2.3.16 Data that can be collected with virtualized systems that use PowerVM

(1) PowerVM functions

PowerVM is extended functionality that implements an integrated virtualized system. PowerVM provides the following functions:

• Micro-Partitioning

  This function allocates processor resources in 10% units to an LPAR.

• Simultaneous multithreading (SMT)

  This function simultaneously executes two threads on one physical processor.

• Virtual I/O server (VIOS)

  As one of the major components of the PowerVM functionality, this function virtualizes both I/O resources and network resources.

• Virtual SCSI adapter

  This function divides up a physical disk into logical partitions and allocates them to virtual machines.

• Shared Ethernet adapter

  This adapter is used for sharing a physical Ethernet adapter on an I/O server by the virtual Ethernet adapters of multiple virtual machines.

• Integrated Virtual Manager (IVM)

  This virtualized system software enables you to use a Web browser to perform logical partitioning easily without using a special management terminal.

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(2) PowerVM structure

PowerVM uses components to implement a virtualized system.

A simple explanation of the PowerVM structure is that the Micro-Partitioning function allocates one processor resource to multiple LPARs so that the LPARs can use physical device resources limited by the VIOS function. IVM (PowerVM) is the software that facilitates the use of these resources.

Figure 2‒11: PowerVM structure

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(3) Using PFM - Agent for Platform on PowerVM

When using PFM - Agent for Platform on PowerVM, note that information about processors and memory is changed dynamically. Also note that when you use records for handling processor information, a different type of operation might be required depending on whether your virtualized system creates the same number of instances as the processors that can be allocated.

Processor information

For a record that indicates processor information, the number of instances displayed is ten times as many as the number of processors partitioned by the Micro-Partitioning function. Note, however, that this only means that a maximum of 10 logical processors can be allocated to one processor, and a single instance will not always be 10% of the processor resources. Thus, when one physical processor is partitioned into four logical processors by using the Micro-Partitioning function, the total usage of these processors will be 100%. The remaining six logical processors that have not been allocated are displayed as Offline, which means that they are not in use.

When the SMT function is used, one physical processor is partitioned into two logical processors. Operation is therefore the same as when the Micro-Partitioning is used.

PFM - Agent for Platform enables a setting to be made so that processor performance data can be collected from the results output by the sar command of AIX.

For details see 2.3.23 Monitoring processor performance based on results output by the sar command in an AIX environment.

Memory

Be careful when setting an alarm for memory as a resource that can be changed dynamically. Even when the amount of memory used is fixed, if the allocated memory resources are reduced, memory usage will grow, and could cause alarms to be reported unintentionally.

Devices

Disk performance data is only collected for logical partition groups on LPARs. System-wide performance data cannot be collected.

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