This document describes the SAP Landscape Virtualization Management scenarios with AIX. For other IBM platforms refer to the parent document IBM On-Premise Cloud Configuration for SAP.
IBM PowerVC is the recommended virtualization management offering, built on OpenStack, that delivers advanced virtualization management on IBM Power Systems. OpenStack technology has evolved as industry standard for infrastructure-as-a-service management. This technology has been made available for SAP on AIX environments by supporting PowerVC with SAP Landscape Virtualization Management.
With the introduction of IBM PowerVC leveraging industry standard APIs, the support of older products - namely IBM Systems Director, IBM Flex System Manager and IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC) - is deprecated. HMC 8.3 is the last supported version. We encourage customers to migrate to PowerVC.
Virtualization scenarios:
The following virtualization scenarios are supported with any type of storage and storage attachment:
| Use Case | Description | Dependencies |
|---|---|---|
End-to-end monitoring and visualization | Show virtualization topology, server and virtualization configuration, and utilization metrics | IBM PowerVC, IBM Systems Director, IBM Flex System Manager, or HMC |
| Show and monitor AIX Workload Partitions (WPAR) | IBM Systems Director WPAR Manager | |
OS and SAP monitoring | SAP host agent | |
| Operations | Activate/ Deactivate, shutdown virtual system (logical partition) | IBM PowerVC, IBM Systems Director, IBM Flex System Manager, or HMC |
Relocate virtual system (live partition mobility) | IBM PowerVC, IBM Systems Director, IBM Flex System Manager, or HMC | |
Provisioning | Provision new virtual system from image | IBM PowerVC, IBM Systems Director or IBM Flex System Manager, with VMControl and Storage Control |
Storage scenarios:
The following storage-related scenarios are supported:
| Use Case | Description | Dependencies |
|---|---|---|
SAP Relocate | Relocate SAP instance or database including storage attachment | SVC, V7000, XIV, DS8000 (NPIV or direct attached SAN) with Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager and/or PowerVC |
System Clone/Copy/Refresh | Fast online/offline cloning of database or entire SAP system | |
System Rename | Rename SAP system and database including user authorization |
IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC) provides storage virtualization and allows to combine storage systems from multiple vendors. Likewise, IBM FlashSystems is supported with SVC.
If storage is mirrored using SVC or V7000, the administrator can select to create the Clone/Copy/Refresh at the remote site. With this feature most common high-availability/disaster recovery scenarios are supported.
Restrictions with PowerVC storage management:
If PowerVC is used for storage management (i.e. no Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager installed) the following restrictions apply:
- System clone/copy/refresh is only supported in offline mode
- IBM SAN Volume Controller (SVC), IBM Storwize V7000 and XIV are supported.
SAP scenarios:
- Automatic Capacity Management including provisioning of additional dialog instances is supported.
- Post-Copy Automation is supported.
SAP notes and documentation:
- Note 1833980 - Integration of IBM Components into SAP LVM 2.0
- Note 2075173 - Integration of IBM Components into SAP LVM 2.1 for IBM Power
- Solution Brief: SAP infrastructure management with PowerVC
What is coming next?
OpenStack technology has evolved as industry standard for infrastructure-as-a-service management. Future enhancements in IBM platform management will further utilize OpenStack technology provided by IBM products like PowerVC and IBM Cloud Manager.
Online cloning with PowerVC is under investigation.