity, activated and made available for immediate use when a pool is started, then monitored by the minute and metered by an IBM Cloud Management Console.
Metered resource usage is charged only for minutes exceeding the pool’s aggregate Base resources, and Metered Capacity charges are debited against a client’s purchased Capacity Credits on a real-time basis.
Key Prerequisites
- One or more Power E980 systems with IBM AIX®, Linux®, or IBM i operating system. See the Hardware requirements section and Software requirements section for detailed requirements.
- IBM Power Systems Firmware 930
- Hardware Management Console 930
- IBM Cloud Management Console
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