Capacity on Demand (CoD)
Capacity on Demand lets selected IBM Power6 servers activate processor or memory resources that are already installed but not yet available for use.
The useful question is not whether a Power6 server supports Capacity on Demand. It is whether that exact machine has inactive resources and which activation rights already belong to it. The Hardware Management Console shows the installed, active, and available capacity.
The five POWER6 Capacity on Demand offerings
1. Capacity Upgrade on Demand
CUoD permanently activates eligible inactive processors or memory after an activation feature is purchased and its code is entered.
2. Trial Capacity on Demand
Trial CoD temporarily activates processors or memory for evaluation. IBM's POWER6 documentation describes a trial lasting 30 powered-on days.
3. On/Off Capacity on Demand
On/Off CoD temporarily activates processors or memory for a requested number of days. IBM records and bills that temporary use.
4. Utility Capacity on Demand
Utility CoD automatically adds processor capacity to the shared processor pool for short workload spikes. Usage is measured in processor-minute increments.
5. Capacity BackUp
Capacity BackUp uses inactive capacity on a disaster-recovery server that can be activated when the production system needs to fail over.
What to check on a Power6 system
Capacity on Demand evidence worth recording before a support or migration decision
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Installed processors and memory | This is the physical capacity in the server. |
| Active processors and memory | This is the capacity currently available to partitions. |
| Inactive capacity | Installed hardware is not usable merely because it is present. |
| Activation history and codes | These show which rights were purchased or temporarily enabled. |
| Software licensing impact | More active capacity can change licensed software cost and tier exposure. |
A used Power6 server may contain inactive processors or memory without including the right to activate them. Confirm the machine serial number, current CoD settings, and transferable entitlement before valuing that inactive capacity.
Start by identifying the exact Power6 model. Then read the CoD settings from its Hardware Management Console before treating inactive hardware as available capacity.
Related Context
- IBM POWER6 Capacity on Demand overview : IBM's POWER6 guide to installed and inactive resources plus temporary and permanent activation.
- IBM POWER6 Capacity on Demand offerings : IBM's comparison of CUoD, Trial, On/Off, Utility, and Capacity BackUp.
Related Terms
POWER6
IBM's dual-core processor generation shipped starting May 2007, notable for very high clock speeds and hardware decimal floating-point support.
CPW
IBM's relative performance benchmark for IBM i systems, used to compare processing capacity across different Power hardware generations and models.
LPAR
A logical partition: an independent, virtualized instance of an operating system running on a shared physical Power server.