Linux logical partition functional differences between IBM eServer hardware and previous hardware models

Use this information to see the new or significantly changed enhancements to Linux^® partitioning.

Linux logical partition functions have new and changed technical enhancements for new IBM^® eServer™ hardware.

To identify Linux logical partition technical enhancements running on IBM eServer hardware compared to previous hardware models, see the following table:

On iSeries™ systems, Linux logical partitions support these enhancements.

Function	Linux on IBM iSeries	Linux on IBM eServer i5
LPAR (Logical Partitioning) user interface	iSeries Navigator Dedicated Service Tools (DST) or System Service Tools (SST) Integrated Virtualization Manager	Hardware Management Console (HMC) required to partition the server. HMC remote command Virtual Partition Manager
LPAR authority	Service Tools User IDs created using DST or SST. System partitions-administration authority System partitions-operations authority	User roles created using the HMC: Super administrator Operator Viewer Product engineer Service representative
Maximum number of partitions	31 for 270, 8xx, and 890 models The maximum number of partitions supported depends on the number of processors in the server model.	The maximum number of logical partitions supported equals 10 times the number of processors in the server model. The maximum number of logical partitions on Virtual Partition Manager-managed systems is four Linux partitions and one i5/OS^® partition.
Types of partitions	Primary partition is i5/OS Secondary partitions are i5/OS or Linux Profiles are HMC-specific.	No primary or secondary partitions i5/OS service partition Partition profiles System profiles Profiles are HMC-specific. On Virtual Partition Manager-managed systems, the primary and secondary partitions come back.
Partition management	Operations Navigator GUI or SST/DST	The Hardware Management Console (HMC) enablement utilities provide base infrastructure for communicating between the partition and the HMC. The ppc64utils and lsvpd packages enable basic serviceability actions. The Service Resource Manager, Platform Error Log Analysis, and I/O Error Log Analysis work with the Service Focal Point on the HMC to service hardware errors in a partition. Inventory Scout reports system configuration information and facilitates update of system firmware. Service Agent provides additional capability to monitor a system and report problems. The Dynamic LPAR Resource Manager (DRM) must be used with Linux distributions Red Hat^® Enterprise Linux version 4 or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 to perform Dynamic LPAR (DLPAR) processor and I/O capabilities. See the Service and productivity tools Web site at https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/lopdiags/home.html for more information.
Processors	Processors on iSeries boxes can be changed dynamically. Can be shared among multiple partitions.	Processors can be changed without restarting the partition with Linux distributions Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and using the DLPAR Resource Manager (DRM). See the Service and productivity tools Web site at https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/lopdiags/home.html for more information. Can be shared among multiple partitions. Sharing mode of capped and uncapped. Powered-off partition using dedicated processors can have its processors available to shared processing pool.
Memory	Assigned in 1 MB increments.	Dynamic: can be changed without restarting the logical partition. Memory can be assigned in increments of 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, 128 MB, and 256 MB. Increment value is determined by the logical memory block size set in the ASMI.
Virtual Ethernet	Up to 16 networks. On Logical Partition Manager-managed systems, there's a maximum of four virtual LANs, with up to two virtual Ethernet adapters per LPAR. (The management partition manages and belongs to all virtual LANs.)	Up to 4094 networks. On Virtual Partition Manager-managed systems, there's a maximum of four virtual Ethernet adapters per LPAR.
Fixes also known as program temporary fix (PTF)	Primary partition	HMC Service partition

On pSeries^® systems, Linux logical partitions support these enhancements.

Function	Linux on IBM pSeries	Linux on IBM eServer p5 and Linux on IBM System p5™
LPAR user interface	Hardware Management Console (HMC) required to partition the server. HMC remote command Integrated Virtualization Manager	Hardware Management Console (HMC) required to partition the server. HMC remote command Integrated Virtualization Manager
LPAR authority	User roles created using the HMC: Super administrator Operator Viewer Product engineer Service representative	User roles created using the HMC: Super administrator Operator Viewer Product engineer Service representative
Maximum number of partitions	The maximum number of partitions supported depends on the number of processors in the server model. The maximum number of logical partitions on Integrated Virtualization Manager-managed systems is ten times the number of processors. The maximum number of logical partitions on Virtual Partition Manager-managed systems is four Linux partitions and one i5/OS partition.	The maximum number of logical partitions supported equals 10 times the number of processors in the server model. The maximum number of logical partitions on Integrated Virtualization Manager-managed systems is ten times the number of processors.
Types of partitions	AIX^® service partition Partition profiles Full system profiles System profiles Profiles are HMC-specific. On Integrated Virtualization Manager-managed systems, the Virtual I/O Server logical partition is called the "management partition."	AIX or Linux service partition Partition profiles System profiles Profiles are HMC-specific. On Integrated Virtualization Manager-managed systems, the Virtual I/O Server logical partition is called the "management partition."
Partition management	The Hardware Management Console (HMC) enablement utilities provide base infrastructure for communicating between the partition and the HMC. The ppc64utils and lsvpd packages enable basic serviceability actions. The Service Resource Manager, Platform Error Log Analysis, and I/O Error Log Analysis work with the Service Focal Point on the HMC to service hardware errors in a partition. Inventory Scout reports system configuration information and facilitates update of system firmware. Service Agent provides additional capability to monitor a system and report problems. See the Linux on POWER™ Service Diagnostic Web site for more details.	The Hardware Management Console (HMC) enablement utilities provide base infrastructure for communicating between the partition and the HMC. The ppc64utils and lsvpd packages enable basic serviceability actions. The Service Resource Manager, Platform Error Log Analysis, and I/O Error Log Analysis work with the Service Focal Point on the HMC to service hardware errors in a partition. Inventory Scout reports system configuration information and facilitates update of system firmware. Service Agent provides additional capability to monitor a system and report problems. The Dynamic LPAR Resource Manager (DRM) must be used with Linux distributions Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4 or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 to perform DLPAR processor and I/O capabilities. See the Service and productivity tools Web site at https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/lopdiags/home.html for more information.
Processors	Processors on pSeries boxes cannot be changed dynamically. Processors cannot be shared among multiple partitions.	Processors can be changed without restarting the partition with Linux distributions Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and using the DLPAR Resource Manager (DRM). See the Service and productivity tools Web site at https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/lopdiags/home.html for more information. Can be shared among multiple partitions. Sharing mode of capped and uncapped. Powered-off partition using dedicated processors can have its processors available to shared processing pool.
Memory	Assigned in 256 MB increments.	The xx value is set through Logical Memory Block Size in ASMI.
Virtual Ethernet	On Integrated Virtualization Manager-managed systems, there's a maximum of four virtual LANs, with up to two virtual Ethernet adapters per LPAR. (The management partition manages and belongs to all virtual LANs.)	Up to 4094 networks. On Integrated Virtualization Manager-managed systems, there's a maximum of four virtual LANs, with up to two virtual Ethernet adapters per LPAR. (The management partition manages and belongs to all virtual LANs.) On Virtual Partition Manager-managed systems, there's a maximum of four virtual Ethernet adapters per LPAR.
Virtual I/O		Supports virtual SCSI disk, CD, and tape attached to a dedicated Virtual I/O Server partition (VIOS) or i5OS partition on the same system.
DLPAR	Supports DLPAR processors and I/O when running Linux distributions Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4 or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and the DLPAR Resource Manager (DRM).	Supports DLPAR processors and I/O when running Linux distributions Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 4 or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and the DLPAR Resource Manager (DRM). See the Service and productivity tools Web site at https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/lopdiags/home.html for more information.
Micro-partitioning		Supports capped and uncapped sharing of all processors in the partition.
Fixes also known as program temporary fix (PTF)	Primary partition