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With the introduction of HP OpenVMS v8.3 for Integrity servers, which supports dual-core processors, OpenVMS introduces two new Utility Pricing offerings: Instant Capacity (iCAP) for systems that are
purchased, and Pay per use (PPU) for systems that are leased through HP Finance.
Instant Capacity
iCAP provides the ability to instantly activate CPUs already installed in the chassis when demand dictates. Inactive CPUs present in the chassis are purchased at a fraction of the cost of active
CPUs, and are only turned on when needed. Activation can be permanent, to cope with inexorable increases in demand, or temporary, with a temporary iCAP license (TiCAP), to ensure service level
agreements (SLAs) are met in the face of expected—for instance, month end—or unexpected processing demands.
iCAP is implemented across both the HP-UX 11i and HP OpenVMS operating systems, so both operating systems can coexist in separate hard partitions on a common cell-based Integrity server. Load
balancing (sharing of active CPUs between partitions to optimize the CPU utilization) can be performed manually or by Global Workload Manager.
Pay per use
For those customers that prefer to lease systems over an optional period of three or four years, PPU can dramatically reduce the cost of operations. PPU software is installed on the HP OpenVMS
Integrity cell-based system, where it continuously monitors actual CPU utilization 24 x 7. This data is sent to a separate HP Proliant-based Utility Meter. Each Utility Meter can support up to 99 PPU
systems on the customer network. Aggregated utilization data on each system is sent to the HP PPU Web portal over SHTTP every 24 hours; 48 hours later the customer can interrogate the portal for
precise system utilization information.
The customer pays a base monthly fee, which is significantly less than the classic lease terms, plus whatever utilization has been registered by the PPU software. Customers are guaranteed that no one
month will exceed 105 percent of the standard lease charge, and also that at the end of the lease, the customer will not pay more than the cost of the standard lease at full term.
PPU comes in two 'flavors':
- Active CPU—Customers turn on CPUs as required (with a minimum of one active CPU). This option is favored by ISVs, and is ideal for maintaining a warm standby system because it costs
much less than traditional standby systems.
- Percent CPU—All CPUs are active at all times, with the PPU software continuously monitoring each CPU percentage utilization every ten seconds.
PPU is implemented across the HP OpenVMS, HP-UX 11i, and Windows operating systems on HP Integrity servers, so a mix of these operating systems can coexist in separate hard partitions on a common
cell-based Integrity server.
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