Configuration requirements and restrictions for suspending a logical partition
You can suspend an AIX® logical partition only when the logical partition is capable of suspension. When you suspend a logical partition, the operating system and applications running on the logical partition are also suspended, and its virtual server state is stored in persistent storage. At a later time, you can resume the operation of the logical partition. There are certain configurations requirements to make a logical partition capable of suspension. The logical partition also requires a reserved storage device of an appropriate size.
If you are using HMC Version 7.3, or later, you can also suspend an IBM® i logical partition. You can resume the operation of the suspended logical partition only on the same system.
The Suspend/Resume feature for logical partitions is supported on POWER8® processor-based servers when the firmware is at level FW840, or later.
The HMC automatically assigns a suitable reserved storage device at the time of suspending a logical partition. Reserved storage devices must be available in the reserved storage device pool. If the logical partition uses shared memory (hereafter referred to as a shared memory partition), a reserved storage device is associated with the logical partition during activation and the HMC reuses the same reserved storage device.
A reserved storage device pool has reserved storage devices called paging space devices and it is similar to a shared memory pool of memory size 0 bytes. Paging space on a storage device is required for each partition to be suspended. One Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) must be associated as the paging service partition to the reserved storage device pool. Additionally, you can associate a second VIOS partition with the reserved storage device pool in order to provide a redundant path and therefore, higher availability to the paging space devices.
The reserved storage device pool is visible on the HMC and can be accessed only when the hypervisor is suspend capable.
- Only the following AIX operating system versions are supported:
- AIX Version 7.1 Technology Level 0 Service Pack 2
- AIX Version 6.1 Technology Level 6 Service Pack 3
- For an IBM i logical partition, the logical partition must be running IBM i Version 7.1, Technology Refresh 2, or later.
- When a logical partition is suspended, the reserved storage device contains the state required to resume the logical partition. Therefore, the reserved storage device must be kept persistently associated with the logical partition.
- The HMC ensures that the reserved storage device pool is configured with at least one active Virtual I/O Server partition available in the pool.
- You can create or edit the partition profile of a logical partition that is capable of suspension without any restrictions. However, when you activate a logical partition with a specific profile, checks are performed for any of the restrictions associated with suspending the logical partition.
- For NPIV, you must zone both of the WWPNs associated with a virtual fibre channel adapter.
- The logical partition must not have physical I/O adapters assigned to the logical partition.
- The logical partition must not be a full system partition, or a Virtual I/O Server partition.
- The logical partition must not be an alternative error logging partition.
- The logical partition must not have a barrier-synchronization
register (BSR). Note: This is not a restriction on POWER8 processor-based servers because they do not support BSR.
- The logical partition must not have huge pages (applicable only if PowerVM® Active Memory™ Sharing is enabled).
- The logical partition must not have its rootvg volume group on a logical volume or have any exported optical devices.
- You cannot suspend an IBM i logical partition while it is active in a cluster.
- The logical partition must not have a virtual SCSI optical or tape device assigned to the logical partition.
- When the logical partition is in the suspend state, you must not perform any operation that changes the state of the logical partition properties.
- A Dynamic Platform Optimizer (DPO) operation must not be running.
- The logical partition must not have any virtual Ethernet adapters that are disabled.
- You cannot activate the logical partition with a partition profile which has a virtual SCSI server adapter.
- You cannot activate the logical partition with a partition profile which has a virtual SCSI client adapter that is hosted by another IBM i logical partition.
- You cannot dynamically add any virtual SCSI server adapter.
- You cannot dynamically add any virtual SCSI client adapter that is hosted by another IBM i logical partition.
- You cannot dynamically add any physical I/O adapters.
- You cannot suspend an IBM i logical partition with a varied NPIV attached tape device.
- All IBM i virtual disks must be backed by physical volumes.
- A Dynamic Platform Optimizer (DPO) operation must not be running.
