Procedure for dynamic reconfiguration of resources of logical partitions
View Patent ↗A method, system and apparatus for dynamically reconfiguring partitions of a partitioned computer system are provided. Here, dynamically reconfiguring a partition is defined as being able to reconfigure the partition while the partition is operational. Using a graphical user interface (GUI), a user may indicate a plurality of resources that are to be involved in a partition reconfiguration. However, the partition is actually reconfigured one resource at a time. If one of the resources is memory, then memory is allocated to the partition or de-allocated from the partition one logical memory block (LMB) at a time. In reconfiguring partitions, resources may be removed, added or moved from one partition to another. Moving resources from one partition to another entails removing the resources from one partition and adding it to the other partition. After a partition re-configuration, a resource allocation table is updated. All this is done transparently to the user.
1. A method of dynamically reconfiguring partitions of a partitioned computer system, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the method comprising the steps of:
enabling a user to indicate a plurality of resources to be involved in reconfiguring a partition; and
automatically reconfiguring the partition one indicated resource at a time wherein before the partition is reconfigured a check is made to determine whether the number of a resource will remain within a limit after the partition is reconfigured, wherein if the resource being involved in reconfiguring the partition is memory, an allocation table is adjusted to reflect a new memory allocation to the partition and the partition is reconfigured one logical memory block (LMB) at a time and wherein if reconfiguring the partition entails adding resources to the partition, unassigned resources are first added to the partition.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein if unassigned resources are not available, assigned but idle resources are added to the partition.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein before adding assigned resources to the partition the resources are removed from the partition to which they are currently assigned.
4. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for dynamically reconfiguring partitions of a partitioned computer system, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the computer program product comprising:
code means for enabling a user to indicate a plurality of resources to be involved in reconfiguring a partition; and
code means for automatically reconfiguring the partition one indicated resource at a time wherein before the partition is reconfigured a check is made to determine whether the number of a resource will remain within a limit after the partition is reconfigured, wherein if the resource being involved in reconfiguring the partition is memory, an allocation table is adjusted to reflect a new memory allocation to the partition and the partition is reconfigured one logical memory block (LMB) at a time and wherein if reconfiguring the partition entails adding resources to the partition, unassigned resources are first added to the partition.
5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein if unassigned resources are not available, assigned but idle resources are added to the partition.
6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein before adding assigned resources to the partition the resources are removed from the partition to which they are currently assigned.
7. An apparatus for dynamically reconfiguring partitions of a partitioned computer system, each partition of the partitioned computer system having a plurality of resources, the apparatus comprising:
means for enabling a user to indicate a plurality of resources to be involved in reconfiguring a partition; and
means for automatically reconfiguring the partition one indicated resource at a time wherein before the partition is reconfigured a check is made to determine whether the number of a resource will remain within a limit after the partition is reconfigured, wherein if the resource being involved in reconfiguring the partition is memory, an allocation table is adjusted to reflect a new memory allocation to the partition and the partition is reconfigured one logical memory block (LMB) at a time and wherein if reconfiguring the partition entails adding resources to the partition, unassigned resources are first added to the partition.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein if unassigned resources are not available, assigned but idle resources are added to the partition.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein before adding assigned resources to the partition the resources are removed from the partition to which they are currently assigned.
10. A partitioned computer system being able to dynamically reconfigure its own partitions, each partition having a plurality of resources, the partitioned computer system comprising:
at least a storage device for storing code data; and
at least a processor for processing the code data to enable a user to indicate a plurality of resources to be involved in reconfiguring each partition, and to automatically reconfigure each partition one indicated resource at a time wherein before the partition is reconfigured a check is made to determine whether the number of a resource will remain within a limit after the partition is reconfigured, wherein if the resource being involved in reconfiguring the partition is memory, an allocation table is adjusted to reflect a new memory allocation to the partition and the partition is reconfigured one logical memory block (LMB) at a time and wherein if reconfiguring the partition entails adding resources to the partition, unassigned resources are first added to the partition.
11. The partitioned computer system of claim 10 wherein if unassigned resources are not available, assigned but idle resources are added to the partition.
12. The partitioned computer system of claim 11 wherein before adding assigned resources to the partition the resources are removed from the partition to which they are currently assigned.